Compare and contrast elaborated and restricted codes.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A restricted code is one wherein the options (not necessarily the vocabulary) are limited as to what the speakers can say or do verbally. A restricted code is considered a status-oriented speech system. The code reinforces the social system by restricting or limiting its speakers to a limited number of linguistic options during communication. Restricted codes are most often seen in high context cultures wherein the status of the interactants dictates who says what to whom and how it is said.
With an elaborated code, speakers can choose from among a variety of linguistic options to communicate. Speakers using an elaborated code are able, via the social system, to put their thoughts, intents, and goals into an explicit verbal message. Elaborated codes develop in circumstances where the speakers' intents are unknown or vary widely, as in individualistic cultures. Because the individual speaker's intent is unclear, the speaker has a variety of linguistic options available from which to choose. The speaker must expand and elaborate so that his or her intentions are clearly communicated. Any language will allow the speaker to do that but the social system regulates it.