Slide 2 Three Basic Functions are generally noted: there is
perhaps nothing more subtle than language is, and nothing has as
many different uses. Without a doubt, identifying just these three
basic functions is an oversimplification, but an awareness of these
functions is a good introduction to the complexity of language.
Slide 3 The Functions of Language 1- Informative language function:
essentially, the communication of information. a. The informative
function affirms or denies propositions, as in science. b. This
function is used to describe the world or reason about it (e.g..,
whether a state of affairs is true or false). c. These sentences
have a truth value; hence, they are important for logic. Slide 4
2-Expressive language function: reports feelings or attitudes of
the writer (or speaker), or of the subject, or evokes feelings in
the reader (or listener). a. Poetry is one of the best examples,
but much of, perhaps most of, ordinary language discourse is the
expression of emotions, feelings or attitudes. b. Two main aspects
are generally noted: (1) to evoke certain feelings and (2) to
express feelings. c. Expressive discourse, qua expressive
discourse, is best regarded as neither true or false. E.g.,
Shakespeare's King Lear's lament, "Ripeness is all!" Even so, the
nature of "fictional statements" is an interesting area of inquiry.
Slide 5 3. Directive language function: language used for the
purpose of causing (or preventing) overt actions. a. The directive
function is most commonly found in commands and requests. b.
Directive language is not normally considered true or false
(although a logic of commands have been developed). c. Example:
"Close the windows." Slide 6 Notice that the intended use in a
particular instance often depends more on the specific context and
tone of voice than it does on the grammatical form or vocabulary of
what is said. The simple declarative sentence, "I'm hungry," for
example, could be used to report on a physiological condition, or
to express a feeling, or implicitly to request that someone feed
me. In fact, uses of two or more varieties may be mixed together in
a single utterance; "Stop that," for example, usually involves both
expressive and directive functions jointly. In many cases, however,
it is possible to identify a single use of language that is
probably intended to be the primary function of a particular
linguistic unit. Slide 7 Notice that Many of the most common words
and phrases of any language have both a literal or descriptive
meaning that refers to the way things are and an emotive meaning
that expresses some (positive or negative) feeling about
them.emotive meaning Slide 8 FACTORS OF COMMUNICATION AND FUNCTIONS
OF LANGUAGE According to Jakobson, any act of verbal communication
is composed of six elements, or factors (the terms of the model):
(1) a context (the co-text, that is, the other verbal signs in the
same message, and the world in which the message takes place), (2)
an addresser (a sender, or enunciator ), (3) an addressee (a
receiver, or enunciatee), (4) a contact between an addresser and
addressee, (5) a common code and (6) a message. Slide 9 Each factor
is the focal point of an oriented relation, or function, that
operates between the message and the factor. This yields six
functions: Target factor and function TARGET FACTORSOURCE
FACTORFUNCTION 1ContextMessageReferential 2AddresserMessageEmotive
3AddresseeMessageConative 4ContactMessagePhatic
5CodeMessageMetalingual 6Message Poetic Slide 10 KINDS OF AGREEMENT
AND DISAGREEMENT. Agreement in belief and agreement in attitude:
There aren't any problems in this instance, since both parties hold
the same positions and have the same feelings about them. Agreement
in belief but disagreement in attitude: This case, if unnoticed,
may become the cause of endless (but pointless) shouting between
people whose feelings differ sharply about some fact upon which
they are in total agreement. Disagreement in belief but agreement
in attitude: In this situation, parties may never recognize, much
less resolve, their fundamental difference of opinion, since they
are lulled by their shared feelings into supposing themselves
allied. Disagreement in belief and disagreement in attitude: Here
the parties have so little in common that communication between
them often breaks down entirely. Slide 11 prepared by: Hessah al
motairi. Dima Omama
