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[UPDATED]: Five Functions of Language

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[UPDATED]: Five Functions of Language

Language is the most important tool of communication invented by human civilization. Language helps us share our thoughts, and understand others. It’s hard to overestimate the importance of language for our lives. Every time we speak, we do it with a particular purpose. Sometimes we want to deliver a message, or express our feelings. We use language to ask for help, or just to say a joke.

Generally, there are five main functions of language, which are informational function, aesthetic function, expressive, phatic, and directive functions. Any language is determined by a number of factors, such as a social background, attitudes and origin of people. Language is always related to situation it is used within. Every person has a certain social background, and this is what determines one’s language.

We are going to consider different functions of language, and its connection to social circumstances, since language is related to the type of social organization.

As we mentioned above, language is used in every part of our lives, and it’s the most important part of communication. We use language in every situation, every time we need something. In turn, our needs determine our language, since we choose a type of language that is most effective for our needs.

Every our sentence has its particular function. It may express a statement, or a question. It also may be just an exclamation. If we want to know something, we create a sentence in the form of a question. In other case, if we want to share information or emotions, we choose a statement structure.

Five Functions

According to Geoffery Leech (1974), there are five main functions of language. We mentioned all these five functions at the beginning. Now, let’s take a closer look at each one of them.

  • The informational function can be considered most important, since it helps us deliver messages, describe things, and give our listener new information. Actually, message is a word that describes this function best. The informational function is also related to such terms as a truth and a value.
  • The next function of language is the expressive function. We need such function every time we want to express our feelings. There are words that are used to express attitudes and feelings, which don’t deliver any particular information. Obvious examples of such words are swear words, as well as various exclamations. This function of language is used not to deliver a message, but to express feelings and impressions. Due to the expressive function of language, we can understand the personality of a speaker, and his or her emotions. While the informational function can be illustrated on the example of an encyclopedia article, the expressive function is used in literature and poetry. Every time we say a phrase like “I love this movie so much”, we don’t give a listener any particular information about the subject of this sentence, except our feelings about it.
  • The directive function of language is used to induce certain actions or reactions. The example of such a function is a command. Another example of this function is a request. Here affective and situational meanings of a phrase are more important than a general meaning, which makes this function somewhat similar to the expressive function. The directive function is a function of social control and interpersonal interaction. Another feature of this function is that the reaction of a listener is even more important than a thought expressed by a speaker, since this reaction determines whether such a phrase achieved the target or not.

Every time we ask someone to bring us something, it’s a directional use of language. We motivate somebody and influence his or her behavior in a certain way. Sometimes directive sentences may express more than one function. For example, if we say “I’m hungry”, it means both information about us, and a request for food. This sentence also expresses our feelings, so this example represents three functions of language in one short sentence.

  • Another function of language is the aesthetic function. According to Leech (1974), this function doesn’t have any particular purpose. Here words and sentences are considered as linguistic artifacts. This function serves neither as a request nor as a message. The aesthetic function helps us use words as a tool of a poetic art, and as certain signs. Here the beauty of chosen words and phrases is more important than usefulness of this information. For the sake of such a function, we use different adjectives, such as “gorgeous”, “elegant”, “stunning”, and so on. According to Jacobson (1933), who studied this function of language more than anyone else, the aesthetic function depends not only on structure, but on cultural norms as well. He also gives an example of such influence, comparing poems of Karel Macha, and diaries, as examples of aesthetic functions applied by different generations.
  • The fifth function of language is the phatic function. The only purpose of such a function is to maintain social relationships, and to begin, or continue the conversation. A well-known example from British culture is a small talk about the weather. Such a kind of talk doesn’t provide us with any necessary information. It even doesn’t express our feelings, but it helps us to interact with people. Every time we meet somebody on the street, we can talk about the weather, or work, or children, it doesn’t matter. The real reason for such a talk is not our interest, but simply our desire to talk. Of course, such conversations may also contain some interesting information, but it’s not necessary.

There are other classification systems for language. For example, H. Douglas Brown highlighted not five, but seven functions of language, noting that his system isn’t really different from Leech’s system. Generally, such an approach was introduced by J. R. Firth, who created a basis for British linguists, considering language as an interpersonal and interactive tool. According to him, language forms our behavior and helps us influence the behavior of others.

According to Jakobson’s functions of language, there are six types of them:

  1. Referential function – this function refers to context. It usually describes situation, object, or its state. E.g. “The autumn leaves have all fallen now.”
  2. Poetic function – is mainly used in poetry. It usually exists as is, and helps to distinguish poetry from other genres.
  3. Emotive function – is not about the context of the statement, but about the emotions added to it. The good example is interjections and exclamations in it. E.g “Oh, such a pity”.
  4. Conative function – is a function that is directed to the receiver, and usually goes in imperative character. Exclamation marks may be used. E.g. “Richard! Do open the window!”
  5. Phatic function – the main aid is to “warm up” the conversation. It is usually about the small talks that precede the main conversation. E.g. “Hi”, “How are you?”, “Good bye”.
  6. Metalinguistic function – is the use of language to describe itself.
Exercises:
1. According to your feelings and emotions at this moment, write 5 sentences about each of the function of languages.
2. Try to express and identify hashtags / labels / characteristics that are important for your identity in: scholar OR academic, professional, personal, and civic areas. (E.g. boyfriend / son / mother for personal, independent for civic, etc.)
3. Figure out which words / messages may be destructive in your relations and social environment. Try to list and avoid them.
Exercises on language functions

Video on Language Functions by M. Tayyab


87 responses to “[UPDATED]: Five Functions of Language”

  1. Esther Rose says:

    this essay has been really helpful in my paper presentation. and i really like its contents. but if it can be made more specifically it would be more helpful.

  2. vinsha says:

    Very useful material…. crisp and clear…

  3. ADAM ATAIRU says:

    IT REALLY HELPFUL FOR STUDENT

    • daswpaperdue says:

      Thank you, Adam! Happy to hear that! Maybe you’d like to see posts on other specific topics? Feel free to share your ideas.

  4. Scarlet says:

    Its really helpful

  5. Chashinka Felistus says:

    So helpful

  6. sujenar says:

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  9. Joyce says:

    Thank you so much this was really helpful

  10. Benson Gideon says:

    Sufficient to help me with all the information i need to add as i carry on with my report writing. Thank you so much for the significal contribution you’ve given…Keep up the good work.

  11. Shruthi says:

    great piece of information. Just a few tips though
    1. classify the five types more clearly with bulletins
    2. Cite examples for the readers to understand the types better.

  12. Franklyn says:

    This really served as help to me on my assignment 💖

  13. Clint chenda says:

    Has a student of English language,I have learnt a lot on this platform.

  14. OBED says:

    thanks for your vital topic for sure you have saved me a lot

  15. Kamal Kumar Poudel says:

    Thank you so much for the writing. My area of research (PhD) is language functions. My study investigates 15 macro-functions, of which the REFERENTIAL is common to all, so I have termed it ‘the king of all functions’.Interestingly, I find that it is missing in this writing.

    • daswpaperdue says:

      Hello Kumar, can you please send me some material about the other 10 functions? I would write about it wit the great pleasure! Thank you in advance!

  16. Pro Henry says:

    wow
    This is tremendous

  17. andrew stafford says:

    you should do examples for all of the functions on this page! you should do examples for all of the functions on this page! you should do examples for all of the functions on this page!

  18. muntazar shuaibu abubakar says:

    Thank’s you so much, this will going to help me to my assignment.

  19. Wilima says:

    Thank you so much. It was very helpful for study.

  20. sarah kwamboka says:

    nice work it has helped me alot

  21. HOJA AMOS says:

    Thanks very much for the paper…it is more than relevant and helpiful

  22. Azade barati says:

    Hi there
    Im an MA student of teaching English as a foreign language
    I want to have a study about evaluation of language function in Iranian secondary Highschool Enlish text book .
    So I want to have an accsses to a new and complete essay about language function and its relation to teaching English
    Also I want to find an aswer about localization of language function .If it is possible or not ?
    Also I want to know if deconstruction of culture and language is acceptable or not
    Would you please help me to find my answers

  23. MERCY says:

    THANK YOU THIS REALY HELPED ME A LOT

  24. Patrick says:

    Thank its a big help for me

  25. Jamilu Ahmad says:

    Its really useful but we need more examples pls.

    • daswpaperdue says:

      Ok, according to requests, I will add some examples. Will start work on it soon. Thank you all for your feedback!

  26. Park Ayra says:

    I have learned that the functions of language are language as a tool, language as a process, language as a mean of social cultural relation and language as a mean of social control. Can you explain or elaborate more about these, and relate them to your essay points? thanks 😉

  27. Fosuaa Rita says:

    this eassy has help me a lot in my reading assignment. than you

  28. Divya says:

    Short and sweet. I like it

  29. Obeng Michael says:

    Thanks for your help
    Keep on

  30. lesego karabo tladi says:

    thank you so much, the information was very helpful wish me luck for my exams. thank you

  31. It’s clear for me and understandable but improve on few things

  32. The work is precised but more examples needed for easy understanding

  33. Aminu Balkisu dewa. says:

    Language makes us different from animals

  34. Aminu Balkisu dewa. says:

    It’s great.

  35. Sen says:

    Thank you for the content. Could you release a similar write up on structuralism, please?

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  37. Sir, May God give you more knowledge to continue to help us.

  38. Language have many functions as its above it also scientific means of communication by using either a symbols or barbell discussion.

  39. please sir, write about theories of language acquisition in children

  40. musa muhammad saidu says:

    i am really happy to find this answer in this page thanks you so much to help me to my assingment

  41. Shitu says:

    Thanks it was so helpful

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  43. Seeker says:

    This writeup wildly expose me to another level of understanding to what language is and it functions. THANK A LOT.

  44. safi says:

    Very Helpful 🙂 Explained in simple English. Easy to understand.

  45. Tahira Ahmad says:

    wow ,,,, super dupper for me ,,,,, really helpful for me
    informational
    and directive

  46. juliet says:

    woww thanks a lot,dis help me on my assignment.

  47. Ketia Toakarawa says:

    Anyone can tell me what are the the example of the 5 functions of language in your own cultural contexts?

  48. Emmanuel says:

    its really helpful

  49. kabiru says:

    thanks alot my mentor for this enormous paper

  50. MickManX says:

    Yeah. You really should add some examples…. that actually what I needed

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