No, not the cash register.... nor to register for class or an event... nor a register at an event like a wedding, or that you signed when you went to that small town museum.

I am thinking today about academic register, that is, about register as a tone.

the OED (one my favourite library links) lists register in these ways:

In instrumental variation: The range of an instrument, such as the particular range of tones which it can produce

And in a linguistic usage: a variety or level of usage, esp. as determined by social context and characterized by the range of vocabulary, pronunciation, syntax, etc., used by a speaker or writer in particular circumstances.

This is the first week of classes at SFU where I teach. And I have come to realize how limited my students’ registers of speech and correspondence are. I have regularly received emails addressed to “Hey” or “hey there” or “Hi there”, and even ones that just start on with “do you want us to bring the textbook 2 class?”

While I am not one to balk at technology -- in fact, I think I am one of few instructors who doesn’t mind if students have their laptops open in class. However, I can’t help but think that their emails read like txt msg.

In my mind, learning to speak and write in a range of levels of vocabulary and mindful of social contexts and characterstics, learning to use your voice in a broad range of tones are key aspects of being at a university.

TTYL

And Happy New Year, Shana Tova everyone!