I have learned a great deal about the cultural topic I have been studying throughout the semester. A lot of the knowledge was drawn from my experience in Bali, Indonesia. For example, when I was in Bali, I observed that five social factors influence one's use of the infomal and formal language register. While I was researching in Bali, I had a lot of context with Hindu priests, whom people regard was a great deal of respect. I had noticed that some of the priests with whom I was in contact were a bit off-put when I attempted to speak to them in bahasa Indonesia. Of course, I am still learning Indonesian, and up until that point, most of my studies focused on the more practical side of the language, like survival vocabulary and informal slang. What's more, Hindu priests in Bali generally speak bahasa Bali so as to further insulate the culture and therefore preserve it. It is also a source of legitimacy among the local population, signaling a sense of respect for the culture. Of course, not all priests were jaded at my formal Indonesian. In fact, the majority were welcoming. But, Balinese culture is strong, and if one veers off its course or script, he or she can be ostracized.
The relationship between speakers is another factor that influences one's use of register type. For example, a professor at a university in Bali supervised my research last summer. Professors (and teachers in general) are treated with a great deal of respect. It is deeply ingrained in the Balinese culture. So, at first, I approached him with a reserve and respect commensurate with the cultural context. However, and it is a big "however" (as in all cultures, rules are meant to be broken), as time went one, he and I developed a close relationship, and the norms governing the social interaction were quickly relaxed. We would speak in English half the time, and we would go to the cafe to brainstorm and dinners with his family.
I can go on and on about the social factors that influence one's use of the formal and informal language register type. As far as I can tell, there are three more contexts/factors that influence register type: Setting, the topic of conversation, and medium (email, texting, etc.). The use of formal and informal language register type is manifested in one's word choice (informal or formal verbs), the use of address terms, and sentence structure and length.
As you can tell, I learned a great deal not only about my cultural project but also about the Balinese culture more broadly this semester.
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