EM4 PRICIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE LEARNING| THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACHES

Principles and Theories of Language Acquisition and Learning:

The Functional Approaches

Learning Objectives

1. To identify the different language approaches under functional approach;

2. To understand the theory of Hallidays; and
3. To discuss the theory of Hallidays and its importance in language
acquisition and learning.

Halliday’s Function of Language describe a variety of ways in which children use language.
In 1975, Halliday established seven language roles for children in their early years. For Halliday,
children are encouraged to learn a language because it meets certain objectives of functions. The first
four functions allow the child to meet physical, emotional, and social needs.
The next three functions held a child to come to terms with his or her environment.

Michael Halliday’s Taxonomy

1. Instrumental Function: Language used to fulfil a need on the part of the speaker. Directly
concerned with obtaining food, drink and comfort.
One important thing that children use language for is to get what they want. Halliday calls
this function the Instrumental function.
The child may have a particular group of sounds that they use to show that they want
something where it is obvious what they are asking for, such as their teddy bear which is
on the table. Or they may have a more specific combination of sounds for a particular
object or toy.
There might also be a form to answer adult “Do you want ...?” questions.

2. Regulatory Function: Language used to influence the behavior of others. Concerned with
persuading / commanding / requesting other people to do things you want.

Related to the Instrumental function is the Regulatory function, language used to regulate
or control other people’s behavior, an all too obvious function for anyone who has observed
young children.
Children realize very early that they can use language for this purpose, because other
people do this to them so often, for example, to stop them touching things they should not.
The difference between the Regulatory and Instrumental functions is that when using the
Instrumental function, the child is focusing on the object that they want, but does not
particularly care who gets it for them, but with the Regulatory function the utterance is
directed towards a specific person

3. Interactional Function: Language used to develop social relationships and ease the process of
interaction. Concerned with the phatic dimension of talk.

Language used by the child to interact with the people around them, as opposed to
controlling their behavior, is known as language in its Interactional function. Included in this
are utterances such as greetings, or responding to being called.

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EM4 PRICIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE LEARNING| THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACHES
The caregiver’s name is usually first used in this interactional way. For instance, it is not
unusual to hear children over generalizing their father’s name in its Interactional function,
when ‘Dadda’ becomes any male in the vicinity.
Another way in which language can be used in its Interactional function is when the child
wants to focus someone’s attention on something: for example, a small girl in the author’s
family would often take her on a tour of her garden, saying ‘Ook!’ whenever they came
across another fascinating stone or twig.
Another example comes from a young European child of the author’s acquaintance, who
became confused about whether adults were using this function or the Informative function
(See below.). When walking in the forest with him his caregivers would use the word in their
language for ‘Wow!’ when they came across a particularly big tree. Instead of interpreting
this as Interactional, the child took this as Informative, and from then on called all trees
‘wow’, regardless of their size.

4. Personal Function: Language used to express the personal preferences and identity of the
speaker. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Here I am!’ function – announcing oneself to the world.

A fourth function of the children’s language is that they use it to express their awareness of
themselves and of the fact that they are separate from the surrounding environment.
This function includes the expression of personal feelings, such as the noises children
make when they find something interesting, or when it tastes nice.

5. Heuristic Function: Language used to learn and explore the environment. Child uses to learn;
this may be questions and answers, or the kind of running commentary that frequently
accompanies children’s play.

Once children have recognized the boundary between themselves and the environment,
then they can start exploring what is around them.
An early use of this function is to use it to ask for the name of something. Later this
develops into the whole range of questions a child uses; an example is when children go
through a stage where they ask ‘why?’ about everything.

6. Imaginative Function: Language used to explore the imagination. May also accompany play
as children create imaginary worlds, or may arise from storytelling.

The Imaginative function is used by children to create an environment of their own. This
may start off with requests for “peek-a-boo” (pretending someone is not there) and
develops into use in contexts such as story-telling and pretend games where the child
takes on the role of someone else.

7. Informative Function: Language used to exchange information. Concerned with relaying or

requesting information.

The final function, the Informative function, comes later than the others because it is
actually quite a complicated idea to think that you can tell something to somebody who
does not already have that information.
Many young children are not yet able, for example, to tell one caregiver what has happened
during a day spent with another caregiver.
The seven functions described above, the micro functions, are used by children until
approximately the age of eighteen months.

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EM4 PRICIPLES AND THEORIES OF LANGUAGE LEARNING| THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACHES
Halliday’s Functions of Language
FUNCTION EXAMPLES CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES

Instrumental "I want to ..." Problem solving, gathering materials,

o language is used to role playing, persuading
communicate
preferences, choices,
wants, or needs

Personal "Here I am ...." Making feelings public and interacting

o language is used to with others
express individuality

Interactional "You and me ...." Structured play, dialogues and

o language is used to "I'll be the cashier, ...." discussions, talking in groups
interact and plan,
develop, or maintain a
play or group activity or
social relationship

Regulatory "Do as I tell you ...." making rules in games, giving

o language is used to "You need ...." instructions, teaching
control
Heuristic "Tell me why ...." Question and answer, routines,
o language is used to find "Why did you do inquiry and research
things out, wonder, or that?"
hypothesize "What for?

Imaginative "Let's pretend ...." Stories and dramatizations, rhymes,

o language is used to "I went to my poems, and riddles, nonsense
create, explore, and grandma's last night." and word play
entertain

Representational "I'll tell you." Conveying messages, telling about

Use language to explain "I know." the real world, expressing a
Proposition

Assessment:
What do you think is the role of knowing these functions in language acquisition?

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