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Formal vs Informal
• How do you speak at home? Around friends
and family?
• Spoken around family and friends
• Does not follow grammatical rules
• Also called informal language
• Relaxed, comfortable

Home Language
 Examples
• “Wanna go to the store?”
• Come here.
• Ay what’s up?
• She ain’t go to work today.
• He off tomorrow so we going to the beach.
• I dunno.
• Share with your neighbor some terms, phrases or
sayings you say outside of school around family or
friends?
 Standard English
• Follows grammar rules
• Spoken in settings such as school, work,
professional settings, interviews, and/or
meetings with physician, tax preparer, or
managers.
 Examples
Thanks for joining our team.
H e l l o M r. R a j u .

We a r e m e e ti n g t o d i s c u s s y o u r w o r k .

What are some instances where you would use S.A.E

Why does communication matter?
• Expectations related to communication change
as you enter college and become an adult

• When you use effective and appropriate

communication, other people are more likely to…
– Have a positive impression of you
– Take you seriously; relate to you as a peer and adult
– Offer you assistance and give you the benefit of the
doubt when needed
 Forms of Communication
and their Components
Verbal – Written Verbal – Oral Nonverbal
• Language • Language • Body language
• Vocabulary • Vocabulary • Gestures
• Content • Content • Eye contact
• Structure • Structure • Facial expression
• Tone • Tone • Voice (tone,
• Grammar, spelling, • Sentence structure volume, pitch,
punctuation, etc.)
• Fluency
capitalization, etc. • Personal space
• Appearance
 Communication Styles
• Informal and Formal

• Can apply to any mode of communication –

written, oral, nonverbal/body language

• Both styles are necessary

• Appropriate style depends on the situation or

setting and the people involved
 Communication Styles
Informal Communication… Formal Communication…
• Is less rigidly structured • Is more rigidly structured
• Has a more relaxed tone • Has a more formal tone
• Uses more casual language • Uses more standard language
• Places less emphasis on • Places higher importance on
correct grammar and spelling correct grammar and spelling
• Is used mainly with peers and • Is used mainly with non-peers
other people you know well & people you don’t know well
• Is more likely to be needed in • Is more likely to be needed in
personal situations business, career, or educational
situations
 Examples of Appropriate Situations for Using
Each Communication Style
Mode of
Informal Communication Formal
Text message to a friend Email to a professor
Birthday card for a relative Verbal – Resume & cover letter
Grocery list Written English paper
Tweet or Facebook status Online discussion board post
Skyping with a sibling Tutoring
Family dinner Verbal – Job interview
Socializing at a club meeting Oral/Spoken In-class presentation
Getting to know your roommate Scheduling a doctor’s appointment
Riding the bus Sitting in class
Dinner out with a friend Interacting with customers at work
Nonverbal
Watching a movie at home Turning in a job application
Hugging your mother to say hello Shaking hands to greet your boss
 Samples of Informal and Formal Communication Styles
Scenario Informal Communication Formal Communication
You want to confirm that you Hey, we still meeting today, Hello Dr. Jones. I just want to confirm
have an appointment with a Dr. J? that we’re meeting today at 4:00.
professor by speaking with Does that still work for you?
him after class. (Verbal-Oral)
You were supposed to meet a hey, where r u? weren’t we Jessica, please update me on your
friend at the gym, but she’s working out at 3? u ok?? whereabouts. I’m concerned that you
45 minutes late. You send her haven’t arrived for our 3:00 pm
a text message. (Verbal- workout. Please contact me ASAP.
Written) Best wishes, Taylor
Your professor has flagged You show up for the meeting You show up dressed in what you
your paper as potentially wearing pajama pants and a would normally wear to class or work.
being partly plagiarized. (You dirty sweatshirt. When you During the conversation, you stand up
think it’s most likely an error enter her office, you throw straight, make eye contact with the
because you didn’t cheat yourself into a chair and professor, and use active listening
intentionally.) You are heave a huge sigh. During the skills such as nodding when she
meeting with her to find out conversation, you look at the explains something. You keep an even
why the paper was flagged floor and glare or scowl. tone and don’t raise your voice. You
and hopefully to clear it up. When she explains why the stay out of her personal space except
(Nonverbal) paper was flagged, you shout to lean in and point at a passage in
“that’s ridiculous!” and throw the paper once.
your arms in the air.
Why does communication matter?
• Expectations related to communication change as
you enter college and become an adult

• When you use effective and appropriate

communication, other people are more likely to…
– Have a positive impression of you
– Take you seriously; relate to you as a peer and adult
– Offer you assistance and give you the benefit of the
doubt when needed
 Making the Transition
• Informal communication is appropriate…
– In most situations school students encounter
– In many situations college students encounter

• However, college students encounter more situations

where formal communication is necessary and
appropriate

• In college, you will need to transition back and forth

between formal and informal communication styles
much more frequently
 Types of College Communication
In college, you will likely need to…
• Send emails • Attend tutoring, study groups,
or review sessions
• Leave voicemails
• Participate in class discussions
• Meet with a variety of
educational professionals • Work on group projects
(e.g., advisor, professor, financial aid
counselor, disability support staff, • Apply and interview for a job or
residence hall leader, etc.) internship
• Ask questions (in & out of class) • Interact with people outside of
• Write papers & assignments the university setting for
independent living tasks
• Give presentations (e.g., schedule doctor’s appointment, get
car’s oil changed, etc.)
Communication Tips for the College Setting
• Use good body language
– Stand up (or sit up) straighter than usual
– Look people in the eye when listening or speaking
– Don’t fidget with objects in a distracting way

• Use professional verbal language

– “Yes” instead of “uh-huh”; “hello” instead of “hey”
– Remember your manners: please, thank you, yes ma’am/sir
– Don’t use profanity in any education or employment situation

• Use active listening skills

– Pay attention and actively try to understand what’s being said
– Acknowledge what’s being said by nodding, saying “yes”, etc.
– Respond in ways that keep the conversation going
 Formal or Informal?
• You call your dad at work and his boss answers
the phone.
• You are asking someone out on a date
• You are talking to your parents at the dinner
table
• You are trying to convince the assistant
principal to change the date of the detention
you were given.
 Change to Formal
• Hi
• Sure!
• Will ya?
• Ya gotta do it!
• What do you want?
 It’s Cool!
• You should remember to adapt your language
to the setting you are in at the time.
• What’s the difference?
 Final Thought
• If you talk to a man in a language he
understands, that goes to his head. If you talk
to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
Nelson Mandela