Understanding the Six Functions of Language in Communication

Understanding the Six Functions of Language in Communication

Roman Jakobson's model identifies six key functions of language, each emphasizing a different factor in the communication process. These functions help us analyze how language is used to convey meaning and achieve specific communicative goals.

Emotive (Expressive) Function of Language

• Factor Emphasized: The sender's attitude or emotions.
• Communicative Intent: To express the sender's feelings, opinions, or attitudes.
• Communication Features:
  • Family or colloquial language (conversations, letters)
  • Journalistic language (opinion articles, interviews)
• Specific Linguistic Forms:
  • Interjections, exclamatory sentences
  • First-person pronouns and verb forms
• Example: "What a headache I have! Oh, how beautiful!"

Referential (Informative) Function

• Factor Emphasized: The context or referent of the message.
• Communicative Intent: To convey objective information about aspects of reality.
• Communication Features:
  • Scientific-technical language (explanatory texts)
  • Journalistic language (news, reports)
• Specific Linguistic Forms:
  • Assertive sentences
  • Third-person pronoun forms and verbs
  • Denotative lexicon
• Example: "The sun sets in the west."

Conative (Appellative) Function

• Factor Emphasized: The receiver, aiming to involve them in the message.
• Communicative Intent: To change the receiver's behavior or opinion.
• Communication Features:
  • Colloquial or family language (conversations)
  • Advertising language
• Specific Linguistic Forms:
  • Vocatives
  • Second-person pronoun forms and verbs
  • Interrogative sentences
• Example: "Albert, be quiet!"

Phatic (Contact) Function

• Factor Emphasized: The channel through which the message is transmitted.
• Communicative Intent: To initiate, maintain, or terminate contact between speakers and to check the functioning of the communication channel.
• Communication Features:
  • Oral language (short conversations, telephone calls)
  • Written language (letters, underlined or italicized text)
• Specific Linguistic Forms:
  • Formulas of courtesy (greetings and gratitude)
  • Fillers and interjections of contact
• Example: "Hey, hello, how are you?; Goodbye!; Au revoir!; See you later."

Poetic (Aesthetic) Function

• Factor Emphasized: The form of the message itself.
• Communicative Intent: To create an aesthetic effect, using the resources of literary language.
• Communication Features:
  • Proverbs and sayings
  • Colloquial language
  • Literary language
  • Advertising language
• Specific Linguistic Forms:
  • Figurative lexicon
  • Abundant adjectivization
  • Wordplay, rhetorical figures
• Example: "Separate and discard the old straw that gets wet."

Metalinguistic (Code-focused) Function

• Factor Emphasized: The code itself.
• Communicative Intent: To explain elements of the code (language).
• Communication Features:
  • Definitions, explanations, and code standards
  • Dictionaries, grammar books
• Specific Linguistic Forms:
  • Declarative sentences
  • Explanatory paragraphs
• Example: "The word 'syntax' refers to sentence structure."