On November 14, 2024, Oleksiy Petrov, a senior lecturer of the English Language Department at ESITC, held a debate on the topic “Formal and informal styles in English” with the first-year students of the Educational-Scientific Institute of Telecommunications DUIKT.

Formal and informal styles have different characteristics, particularly in language expression, sentence structure, and the level of formality they involve. Understanding the differences between these styles is important for effective communication, as the choice of style depends on the situation, the audience, and the purpose of the communication.

The participants of the event compared the formal and informal style, expressed their point of view on the advantages and disadvantages of each of these styles depending on the context of use, and made a comparison table. Aspects such as language, tone, sentence structure/grammar, vocabulary (abbreviations, addressing, signing), communication goals, and audience selection were offered for comparison.

At the end of the discussion, the participants in the debate came to an agreement that both styles (formal and informal) are used in everyday life, but in different situations. Before choosing an appropriate option, you need to analyze the topic of the message/conversation/discussion. If the topic is quite serious and objective, a formal style is suitable. On the other hand, when you are communicating with family, friends and acquaintances, and the topic of discussion is not very serious, it is appropriate to switch to an informal style.

Carrying out such activities has a positive effect on further learning and helps students to express their thoughts in English, developing argumentation skills, improving language skills and increasing confidence in using English in various communicative situations. It also encourages critical thinking and promotes a better understanding of cultural and linguistic differences.