BEGLA- 138- UNIT- 12 ( Informal Conversation ) Reading And Speaking Skills

BEGLA- 138- UNIT- 12- Informal Conversation-  Reading And Speaking Skills IGNOU Subject

INTRODUCTION

• Informal domains are different from formal ones.

• In this chapter, we will understand the aspects of informal use of language with reference to English and know how contexts influence interpretation of messages in informal conversations.

What is an Informal Conversation ?

• An informal conversation is a personal conversation that happens in an informal domain to address a regular or a personal issue. 

• Informal conversations require us to be relaxed, casual, empathetic and open and we adjust the tone of voice based on who we are speaking to.

Use of Language

• An informal conversation differs from a formal one in terms of form, use of language, purpose and content.

• In informal conversation, the speaker is free to use colloquial expressions, urban expressions, slang and broken utterances.

• informally greeting each other, at times with loud exclamations, vivid displays of emotion and use of nicknames. 

• The participants are not known to each other and there is an informal introduction and subsequently they move on to the focus of the conversation.

• For example, when we are introduced to a friend of a friend on an outing, such informal introductions become important.

 informal convention

Sample informal greeting	Sample response acknowledging the greeting
1. How are things? 2. How's it going? 3. How you doing?	1. Pretty good. 2. OK. Not bad. 3. I'm doing good.

ISSUES FACED BY NOVICE SPEAKERS IN INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS

• In the Indian context, hesitation is the most common and affects many English users. 

• Hesitancy and lack of confidence affect informal conversations.

• Hesitation happens because of a long- term lack of opportunities to speak, absence of people to use English with or even poor level of confidence, being used to a unidirectional mode of conversation where you have preferred to just listen.

EXAMPLES OF INFORMAL CONVERSATION

• An example of an informal conversation between Rubina Gupta, a college student and her mother Saroja Gupta, a homemaker given below: 

• The conversation takes place as Rubina comes home and finds her mother working in the kitchen

( Rubina ) Hi Mumma.

( Saroja ) Hey, beta. How was college? How was your exam?

( Rubina ) College was OK, and my exam was really good.

Mumma, I was so worried about the exam, but now I feel awesome. What a relief!

( Saroja ) Well, I'm glad to hear that. 

You've been studying so hard the past few weeks.

Now, just relax and enjoy life.

( Rubina ) What are you cooking? Umm! It smells so good.

( Saroja )  I'm making paneer parantha. I know this is your favourite, beta.

READ MORE- BEGLA- 138- UNIT- 11 ( Formal Conversation )