DMMMSU-SLUC

College of Arts & Sciences

Languages Department

FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

Loreto B. Waguey
Lecturer
February 2018
ACTIVITY ( 3 selected groups of two members
each.

1. Tell the news to a

friend that he/she failed in
the LET/in one of your
subjects.
ACTIVITY ( 3 selected groups of two members
each.

2. Convince somebody
to join a beauty
pageant.
ACTIVITY ( 3 selected groups of two members
each.

3. Tell your friend

that her outfit looks
too bad.
Was it easy to express what you wanted
to say?
Why?

Teach learners not only what to say

but how to say what they need to say.
(Consider the human factor)
 FUNCTIONS OF
COMMUNICATION
 FUNCTIONS OF
COMMUNICATION
- refer to how
humans use
language for
different purposes
 FUNCTIONS OF
COMMUNICATION
- also refer to how
language affected by
different time, place,
and situations
REGULATION
SOCIAL
INTERACTION
MOTIVATION
EMOTIONAL
EXPRESSION
 INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION
REGULATION
- is used to
control the
behavior of
human beings
REGULATION
- used to regulate
the nature and
amount of activities
humans engage in
 FUNCTIONS
1. Regulation
Two elements:
1) The person is interested in meeting
his needs.
2) He will attempt to regulate the actions
of others to help him meet his needs or
to help keep himself in his personal
comfort zone.
EXAMPLE:
The teacher reads
and discusses
policies to her
students.
 SOCIAL
INTERACTION
-allows individuals
to interact with
others
 SOCIAL
INTERACTION
-human being develop
and maintain bonds,
intimacy, relations
and associations
 SOCIAL
INTERACTION
-the practices of
everyday communication
between people in
various real-life contexts
 SOCIAL
INTERACTION
-allows students to
explore the various
ways human beings
interact and exchange
ideas
EXAMPLE:
Lea greets Mia;
then, they start
talking about
their plans for
holidays.
MOTIVATION
- Motivates or
encourages
people to live
better
MOTIVATION
- ability to change
the attitude or
behavior of
employees, vendors,
clients, etc.
EXAMPLE:

Edna delivers her

valedictory
speech.
 EMOTIONAL
EXPRESSION
- facilitates people’s
expression of their
feelings and
emotions
 EMOTIONAL
EXPRESSION
- need to express
one’s emotions
verbally and
nonverbally
EXAMPLE:
Monique shares
her personal
frustrations with
Kit.
 INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION

- is to convey
INFORMATION
 INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION
-used for giving
and getting
information
EXAMPLE:
The geometry
teacher lectures
about mathematical
concepts.
More examples t
hrough a VIDEO
EXERCISE:
A. Regulation
B. Social
Interaction
C. Motivation
EXERCISE:
D. Emotional
Expression
E. Information
dissemination
EXERCISE:
1. Lea shares her
insights on how to
live peacefully
despite a
complicated life.
2. The President
delivers his last
State of the
Nation Address.
3. A television
personality thanks
the supportive
moviegoers during
an interview.
4. Cynthia is so
disappointed and
frustrated talking to
herself in the mirror
because of the
incident she was
involved with.
5. A doctor
lectures about
glands to his
five interns.
6. Ana Kristina Arce,
deaf since birth,
delivers an inspiring
message to hundreds
of children with
disabilities in an
orphanage yesterday.
 7. Ted Failon
expressed his grief
over the death of
his wife on national
television.
 8. An anchor
reports the total
damage brought by
typhoon Yolanda on
his column in
Manila Bulletin.
9. A tourist guide
orients a group of
tourists about a
heritage site.
10. The city mayor
presents her
strategies to
execute the plans
in a public forum.
 11. Parents giving
instruction to their
children.
12. A doctor giving
prescription to a
patient.
 13. Students
following the
SSG rules and
regulations.
 14. Ana shows her
excitement upon
seeing her long lost
best friend.
 15. A group of
teenagers sharing
their summer
vacation.
 Examples:
-refusing tasks that he considers difficult
or boring
-protesting violations of his routines

2. Information function
• The receiving or giving of information is
central in all communication functions,
either directly or indirectly
3. Emotional expression- used when
delivering bad news

4.Persuasion
• -ability to change the attitude or behavior
of employees, vendors, clients, etc.
• -used effectively when the source of the
information is a trusted figure
Three Important Points to consider:
• credibility
• emotional appeal
• social and ego needs

Social need-need to belong and accepted

Emotional need- self –esteem and priden-

neeneeded to belong or feel accepted
 allows students to explore the various ways
human beings interact and exchange ideas
e.g. ddoctor-patient relationships,
communications in organizations,
family interaction etc.
octor-patient relationships, organizations, and hu
Functional Communication
Activities
-learners should use language
appropriate to the social context to
get meanings across as effectively as
possible
Thus, language learning activities should
be real in context

Analyze the context.

Example 1:
Teacher-Student Conversation

Student: Ma’am, where is the table of Miss

Gundran?
Teacher: It’s over there. What do you need
from her?
Student: yellow folder
Teacher: OK, just find it on her table. Be
careful not to disarrange her things.
Student: Yes ma’am. (Student leaves.)
Example 2:
Teacher-Student Conversation
Student: Excuse me ma’am. May I know
where is the table of Miss Gundran?
Teacher: It’s over there. What do you need
from her?
Student: She sent me to find her yellow
folder ma’am.
Teacher: OK, just find it on her table. Be
careful not to disarrange her things.
Student: Yes ma’am. Thanks (Student

leaves.)
ACTIVITY
1. Watch and listen to four videos.
-Observe the purposes/functions of
communications.

2. Observe how the communicators get

meanings across as effectively as possible.

3. Observe their difficulties in achieving

effective communication.
Video 1 (Asking & Receiving Information)

• Be polite & respectful.

• Be considerate.
Video 2 (Persuasion)
Getting What you Want

• Maintain the conversation.

• Focus on your goal.

• Listen/consider suggestions.
Video 3 (Information)

• Be accurate.

• Articulate clearly what you want to say .

• Have patience.
Video 4 (Emotional)

• Start with an appreciation of the good

points of the person.

• Be honest & sincere. (Empathize-Feel what

you say.

• Be calm .
 Workshop (13 groups,
1 -pair from each
group

Directions: Pick out from the box

small sheets of paper where real
contexts are written. Present the
real context you have chosen.
Context, Topic & Function – indicated
in the cards

Audience- identify the functions

THANK YOU