BASIC FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE

Language is a tool to let other people know the thoughts, ideas or emotions. It is simply a
means of communication.

4 Basic Function

a. Informative Function - can be considered most important, since it helps us deliver

messages, describe things, and give our listener new information of all kinds whether it is true or
false correct or incorrect, important or unimportant, general or particular. This function is used
to describe the world or reason about it.

b. Expressive Function - such function is used if want to express our feelings or emotions.
examples of such words are swear words, but it is best demonstrated by poetry. When a poet
creates a poem, he is trying to communicate his personal feelings and sentiments. This function
of language is used not to deliver a message, but to express feelings and impressions.
2 Essential Components:
a. Express feeling or attitude of the speaker
b. Evoke the same feeling or attitude in the hearer

c. Directive Function - is used to induce certain actions or reactions. The example of such a
function is a command or request. for instance, as a mother says her child to say prayers before
going to bed, it does not mean that mother is giving information to her child or she wants to
arouse something in child’s mind; but the purpose of her language is to make the child do what
is indicated.

d. Phatic Function - The only purpose of such a function is to maintain social relationships,
and to begin, or continue the conversation. An example is a small talk about the weather or we
say "Hi" or "How are you?" to a nod or a wave of the hand. 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.
 Language is a mirror of society – because it reflects the value of a society, the
possible factors are religion, origin of people and social background or structure. An
example would be Taboo words. Taboo words are words that are prohibited to be used
because using such words may result to being punished penalized or publicly shamed.

 Language vs Sign Language – language is different from sign language because the
latter restricts itself to recognize expression and communication to or from human beings
by means of speech and hearing to convey a particular feeling or emotion.

 Language reflects social change – nowadays, alternate words come into vogue
because of similarity of pronunciation to taboo words. An example of this is that
Americans prefer using “rooster” when they refer to an adult male chicken rather than
“cock” because of its sexual connotation.