FUNCTIONS OF

COMMUNICATION
What is meant by functions of
communication?

Refers to how bumans use language for different purposes.

Theoreticians such as Roman Jacobson, Michael Halliday , and

Bronislaw Malinowskie have categorized the different uses or functions
of communication .
What are the functions of communication?
 communication can be used to control the
behavior of human beings.It can be used to
regulate the nature and amount of activities

REGULATION
human engage in. Examples of
regulation/control include doctors’
prescription , parents’ instructions to their
/ CONTROLchildren , friends giving advice on what course
of action to take , scolding , employers’ order
to their employees , costumers making orders
and many others.
It also means being able to use language , gestures, and emotions to manage
individual or group activities such as a parent telling a child not to
misbehave or a policeman directing pedestrians not to jaywalk but cross on
the pedestrian lane.

It helps us define the limits of freedom of speech.

It limits on the content of communication for a variety of reasons, including
the protection of personal or secret information, a desire to limit false and
misleading claims, and the encouragement of debate.
 Communication as a means of language or
control can comein the form of control would
beof commands
(grammatically known as imperatives)
Language forms for Imperative is a sentence that expresses a direct
Regulation or control command, request, invitations,warnings, or
instruction.

Examples:
Wash the dinner plates.
Please come in.
Get a chair.
Another form in which communication can take as a form of control would be
questions that influence human behavior.They are called rhetorical questions
because they are not intended to get information .
A rhetorical question is a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to
make a point rather than to get an answer.

Examples:

•Why don't we go to the dining room now?

•Do you have a pen?
•Can you pass the salt?
Statements (grammatically known as declaratives)
May also be in form in which communication comes becomes a means of
regulation or control.The idea is that when a person says something, he or
she wants the listener to do something.

A recap about declarative sentence is a sentence that makes a statement—any

statement, from vitally important information to a minor detail.

Examples:
•I want to be alone. •That's not the right thing to do.
•It's not in here. ( So,do something about it)
•You need to hurry.
Humans need to have a sense of control over their lives and the
world around them.Without this,we feel powerless. That is why
we use for communication for regulation/control.
Communication as a means to regulate/control human behavior
ranges from simple request to laws governing large countries
and territories and it is a powerful function of language .
 Communication can be used to
SOCIAL produce social interaction. In
their daily course of living,
INTERACTION human beings develop and
maintain bonds, intimacy,
relations ,and associations.
Humans do this primarily through communication. Examples of
communication as social interaction include pick-up lines, invitations,
greetings ,appreciation, encouragement, marriage proposals,game plans and
many others.

Examples:
● Let’s be friends.
● Be my group partner
● I love you
● Hello!
● Will you marry me?
● I like you
● You mean so much to me
It is interesting to note, however,that by simply interacting through
communication, humans already form relationships even without direct
invitations to do so. The mere act of spending time with a person and talking
about oneself already produces closeness. This is why a young man trying to
develop a romantic relationship with a woman spends a lot of time with her.
Social interaction as a function of communication comes about in any human
activity involving communication. As Bronislaw Malinowski says “ ties of
union are created be a mere exchange of words.” Social interaction is
probably the most natural result of communication. This is because , by it's
very definition, communication is always social and always involves
interaction .
 Motivation as function of communication is one of the
basic functions of human communication. Humans
have been using communication to obtain their needs
even as little babies. A baby communicates by crying
in order to have it's needs met – milk, comfort , and

MOTIVATION others. A person who could use most means of

communication to obtain (get) what he or she wants
experiences powerlessness and a feeling of being
trapped.Being able to communicate what our
preferences,desires,needs, and sentiments is closely
connected to how a person identifies himself or
herself in relation to human beings.
Motivation can also serve to strengthen social interactions. As individuals express
their preferences, goals, and aspirations l, they bond more closely with person's who
share similar preferences, goals and aspiration. This greater social interaction in turns
strengthens their adherence to such preferencesm. This makes motivation as a
function of communication very central to human identity.

Examples:
● The managers can award points to each other subordinate as a reward.
● It was a bad day for Toby that's why Mathilda encouraged him not to lose hope.
 It be can be used for giving and getting
information. Giving information usually
comes in the form of statements of facts
(grammatically known as declaratives)
and sometimes in terms of rhetorical
FORMATION questions. Getting information can come
in the form of questions intended for
getting information (grammatically
known as imperatives) and even through
statements.
 The following show some forms in which giving and
getting information take

Giving information using statements:

● I have three brothers.
● Philippine Normal University was established in 1901.
● For every action, there is a reaction.
Using a rhetorical question:
Did you know that some earphones can be used as microphones?
Getting information using questions :

● Where is Mt. Halcon?

● Did to rain last night?
● Is it windy outside?
Using imperatives :
● Tell me how much a can of corned beef costs.
● Show me how to tie a knot
● Give me information regarding the weather.
 Using declaratives:

● I don't know how to find the city hall.

● I need to understand how my bill was computed.
Communication as information enables humans to get to know the
world. It enables them to process and structure what they learn about it.
 Humans always need to express their emotions verbally and
non-verbally. Emotions are a central Of who we are.
Beyond thinking about the things and people in our

MOTIONAL
world,we feel about them about ourselves. Whether it is
love , fear, anger, joy, hope, or any other emotion, humans
need to let them out otherwise they harm our well-being.
XPRESSION Emotional expression through language can come in the
form of interjections of exclaimations.
Examples:
● Yes!
● Oh no!
● Ouch!
Aside from being expressed through language and verbal communication, emotional
expression is the function of communication most commonly expressed non-
verbally. Not unusually, emotional expression can be done through gestures, facial
gestures , and other simple or energetic body movements.
Examples:
● Saying “ thank you!”
● I feel disappointed!
● I'm so excited!

Emotional expression express emotions such as joy, anger ,sadness, fear and disgust.
It can also be expressed non-verbally such as smiling or frowning.
 The function to which
THE SPECIAL CASE expressing an opinion belongs
depends on the purpose and
OF EXPRESSING setting in which it is done.
OPINIONS Expressing an opinion has broad
functions covering every
category of communication
functions.
Example:
● A doctor or a lawyer gives an opinion -it is likely to be about regulation.
● When a teacher gives an opinion about a topic- it is likely to be about
information.
A teenage girl giving an opinion on who among the currently popular make
celebrities is the most handsome, is likely to be about motivation
● When a teenage guy expresses an opinion about what his life would be like
now that his girlfriend broke up with him, which is likely to be in the realm
of emotional expression.
Expressing an opinion has broad functions covering every category of
communication functions.
Verbal and Non-verbal cues that speaker uses to achieve their
purpose.

● Verbal communication
In order to communicate using their words, but also their actions,
their words and actions must match. Otherwise, miscommunication
can occur.
Communication using words is called verbal communication.
 •PAUSE

A speaker pauses between utterances (opinion) in order to

allow listeners to process what the speaker has spoken.
Loudness or Softness

Depending on the speaker’s style, emphasis can be achieved by either

speaking loudly or softly. In addition, other emotions can be expressed
using loudness or softness of the voice.
 Rhythm

The way a speaker talks can be a powerful tool to

engage listeners. Rythm refers to the speed and flow
of a speaker’s utterances. (opinion)
Repetition and Rephrasing

Unlike in reading, a listener cannot go back to what a speaker has spoken if

the speaker did not understand that particular opinion. As part of the
speakers’ effort to help the listener understand the speaker will do well to
repeat his or her opinions specially if the content of the utterance( opinion) is
difficult to understand.
 TONE

Tone is essential in communicating effectively. The

toneof voice often shows the attitude of the speaker
towards the topic or the listener
Appropriate form of language

A speaker must use the appropriate form of language to

be used in a given setting.
Non-Verbal communication

Communication involves expressing oneself without the

use of words because of it's nature, non-verbal
communication is more prone to misinterpretation than
verbal communication.
 Gestures

Play an important role in communication. They can

help express a speaker's point better.
 Eye contact

When a speaker maintains eye contact with his or her

listeners, he or she gives the impression of being serious
about what is being discussed .
Facial expression

A speaker’s facial expression must match the topic

of discussion.
 A N K
TH
U !! !
YO