Ateneo de Davao University

Senior High School Unit

English Core Cluster

LESSON 04: FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication Context

Functions of communication refer to how people use language for

different purposes. It also refers to how language is affected by
different time, place and situation. It is used to control the
behavior of people as well as to regulate the nature and amount of
activities people engage in. The most basic functions of
communication in an organization are to regulate/to control, to
inform, to interact socially, to express and to motivate.

Here are the following functions of communication:

1. REGULATION / CONTROL – it means being able to use language, gestures and emotions
to manage individual or group activities.
Verbal Cues: The speaker and the listener should be respectful of each other’s culture as
well as of their age, gender, social status and religion. The words are usually directives,
orders, requests, etc., meant to regulate and control people’s behavior. In certain cases that
involve women or situations in our society involving a superior and a subordinate, an order
is oftentimes worded as a request.
Nonverbal Cues: The speaker and the listener should be respectful of each other’s culture
as well as their age, gender, social status and religion. The tone and the bodily action that
accompany words are authoritative and firm. Eye contact is direct. In our culture, these
cues may be softened for children and elderly.
 Examples:

✔ A parent telling a child not to misbehave

✔ A policeman directing pedestrians not to jaywalk but cross on the pedestrian lane
✔ Doctors’ prescription “Take your medicine three times a day.”
✔ “Wash the dishes now, or else I won’t allow you to go to the party later.”

2. SOCIAL INTERACTION – is the most obvious, the most often used and the most popular.
This occurs when verbal and nonverbal cues are appropriately applied.
Verbal Cues: The speaker and the listener should be respectful of each other’s culture as
well as of their age, gender, social status and religion. The words usually used are mostly
informal in terms and casually delivered, although the society dictates certain decorum
when talking to elders or figures of authority.
Nonverbal Cues: The speaker and the listener should be respectful of each other’s culture
as well as of their age, gender, social status, and religion. The tone is friendly, even teasing,
and the bodily action is relaxed.
Examples:
✔ Marriage proposal “Will you marry me?”
✔ Invitation “Would you like some coffee, tea, or me?”
✔ Comment "I really like how Ms. Philippines walks on stage."

3. MOTIVATION – communication fosters motivation by clarifying for constituents what is to

be done, how well they are doing and what can be done to improve performance.
Verbal Cues: The speaker and the listeners create an environment of unity and teamwork.
The words regularly used are formal and mean request rather than demand to foster
initiative among members of the institution.
Nonverbal Cues: The speaker and the listeners create a healthy and balanced boundary.
Respect is given and earned by both the leader and the followers. The tone of voice and
body language are professional to foster encouragement over dictation.
Examples:
✔ Supervisor: “Those who were absent last week need to submit a letter this week.”
✔ Manager: “Everyone should submit his monthly sales report on the 31st.”
✔ School Head: “Please check the guidelines on our FB page for complete details.”
4. EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION – for many employees, their work group is a primary source
for social interaction while for students, it is their classmates and friends. Communication
within the group is a fundamental mechanism by which members show their frustrations
and feelings of satisfaction. Communication provides an avenue for expression of emotions
for the fulfillment of personal and social needs.
Verbal Cues: The speaker and the listeners create an environment of openness and
casualness. The words used are casual for the speaker to be able to express himself with
ease and naturalness.
Nonverbal Cues: The speaker and the listeners foster friendship and confidence coming
from a particular period of time that both parties have been together. Therefore, whatever
facial expression and paralanguage is applied and is acceptable.
Examples:
✔ Appreciation “I’m so glad that you came into my life.”
✔ A student talking about what he feels about his assignment
✔ Cracking a joke “Are you false teeth? It’s because I can’t smile without you.”
✔ A person talking about her crush to her circle of friends, “I like him so much!
✔ Expressing one’s ambition “I want to finish up my studies with good grades to be
accepted in a good university.”

5. INFORMATION – the final function that communication performs is related to its role in
facilitating decision-making. It provides the knowledge, facts, statistics and data that one
needs to make decisions by transmitting them to identify and evaluate the alternative
choices.
Verbal Cues: The speaker and the listeners create an environment of attention and
sincerity. The words used are formal for the speaker to be able to lay down the information
properly.
Nonverbal Cues: Necessary body language and hand signals help the speaker discuss and
explain information to the listeners effectively.
Examples:
✔ Deliberation “Blended learning is of great consideration for the next school year.”
 ✔ Giving information “Did you know that there’s a secret apartment at the top of the
Eiffel tower?”

Summary
The five basic functions of communication are:
1. Regulation/Control
2. Social Interaction
3. Motivation
4. Emotional Expression
5. Information