ABSTRACT
This chapter examines variation in terms of register. It begins by exploring the definition of register and its key defining variables. In this chapter, the notion that specific registers involve the pragmatically specialised use of language is reinforced through many examples from naturally-occurring data. The chapter shows how conversation analysis has a role to play in the study of spoken language register comparison at the level of turns and this has a lot to contribute to our understanding of spoken pragmatic variation. This application is showcased through examples of turn organisation variation in call openings. The chapters draw heavily on corpus pragmatics in the study of register variation using a range of naturally-occurring language from a variety of contexts, including casual conversation, healthcare communication, crime fiction, service encounters and Shakespearean drama. The chapter illustrates the usefulness of corpus software in the study of register variation, especially through the iterative process of comparatively analysing word and multi-unit frequency and key word lists, and the qualitative study of patterns of use in concordance lines. Throughout the chapter, there is a range of optional tasks to aid understanding research processes and to reinforce key concepts. The chapter ends with an annotated further reading list.
