Functions of Language

Year 11 English Language

Unit 1
AoS 1: The nature and function of language

Some questions to get started.

1. What is language?
2. Does language involve facial expressions
and gestures, or are these outside your
definition of language?
3. Are humans the only animal to use
language?

We are Uniquely LanguageUsers

Other Animals Communicate
Cats arch their back to scare the neighbor
cat
Bees tell each other when they have found
food
Chimpanzees can be taught to use
primitive sign language to communicate
desires.

We are Uniquely LanguageUsers

We Use Language
We can separate our vocalization
from a given situation (cats only arch
their back in the appropriate
situation).
We can lie (animals only report)
We can speculate (animals are bad at
counterfactuals)

What is language?
Language is an expression of thinking and
feeling: a way of representing our thoughts
and of signalling our thoughts and feelings
to others.
Dictionary definition (Collins, 2010):
System of spoken sounds or conventional
symbols for communicating thought.

Webster' s New World Dictionary (Pp. 759)

Language is [ 1 ]
(a) human speech;
(b)the ability to communicate by this
means;
(c) a system of vocal sounds and
combinations of such sounds to which
meaning is attributed, used for the
expression or communication of thoughts
and feelings;
(d) the written representation of such a
system;

Webster' s New World Dictionary (Pp. 759)

[2]

(a) 'any means of expressing or

communicating, as gestures,
signs, or animal sounds;
(b) a special set of symbols;
letters, numerals, rules etc.
used for the transmission of
information, as in a computer; ...

A Generally Accepted Definition

Language is a system of
arbitrary vocal symbols used
for human communication.

Understanding the Definition

1. Why a system?
2. Why arbitrary?
3. Why vocal?
4. Why symbols?
5. Why human?
6. Why communication?

Some more definitions

Sapir: a purely human and non-instinctive method of
communicating ideas, emotions and desires by
means of voluntarily produced symbols.
Bloch & Trager: a system of arbitrary vocal symbols
by means of which a social group cooperates.
Hall: the institution whereby humans communicate
and interact with each other by means of
habitually used oral-auditory arbitrary symbols.
Chomsky: a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each
finite in length and constructed out of a finite set
of elements.

What is Language?
A dialect with an army.

Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Pacific
TOTAL

2,092
1,002
2,269
239
1,310
6,912

Language as a system of
signs:
An open-ended, arbitrary symbol system
A signal is transmitted from a sender to a receiver (or group of receivers)
along a channel of communication. The signal will have a particular form and
will convey a particular meaning (or message). The connection between form
and meaning constitutes a code.
Activity: Using examples, explain in your own words the above
explanation of language. Is there anything missing from the definition?

ACTIVITY
Explain which definition of language you
prefer and explain why, or else provide
your own definition.

Characteristics common to
languages
Spoken
Exceptions: sign language and dead
languages (Latin)

Arbitrary
Chair / aardvark
All must agree on the selected term

Linear
One element follows another

What are the functions of

language?
Using a language as a primary means of
communicating our thoughts is so natural
for many people that it is often difficult to
realise what in fact are language
functions.

Functions of Language
1. Informative
Language serves an informative
function when it is used to tell
what the speaker believes, to give
information about facts, or to
reason things out.
By use of Declarative Sentences

Functions of Language
2. Interrogative:
When language is used to get
information from others, it serves
an interrogative function
Through Questions that expect
answers.

Functions of Language
3. Interpersonal:
Language serves an interpersonal
function when it is used to establish
and maintain their status in a society.
Five sub-categories of interpersonal
function: performative, directive,
emotive, expressive, and phatic.

Functions of Language
3.1 Performative:
the use of language to do things,
to perform actions.
Through quite formal and even
ritualized language.

Functions of Language
3.2 Directive:
When language is used to get the
hearer do something, it serves a
directive function.
Most Imperative sentences.

Functions of Language
3.3 Emotive:
the use of language to create
certain feelings in the hearer.
Through Jokes, Advertising,
Propaganda, etc.

Functions of Language
3.4 Expressive:
the use of language to reveal
something about the feelings and
attitudes of the speaker.
Through Exclamations, etc.

Functions of Language
3.5 Phatic:
the use of language to establish an
atmosphere or maintaining social
contact.
E.g. Greetings, Farewells, and
Comments on the weather, etc.

Functions of Language
4. Recreational:
the use of language for the sheer
joy of using it.
E.g. babys babbling, poetry, etc.

Functions of Language
5. Metalingual:
the use of language to talk about
language itself.
This makes language infinitely selfreflexive: We human beings can talk
about talk and think about thinking,
and thus only humans can ask what it
means to communicate, to think, to be
human.

Activity
Why do we use language?
Create a mind-map which explores the
different things you use language for
during the day.

Other Functions

Physiological
Recording
Identifying
Reasoning
Communicating

Physiological Function
Releasing physical and
nervous energy.
Sports fans shouting
instructions, express
support/disappointment,
cheers (release
repressed energy).
Cursing rarely convey
meaning and are only to
make the speaker feel
better.

Recording Function
Denotes using
language to make a
durable record of
things that ought to be
remembered.
Typically written
language
Began with pictures
and moved to the
alphabet we use
today

Identifying Function
Language is used to
identify the objects
and events in the
world we live in.
Without this function
language would be
almost useless.

and whatsoever Adam called every living

creature, that was the name thereof
(Genesis 2:19)

Car or Automobile
Truck or Van or Lorry

Reasoning Function
Instrument of thought
Before we say
something we think
and to do that we
necessarily use
language.
It is difficult to think
about anything
without any use of
words.

Communicating Function
Often the first function
that people identify.
Most commonly used
by the majority of
speakers.

Requesting
Apologising
Informing
Ordering
Promising
Refusing

Activity
A means to convey
information
Drawing using only
verbal instructions.

Giving instructions:
1. How easy or difficult was it to give clear
and effective instruction?
2. Did you have any particular verbal
signals that helped your partner to draw
more effectively?
3. What were they?

Following Instructions
1. How easy or difficult was it to draw the
image?
2. Did your partner give you any particular
clues that helped you?
3. What were they?

 Whatever function language is serving, it

is being used to communicate by linking
EXPRESSION to CONTENT.
Two further aspects that are critically
important for communication and
interpreting meaning:
AUDIENCE
CONTEXT

Audience
Language choice is
dependent on
audience.

Context
Language choice is
dependent on where
the communication is
taking place.
Notions of
inappropriate
language use
depends upon
attitudes and context.
Is this Cotton On Kids
T-shirt appropriate?

Metalanguage Terms
EXPRESSSION: refers to the words, phrases and
sentences.
CONTENT: refers to the meaning of the words, phrases
and sentences.
AUDIENCE: refers to the addressee(s) of the words,
phrases and sentences
CONTEXT: refers to the social situation in which words,
phrases and sentences are used.
FUNCTION: refers to what the words, phrases and
sentences are designed to do. (Consider: is there a
difference between function and purpose?)

Activity
McMillan pp.11-12
Activity 1.4 Q1
Activity 1.5 Q1