Functions of Language

Language is a tool which is used by its speakers to perform various tasks. These
tasks are called functions of language.

Common Forms and Functions of Language

I. Three Basic Functions are generally noted: there is perhaps nothing more subtle
than language is, and nothing has as many different uses.

A. Without a doubt, identifying just these three basic functions is an

oversimplification, but an awareness of these functions is a good introduction to the
complexity of language .

B. The Functions of Language (i.e., its purpose; what it does; its uses)

1. Informative language function: essentially, the communication of information.

a. The informative function affirms or denies propositions, as in science or the

statement of a fact..

b. This function is used to describe the world or reason about it (e.g.., whether a state
of affairs has occurred or not or what might have led to it).

c. These sentences have a truth value; that is, the sentences are either true or false
(recognizing, of course, that we might not know what that truth value is). Hence,
they are important for logic.

2. Expressive language function: reports feelings or attitudes of the writer (or

speaker), or of the subject, or evokes feelings in the reader (or listener).

a. Poetry and literature are among the best examples, but much of, perhaps most of,
ordinary language discourse is the expression of emotions, feelings or attitudes.

b. Two main aspects of this function are generally noted: (1) evoking certain feelings
and (2) expressing feelings.

c. Expressive discourse, qua expressive discourse, is best regarded as neither true or

false. E.g., Shakespeare's King Lear's lament, "Ripeness is all!" or Dickens' "It was
the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom; it was the age
of foolishness…" Even so, the "logic" of "fictional statements" is an interesting area
of inquiry.

3. Directive language function: language used for the purpose of causing (or
preventing) overt action.

a. The directive function is most commonly found in commands and requests.

b. Directive language is not normally considered true or false (although various

logics of commands have been developed).

c. Example of this function: "Close the windows." The sentence "You're smoking
in a nonsmoking area," although declarative, can be used to mean "Do not smoke
in this area."

II. It is rare for discourse just to serve only one function; even in a scientific treatise,
discursive (logical) clarity is required, but, at the same time, ease of expression often
demands some presentation of attitude or feeling—otherwise the work might be
dull..

A. Most ordinary kinds of discourse is mixed. Consider the following example.

Suppose you want your listeners to contribute to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

B. There are several possible approaches:

1. Explain the recent breakthroughs in the scientist's understanding of the disease

(informative) and then ask for a contribution (directive).

2. Make a moving appeal (expressive) and then ask for a contribution (directive).

3. Command it (directive).

4. Explain the good results (informative), make a moving appeal (expressive), and
then ask (directive).

5. Generally speaking, step 3 (specifically stating that which is desired as outcome)

is the least effective means. Usually, just making a moving appeal is the most
effective for the general population; explaining the recent research is the most
effective for an educated audience. Asking for the contribution is often not
necessary, since the prospective contributor surmises this step.
C. Several other uses of language deserve mention.

1. The ceremonial--(also ritual language use) probably something quite different

from simply mixing the expressive and directive language functions because
performative aspects are included as well. Example: "Dearly beloved, we are
gathered here together to witness the holy matrimony of …."

2. Performative utterances: language which performs the action it reports. For

example, "I do" in the marriage ceremony and the use of performative verbs such as
"accept," "apologize," "congratulate," and "promise." These words denote an action
which is performed by using the verb in the first person—nothing more need be done
to accomplish the action.

3. Phatic language: "Elevator talk" and street-corner conversations accomplishing a

social task. Note the subtle transition from vocal behavior to body language from
saying for example, "Hi" or "How are your?" to a nod or a wave of the hand.

4. Most of the examples we have been talking about are not merely of academic
interest, even though we cannot take time out to trace the far reaching consequences.
(E.g., in law, when a speaker is charged "with inciting to riot," the prosecution
must maintain he was using the directive language function, while the defense will
probably argue that the speaker was only expressing his feelings. Also, performative
utterances are not normally subject to hearsay rules since they imply an action
taken.)

Different linguists/scholars and their representation of these functions

Geoffrey Finch's functions of language

He divides the functions of language in two main categories i.e. Micro and Macro.
Micro functions are those which help us identify/name things, record, release
emotional energy, communicate, socialise, think and enjoy through language. On
the other hand macro functions are generalised forms of micro ones which
incorporate one or more than one functions within themselves. Thus ideational
function helps us conceptualise the world around us, interpersonal function helps us
create our relation with respect to other things and humans in society and
environment, poetic function gives us liberty to bend the world and create world
through words, textual function gives us ability to create understandable and
interconnected texts.

Jakobson's functions of language

Roman Jakobson defined six functions of language (or communication functions),

according to which an effective act of verbal communication can be described. Each
of the functions has an associated factor. For this work, Jakobson was influenced by
Karl Bühler's Organon-Model, to which he added the poetic, phatic and metalingual
functions.

The six functions of language

1. The Referential Function

corresponds to the factor of Context and describes a situation, object or mental state.
The descriptive statements of the referential function can consist of both definite
descriptions and deictic words, e.g. "The autumn leaves have all fallen now."

2. The Poetic Function

focuses on "the message for its own sake" (the code itself, and how it is used) and is
the operative function in poetry as well as slogans.

3. The Emotive (alternatively called "Expressive" or "Affective") Function

relates to the Addresser (sender) and is best exemplified by interjections and other
sound changes that do not alter the denotative meaning of an utterance but do add
information about the Addresser's (speaker's) internal state, e.g. "Wow, what a
view!"

4. The Conative Function

engages the Addressee (receiver) directly and is best illustrated by vocatives and
imperatives, e.g. "Tom! Come inside and eat!"

5. The Phatic Function

is language for the sake of interaction and is therefore associated with the
Contact/Channel factor. The Phatic Function can be observed in greetings and
casual discussions of the weather, particularly with strangers. It also provides the
keys to open, maintain, verify or close the communication channel: "Hello?", "Ok?",
"Hummm", "Bye"...

6. The Metalingual (alternatively called "Metalinguistic" or "Reflexive") Function

is the use of language (what Jakobson calls "Code") to discuss or describe itself.

Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday's functions of language (primaily for

children)

Language is ‘systemic’ because it is ‘paradigmatically organised’. What this means

is that any ‘piece’ of language on any scale can be described as the output of a
system of choices. For instance, a major clause must display some structure that is
the formal realization of a choice from the system of ‘voice’, i.e. it must be either
‘middle’ or ‘effective’, where ‘effective’ leads to the further choice of ‘operative’
(otherwise known as ‘active’) or ‘receptive’ (otherwise known as ‘passive’).

Halliday (1975) identifies seven functions that language has for children in their
early years. Children are motivated to acquire language because it serves certain
purposes or functions for them. The first four functions help the child to satisfy
physical, emotional and social needs. Halliday calls them instrumental, regulatory,
interactional, and personal functions.

Instrumental: This is when the child uses language to express their needs (e.g.’Want
juice’)

Regulatory: This is where language is used to tell others what to do (e.g. ‘Go away’)

Interactional: Here language is used to make contact with others and form
relationships (e.g. ‘Love you, mummy’)

Personal: This is the use of language to express feelings, opinions, and individual
identity (e.g. ‘Me good girl’)
The next three functions are heuristic, imaginative, and representational, all helping
the child to come to terms with his or her environment.

Heuristic: This is when language is used to gain knowledge about the environment
(e.g. ‘What the tractor doing?’)

Imaginative: Here language is used to tell stories and jokes, and to create an
imaginary environment.

Representational: The use of language to convey facts and information.

According to Halliday, as the child moves into the mother tongue, these functions
give way to the three metafunctions of a fully tri-stratal language (one in which there
is an additional level of content inserted between the two parts of the Saussurean
sign[clarification needed]). These metafunctions are the ideational, the
interpersonal, and the textual.

Halliday’s work represents a competing viewpoint to the formalist approach of

Noam Chomsky. Halliday’s concern is with what he claims to be “naturally
occurring language in actual contexts of use” in a large typological range of
languages whereas Chomsky is concerned only with the formal properties of
languages such as English, which he thinks are indicative of the nature of what he
calls Universal Grammar.