Colloquial language is used in informal settings.
The concept of language , which comes from the Occitan word lenguatge , has several meanings. It can refer to the faculty of expression and communication that the human being has; to a way of expressing oneself ; or to language as a system of signs to communicate. Colloquial , on the other hand, is something informal (that is, it does not pay attention to forms).
The idea of colloquial language , therefore, is used to refer to the way of expression that privileges fluidity and spontaneity over the rules of language . This is the language that is usually used in speech.
Features of colloquial language
In colloquial language, statements are put together according to communicative needs , beyond a logical order. It is possible that these statements appear incomplete, that there are words that are repeated or cut off, and that rewordings are made in the middle of the statement.
Another characteristic of colloquial language is the use of fillers , slang , proverbs and metaphors . Its specific features depend on the circumstances of time and space, the theme and the relationship between the interlocutors.
Colloquial language is often used between friends and family . When there is no trust or there is a hierarchical difference, however, formal language is used.
Colloquial language is often used among friends and family.
An example
“How cool it is! "You have to throw your wardrobe over yourself to go out into the street and not freeze," for example, is an expression of colloquial language. If the host of a television news program wants to mention the weather conditions, on the contrary, he will resort to a more formal expression: “The temperature does not exceed 2 degrees Celsius. It is essential to dress warmly before going out to avoid suffering from inclement weather.”
Of course, these two cases represent only some of the many points that we can find between the two extremes, absolute formality and the total absence of correctness in language. Communication between living beings is one of the most complex phenomena that we discover throughout our lives, since it occurs in many different species and, within each one, between individuals of different classes and degrees of knowledge.
Colloquial language and rules
Colloquial language, also called popular language or everyday speech , is a double-edged sword that usually brings more "misfortunes" than benefits. First of all, we must stop and think about why human beings are so afraid of rules and structures , since they live immersed in them by their own will; We do not want to be slaves to dictionaries when it comes to speaking, but we are slaves to the company we work for, to the service providers and manufacturers of our favorite products, without leaving aside the authorities of our country.
Speaking well requires effort, it is true, but unless we want to forget the rules forever, so does speaking badly "only on certain occasions." That is, wouldn't it be easier and more productive to practice good communication all the time than to simply do it in front of our superiors and then feed an incorrect and distorted version of it in colloquial conversations? We believe that serious errors are the most obvious, such as adding an S to the end of verbs in the second person singular of the Past Indicative, but using the wrong tense is equally worrying.
In everyday language we don't usually worry so much about verb tenses ; in fact, we use very few, which we consider fundamental, grouping as many types of past as possible into two or three, and ignoring all the nuances of their different uses. With regard to vocabulary, we reject those words that we consider "too lofty" for fear that our friends will look at us badly. In short, we impoverish our communication to give rise to a limited and imprecise version of our language.