Now for the second part of Rachel’s question, which gets down to the day to day use of language. She’s asking how our attention to grammar and word choice might change, depending on where we are and who we’re with.
In general, you want to match your style and tone with that of your context. I think of it as your verbal wardrobe. Just as you would choose an appropriate outfit to wear if you’re addressing the board of directors of an organization you want to impress, you would choose grammar and a vocabulary that will help you fit in with that company.
By the same logic, you pick an outfit to wear, and a way to speak, to attend your best friend’s Super Bowl party. The clothes and the communication style are going to be different for these two occasions, and that’s natural. This instinctive (and sometimes deliberate) blending-in is called “code-switching,” and this article from NPR explains it much better than I could:
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/13/177126294/five-reasons-why-people-code-switch
To summarize these two points, I’d say that if you’re giving a speech or presentation, be aware of your grammar, word choice, and pronunciation.
And notice how your style changes (and should change!) when you’re in a different situation. When are you likely to use slang, jargon, or even profanity? When would those phrases be inappropriate, and when might they help you fit in?
