What Is Meant by Appropriateness (or Appropriacy) in Language Use?

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Language is defined as the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. Appropriacy however, refers to the suitability of a word for the context it is being used in. It is an important aspect of language but an extremely complex one, as decisions about how to say things depend on understanding exactly what is right for the context and the culture. As users of language, in this instance we delve with depth in the English language, we find ourselves in countless social contexts that demand our ability to converse and communicate. Many a times, we may have been grammatically correct but inappropriate in context. There are various levels of knowledge and accuracy in any language. In this instance, the systematic and schematic knowledge will be explored to command a deeper understanding of the appropriacy of language. Systematic knowledge encompasses the formal concepts of language learning. It is usually learnt formally in organizations or from a teacher. This is in reference to grammatical rules, vocabulary and the proper usage terms meant to achieve accuracy of the language. Schematic knowledge is acquired socially. Our natural state allows us to learn through sight, experience, word of mouth etc. Such is schematic learning that we “pick-up” information and knowledge and learn to act within the expectations of societal norms. Schematic knowledge is culturally fueled and its existence differs within various cultures. By way of illustration, the language spoken in a royal court will differ greatly in comparison to the language spoken in a classroom of elementary school students. It is unlikely that the elementary school students will have the slightest inkling of understanding the language spoken in a royal courtroom. The students may have the capacity to comprehend
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