THE 6 FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - GEOGRAFÍA - 2025

The most relevant functions of language include exposing references and representations of the world, expressing emotions, and stimulating the reaction of the people with whom one interacts. These functions can be encompassed in the communication process, in which everything that is transmitted is information between individuals.

As a social phenomenon, language plays a very important role in the life of human beings. The coded way in which humans use language, using symbols, sounds, movements, rules and complex structures, is one of the differentiating phenomena in relation to other species.

Language is innate to every human being, regardless of demographic, socioeconomic, and ethnic differences. Even, over time, language systems have been developed to standardize communication between people with hearing and visual disabilities; such is the case with sign language and braille writing.

Language provides a perfect medium for encoding and transmitting all kinds of ideas: from subtle and simple to very complex. Language functions allow people to formulate sentences, ask, respond, say hello, say goodbye, and other forms of interaction.

Language model

Language has been studied by disciplines such as sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics, especially during the second half of the 20th century.

The Russian-American linguist Roman Jacobson is known for having developed a model in 1958 where he describes in detail how the act of communication should work through a language.

This model is still quite valid despite the fact that there are other theories about the functions of language. Each of the functions presented is associated with one of the elements of communication.

The main functions of language

Referential function

The referential function is influenced by the context of what you are talking about. Seeks to describe and represent the situation, object or state of mind in conversation. It is also called cognitive or informational function.

This function exposes the connections between the referents of the real world and the references in the mind, in the knowledge or in the ideas. With these references, people establish the context of the conversation.

The referential function only recognizes the truest and truest meaning of words; that is, it only takes into account the operability and usefulness of the message to establish the context as clearly as possible.

Poetic function

It is one that focuses on the message itself as a means of exposing ideas, recognizing the aesthetic or creative element of the use of language. In this function, aspects such as symbology and figurative language are taken into account.

The associations between meanings, the repetition of sounds, accents, pronunciations and the relationships between words and phrases are variants that make the use of language something more organic and creative.

This function is used as a raw material for poetry and other forms of literary expression, but it is not exclusive to these.

Advertising slogans and jokes are examples of the use of the poetic or aesthetic function of language.

Emotional function

Also called expressive or affective function, it is related to the sender of the message and their intentions.

This function should not be seen only as the way of using language to communicate human emotions and feelings. It especially recognizes the attitudes of the sender towards what she is expressing. Any message, no matter how neutral, will always reveal the condition of the speaker.

Using the language in conjunction with interjections, pitch changes, emphasis, volume, rhythm, and sound changes (without changing the meaning of the words), important additional information about the speaker's internal state is also added.

Phatic function

It is the use of the same language to ensure that those involved are communicating correctly. The goal of the phatic function is the interaction itself: establish it, prolong it, terminate it, or confirm whether it still exists.

It is mostly exemplified by greeting and casual conversations, particularly between strangers, where the interaction is quick and trivial.

In telephone conversations with connection difficulties, it is very common to use words such as "Hello?", "Hello?" or "Can you hear me?", to know if the contact exists.

Metalinguistic function

Also called reflective function, the metalinguistic function for people to establish criteria of understanding regarding the message and the contexts of communication. In this sense, it is related to the code of the communicative process.

With this feature you use language to describe yourself, in order to keep the message clear and avoid confusion or misunderstandings.

Since different people can use language differently, it is important that those involved know that they are being understood and that they understand the message so that communication is correct.

In this sense, sociocultural, socioeconomic and educational factors related to the use of language that can generate differences in the meanings of words and phrases must be taken into account. Examples of this are dialects, sociolects, idiolects, slang, slang, among others.

With the metalinguistic function, those involved use language to establish measures of understanding when there are doubts or possible misunderstandings.

Appellate function

The appealing function is directly related to the recipient of the message. Its focus is the elements of language used with the objective of making people change, alter perceptions, adjust behaviors or respond in a particular way.

The most common examples are the use of imperatives, commands, requests and requests, among others.

References

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