Back to Basics Lesson 7 – Appropriate Language

Lesson Objectives By the end of the lesson pupils will have: Considered why we modify our speech in Drama Explored speech in different environments Created an improvisation that crosscuts between characters with different speech Learnt what ‘register’ is Today we are working at GCSE grade C-E

Let’s get focused with a warm up of your teacher’s choice

Who am I talking to? Into pairs with someone you haven’t worked with yet and label yourselves A and B You are teenage friends and A has just run down a corridor and straight into a teacher knocking everything out of her hands. A has to tell the story to B. B, pay careful attention to the way A tells the story, the type of language that is used and the tone of the conversation B should now become the student who was running and A becomes the head teacher. B has been called to the head teacher's office to explain what happened. This time A should listen carefully to how B uses language and their tone of voice to tell the story Finally, A becomes the student again and B becomes their parent. Fearing that the head teacher will send home a letter about the incident, A decides to tell their parent about the run accident.

What did you notice? Did the language change between scenes? If so, how? What was your partner’s tone of voice like in the different scenes? You have just been working on something called ‘register’. This is what is said and HOW it is said Why do you think your register changes? Why is ‘register’ so important in Drama?

Different People, Different Speech Many different groups in society have their own way of speaking and their own vocabulary e.g. a nursey nurse will often speak with a soft, drawn out tone and keep their language very simple so that toddlers can understand In pairs you have 2 minutes to come up with as many examples as possible

Doctors – medical jargon Lawyers – language of law Politician – rhetoric (language of persuasion) Vicar – Biblical language Hairdresser/beautician – colloquial language News reader – formal language Chavs – ‘innit’/text speak Hippy – laid back/relaxed language

Watch the following clip It is a really good example of how mixing register can create comedy! =lwNQf08Kxsw

Show your understanding In groups of 4-5 improvise 2 scenes which show contrasting speech and characters The scene should be set where you would naturally find these people e.g. a lawyer in a courtroom, a hairdresser in a salon, a nursery nurse in a nursery etc. The improvisation must last for at least 5 minutes and show clearly that you understand how different characters use different registers For those of you who really want a challenge you could try to mix things up like Armstrong and Miller!

Plenary What is ‘register’? Why is it important to be able to use appropriate language in Drama? Which groups showed the best examples of contrasting register and why? How will today’s lesson impact on your future Drama?