- What are the functions of language?
- Referential function
- Emotional function
- Appellate function
- Metalinguistic function
- Phatic function
- Poetic function
We explain what are the functions of language, what are the elements that it has and some of its characteristics.
What are the functions of language?
The functions of language are understood to be the different tasks with which the human being uses the language, that is, the communicative purposes with which he uses this cognitive and abstract tool. This has been studied by the Linguistics and the communication Sciences for decades, and different theorists have attributed classifications and orders to them, highlighting those of Karl Bühler and, above all, those that Roman Jackobson elaborated from them.
The different functions of language, then, each emphasize the basic elements of speech. communication that have been identified, and which are:
- Transmitter. He who produces the message and sets in motion the process of its transmission.
- Receiver. Who receives and decodes the message, understanding it. End point of the process.
- Channel. Physical medium through which the message is sent, whether waves sound, printed paper, etc.
- Message. That psychic content that you want to share through language, be it an order, an emotion, a description, etc.
- Code. The encoding or "language" used to convey that message, be it a spoken language, Morse code, and so on.
The functions of language are six, as established by Jackobson, and through them he can realize the limits and capabilities of human language, as well as the purposes or objectives with which we can use it on any occasion.
Referential function
Also called function informative, refers to the use of language to indicate some aspect of the external universe of the issuer, that is, of reality itself. Therefore, it focuses on the message to be transmitted more than on the rest of the communicative elements: it is the "objective" function of language, which serves to indicate something concrete.
For example, when we describe what a mutual friend looked like yesterday, when we indicate the result of a mathematical operation or when we tell the time to a passerby. We are indicating, informing or referencing the reality around us.
Emotional function
The emotional or expressive function of language has to do with the psychic or emotional reality of the issuer, on whom it is logically focused. It often contains first-person verb forms, although not necessarily; In any case, it is based on transmitting to the receiver some element of spirit or subjectivity of the sender.
For example, when we complain after receiving a blow, or when we complain with a friend after being abandoned by the partner, or when we tell someone how we feel or what we feel at that exact moment, either directly or through metaphors: "What a beautiful day!" or "I feel from the kick."
Appellate function
Also called conative, it is the one that focuses on the receiver, since it seeks to produce a desired reaction in him. It is about the imperative function of language, the one we use to get others to do what we want, whether we are asking them for a favor, ordering something, or threatening if they don't.
For example, when we tell someone to open the door for us, when we tell someone which street to take to get to their destination, when we ask them to tell us the time or we order someone to shut up.
Metalinguistic function
This function allows language to speak about itself, since it focuses on the communicative code, giving us the opportunity to clarify terms, ask the other if they understand us or correct the way we say things.
For example, when we correct someone's grammar or spelling, or when we explain the meaning of a word to a child, even when we use language to learn a new language (code).
Phatic function
The phatic or relational function serves only to verify that the communication channel, in which it is focused, is active and we can start the transmission of the message. It has no other purpose and is generally comprised of words devoid of any other sense and even meaning.
For example, in some countries, when you answer the phone you say "Hello?", "Hello?" or "Say", words that do not have a real meaning in the message to be transmitted, simply serve to verify that there is someone on the other side of the device.
Poetic function
The poetic or aesthetic function is perhaps the most complicated, since it also focuses on the message to be transmitted, but also on the code in which it is done, since it takes place when we seek to beautify, make more effective or more playful (playful) the message, as in the case of rhymes poetics, riddles, sayings and other twists of language that are used to make communication more powerful and rich.
For example, when we recite a poem, or when we use a Figure of speech to express ourselves (metaphors, hyperbole, etc.) or when we do games of words.