Language register and audience-appropriate writing – basic principles
How it works
Language register describes the situation-appropriate choice of language level, style and vocabulary depending on the communication situation and the addressee. There are, for example, formal, informal, technical and youth-language registers. Audience-appropriate writing means choosing language so that it is understandable, appropriate and effective for the target group. Typical features are forms of politeness, an objective or personal style, technical terms or everyday language. Thus, in an application, ‹Sehr geehrte Frau Schneider› is more suitable than ‹Hi, ich will den Job›. The conscious choice of register is central to successful communication at school, in work and in everyday life.
Choose the language register and style so that they fit the communication situation and the addressee. Pay attention to word choice, politeness and comprehensibility. In formal situations, ‹Könnten Sie mir bitte weiterhelfen?› is more suitable, in a casual message to friends ‹Kannst du mir helfen?›.
An example
Which wording fits better in an email to a public authority: ‹Könnten Sie mir bitte den Termin mitteilen?› or ‹Kannst du mir mal den Termin sagen?›
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: German. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.