3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
Module 3: Intercultural Communication Verbal
3.1.1 Formal & Informal Communication
(Independent Level)
Explanation
Verbal communication is the act of using language to exchange information or to express
ideas, thoughts or feelings to someone else.
In order to communicate successfully, different levels of formality are used to respond
appropriately to different circumstances and different people.
In this module we are we are going to examine formal and informal language in the
workplace.
Formal Language:
In a work environment formal communication is necessary when presenting work to
colleagues, in a meeting, when speaking on the phone, in written and email communication.
Formal communication is usually used when speaking to a superior/manager and shows a
level of respect and politeness.
Formal communication channels:



Emails
Letters
In a formal setting - meetings, conferences, presentations, interviews.
Informal Language:
In a work environment informal communication is used when speaking to co-workers that
you have a relaxed relationship with in the office and is used with all of your co-workers
outside of the office.
Sometimes you may speak formally to someone in a meeting in front of other colleagues/
clients and then change to informal conversation afterwards.
Informal Communication Channels:



Email
One-to-one conversation
Interoffice phone-calls
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3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
In most work environments a mixture of both formal and informal language is used
throughout the day, depending on the position of the person you are communicating with
and your relationship to this person, it becomes a matter of personal judgement to decide
which type of communication to use and when.
For example, you may have a relaxed, friendly relationship with your manager who you
normally use informal language with but if you are in a meeting with this person you would
usually change to formal language out of respect for the formal situation.
In the UK, in many businesses, hierarchy is still considered to be important and informal
ways of communicating with those in higher positions is not generally encouraged. You
must become familiar with your workplace and your colleagues before knowing when it is
appropriate to use informal language.
Activity 1


Hand out the worksheet for Activity 1 and ask the students to work in small groups
of 2/3. They must read through the phrases in the table, deciding whether each
phrase is formal or informal in conversation with a co-worker/manager.
When they have finished, review the exercise as a class (answers provided below)
Answers:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Phrases:
Of course, I will attend to that at once.
How’s it all going over there today?
Good afternoon Sir.
Just wait a minute, okay?
When the opportunity arises, we will make arrangements.
Thank you all for your attention, it is much appreciated.
I don’t get it, will you explain it again?
Sure, will do.
Can you give me a minute please?
This is a real win-win result for us all team.
Going forward, we will increase our workload on this
project.
Can you give me the lowdown on the last meeting?
Staff must re-focus their priorities.
Thanks a million!
Can you give me a hand with this?
Please do not hesitate to contact me immediately.
Whenever you get the chance, send me a soft copy of the
document will you?
I sincerely apologise for the delay.
2
Formal
X
Informal
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Attached is the requisite document.
Sorry, no can do.
Hi there all.
This requires immediate attention!
Please replicate the examples provided in the document.
No problem, anytime!
Ì am pleased to inform you of our upcoming event.
There is no mention of a proposed delay in her recent
email communication.
Have you seen their recent stuff? We really have to stepup our game in this department.
I need to jog my memory. I can’t remember any of those
statistics for the meeting.
27
28

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Ask the students to create formal and informal equivalents for each of the phrases
listed in the box above in pairs or groups of three and discuss as a class once they
have finished.
Activity 2

Explain to the students that when someone uses the wrong type of language in
workplace communication it can cause problems and offence. It is important to
recognise when to use formal language and when to use informal language.

Hand out the worksheet for Activity 2 and break the students into small groups.

Ask the students to complete part 1 of the activity which involves reading through
two emails requiring the use of formal language and highlighting where informal
language has instead been used.

Once the students have had time to complete the exercise, discuss which phrases
and words they chose as informal language which should not be used in this
context. Discuss as a class using the answers provided below.
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3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
Answers:
Formal Email – Employee Requesting Sick Leave from HR Manager:
Hi there Dermot,
This is about my sick leave entitlement for my job at Union Bank. I want 4 days of sick leave for some
minor surgery I plan to have in April. Tell me of any files I need to arrange for this and the deadline?
Here’s a document with my job info for you.
I’ll be back with some dates for that sick leave.
Thanks,
Sarah
Formal Email - From Office Manager to all Staff:
Hey everybody,
This is about your timesheets. I don’t have all of them up-to-date. Can you hurry up and send them
for June, July and August?
I’m going to email again to tell you to do this if you don’t send them to me soon.
Cheers,
Office Manager
4
3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level

Ask the students to complete parts 2 and 3 of the activity. The students must once
again identify any formal/informal language mistakes in the emails and, in addition,
rewrite the phrases/words using the appropriate level of formality.
 Discuss which phrases and words the students identified as being too
formal/informal for the context and how they chose to re-write them.
Answers:
Informal Email –Company Employee Replying to a Customer Order:
Hi Customer,
Thanks for the order you sent us and for sending the money through PayPal. We will process this and
you’ll probably receive the delivery next Wednesday - Thursday sometime.
You will get a reference number in the next hour. Use this to follow the order for dispatch and
delivery.
Email if you have questions.
Thanks,
Conor King
Globaltime Sales Team

Students are asked to identify the formal language mistakes in this informal email
and rewrite the email in an informal language style:
Informal Email – Manager Inviting Employee to Informal Work Drinks:
Dearest Sam,
This is to inform you that there will be casual drinks after work has finished in the Highland Pub, on
Thursday at 7pm. This pub is located approximately 3 minutes from the office.
It would be extremely pleasant if you could attend.
All of the information you will need for the location of the pub where we will all gather is attached
above. Please confirm to me if you will be in attendance, by 3pm tomorrow afternoon.
Kindest regards,
Jason Dolan
Accounts Manager
5
3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
Activity 3

Hand out the worksheet for Activity 3.

Ask the students to work in pairs to create dialogues for the different conversation
topics listed.

Explain to the students that they are to try and include some of the phrases
provided (in the boxes at the bottom of the sheet) where appropriate.

Ask each of the pairs to read out one of their dialogues and ask for the other
students to provide feedback.
Supplementary Activity
Students are asked to role-play a telephone conversation using the appropriate formal
language; the rest of the students must highlight mistakes made.
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3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
Activity 1
Read through the exercise below placing a tick in the correct box to decide which phrase is
formal or informal in conversation with a co-worker/manager?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Phrases:
Of course, I will attend to that at once.
How’s it all going over there today?
Good afternoon Sir.
Just wait a minute, okay?
When the opportunity arises, we will make arrangements.
Thank you all for your attention, it is much appreciated.
I don’t get it, will you explain it again?
Sure, will do.
Can you give me a minute please?
This is a win-win result for the whole team.
Going forward, we will increase our workload on this
project.
Can you give me the lowdown on the last meeting?
Staff must re-focus their priorities.
Thanks a million!
Can you give me a hand with this?
Please do not hesitate to contact me immediately.
Whenever you get the chance, send me a soft copy of the
document.
I sincerely apologise for the delay.
Attached is the requisite document.
Sorry, no can do.
Hi there all.
This requires immediate attention!
Please replicate the examples provided in the document.
No problem, anytime!
Ì am pleased to inform you of our upcoming event.
There is no mention of a proposed delay in her recent
email communication.
Have you seen their recent work? We really have to stepup our game in this department.
I need to jog my memory? I can’t remember those
statistics for the meeting.
Formal
Informal
Working in groups of 2/3 can you create a formal/informal equivalent of the above phrases?
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3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
Activity 2
1. The following two emails should be written using formal language - Identify the
informal language mistakes in both emails:

Formal Email – Employee Requesting Sick Leave from HR Manager:
Hi there Dermot,
This is about my sick leave entitlement for my job at Union Bank. I want 4 days of sick leave for
some minor surgery I plan to have in April. Tell me of any files I need to arrange for this and the
deadline?
Here’s a document with my job info for you.
I’ll be back with some dates for that sick leave.
Thanks,
Sarah

Formal Email - From Office Manager to all Staff:
Hey everybody,
This is about your timesheets. I don’t have all of them up-to-date. Can you hurry up and send
them for June, July and August?
I’m going to email again if you don’t send them to me soon.
Cheers,
Office Manager
8
3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
Activity 2 (continued)
2. The following email should be written using formal language - Identify the informal
language mistakes and rewrite them in a formal language style.

Informal Email –Company Employee Replying to a Customer Order:
Hi Customer,
Thanks for the order you sent us and for sending the money through PayPal. We will process this
and you’ll probably receive the delivery next Wednesday - Thursday sometime.
You will get a reference number in the next hour. Use this to follow the order for dispatch and
delivery.
Email if you have questions.
Thanks,
Conor King
___________________
Globaltime Sales Team
3. The following email should be written using informal language - Identify the formal
language mistakes and rewrite them in an informal language style.

Informal Email – Manager Inviting Employee to Informal Work Drinks:
Dearest Sam,
This is to inform you that there will be casual drinks after work has finished in the Highland Pub,
on Thursday at 7pm. This pub is located approximately 3 minutes from the office.
It would be extremely pleasant if you could attend.
All of the information you will need for the location of the pub where we will all gather is
attached above. Please confirm to me if you will be in attendance, by 3pm tomorrow afternoon.
Kindest regards,
Jason Dolan
Accounts Manager
9
3.1.1 Intercultural Communication - Verbal: Formal & Informal Communication, Independent Level
Activity 3
Using appropriate phrases from the two box provided below, work in pairs to write
dialogues for the following conversations:

Manager requests that the employee organise the next staff meeting

Manager tells the employee that he/she is not satisfied with his/her work and that
he/she is being given a warning for being late 3 days in a row.

Employee must reply to a customer order by telephone.

Employee tells manager they he/she has failed to meet a deadline to finish an
important project/task.

Employee invites the manager to a social event outside of the office.

Manager informs the employee that he/she will be offered a promotion.
Phrases






















Keep me in the loop
Soft copy
As soon as possible (ASAP)
In regard to
When you have the chance
I want to formally request
No-show
Please do not hesitate to contact me
A bad example
Hard copy
Archived files
Please inform staff
Forward the email
A team/staff outing





10
Going forward
This is an issue that must be resolved
How are things?
This is not acceptable
We’ll all rendezvous at 8pm
You are being given a formal warning
The final outcome
I have forwarded the information in a
zip-file
Working against time
Think outside the box
The invoice for the total amount
Attach documents
If you have the time