Functions of a Language
Language is a means of communication more than a system in which wordsput next to the other.
This is the perspective taken by the linguist Roman Jackobson about language. Jackobson is a
student of DeSaussure ; he introduced six functions of a language. He said that a language
performs at least six functions when it is used for the sake of communication :
The above Figure (adapted from Jakobson 1960) presents six functions of language related to
the six elements of communication –
Jakobson’s model of language functions represents the speech situation as a multidimensional
set of relationships. The six functions are:
1. Emotive Function : is a kind of language used to express people’s feelings and
emotions. Sentences that express the impact of some facet of the context, or the feeling
and sensations (the internal world) on the addressor serve the emotive function. For
example : Swear words like Jesus, interjections like Bah ! have emotive function.
2. Conative Function : is a kind of language used to change the attitude and behaviours
of the listener (addesssee). Sentences that express the relation of the addressee to the
context serve the conative function. For example : you want to go down and try to
convince your friend to go with you. You beg him by saying : ‘I will pay the taxi’, or ‘it
will take hust 5 minutes’. Rhetorical speech, which is used in persuasive writing (any
sentence used make a point rather than state something), is a good example of conative
function.
3. Referenetial Function : is a kind of neutral and objective language. It is used used for
the purpose of giving facts (without interfering emotions or personal opinion. For
example scientific topic have referential function. Sentences that focus on the aspects
of the context serve the referential function.
4. Metalingual Function : is a kind of a language used to check whether the listener is
following you or not. It is used whenever the addressor and the addressee need to check
whether they use the same code. Sentences that are used to speak about language like
‘what do you mean by krill ?’ serve metalingual function. Such expressions as is it ok ?
Are you following, do you understand, did you get it ? are good examples of metalingual
function.
5. Poetic Function : it is the artfacts of the language itself as Jackobson put it in his words :
‘the attitude towards the message itself’. It is the use of language beautifuly aethetically.
Prose and poetry are good examples of that. In the poetic function, the way of saying
things is important
6. Phatic Function : is a kind of a language used to maintain the contact between people
and equilibruim between them. It is also used to open up the lines of communication.
This function is used for sociability. It is characterised mainly of speech. For example,
in British culture, remarks about the weather are a good example of phatic function,
such as ‘it is raining cats and dogs’ or ‘nice day today’, followed by a tag question :
isn’t it ? This function can also be noticed as in letters, for example : Dear Sir/madam.
