What is language ?

Language is the human capacity for acquiring and using complex

systems of communication, and a language is any specific example of
such a system. The scientific study of language is called linguistics
Part I introduces the reader to two different ways to think about language.
First, language
is a set of structures or products of the developmental systems. Second,
language is a set
of functions that represent the way a person thinks. Educators and
researchers use these
perspectives about language to establish programs, materials, and
methods for teaching
children and adults to become literate.

The method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting

Language is a multipurpose tool which performs the function of letting
other people know our thoughts, ideas, emotions, feelings and so on in
different ways. There are three major functions of language. Informative,
expressive and the directive are the major functions of language which
interact with personality, society and culture.

Why we must to know about language ?

There are three basic logical function of language:
-

Used to state facts, refferencing to things, even, property, etc. Or we can

say it as Descriptive 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.

Informative Function

One of the basic functions of language is to communicate information of all kinds

whether it is true or false correct or incorrect, important or unimportant, general or particular.
All informative discourse is used to describe the world around us and to reason about it.
Thus, the language which includes propaganda of all kinds and even deliberate information is
said to informative in function.

Used to express an emotion or feeling. Or we can say it as

Expressive/Avocative language
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.

Expressive function
As science gives us the informative function similarly, the poetry provides us the finest
examples of expressive function of language. Every poet expresses his own feelings and
thoughts, ideas, emotions and the experiments and experiences of life. Not only the poets use
the expressive language, but also the other people express their deep and tender feelings and
emotions. Poetry also gives a little bit informative function of language, but we must keep it
into our mind that poets purpose is to express his ideas, feelings, and emotions and to convey
all these things into readers mind. Thus, all expressive language may be analysed into two

component elements, to express the feelings and attitude of the speaker; and to evoke the
same attitude or feelings in the hearer.

Used to command something, to order or to prevent something. Or we can

say it as Prescriptive Language
3. Directive languagef 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."

Directive function

The third basic function of language is called Directive Function. Directive language is
based on commands and requests. For instance, if any person says something to another
person for doing and thing, as a mother says her child to say prayers before going to bed, it
does not mean that mother is giving information to her child or she wants to arouse
something in childs mind; but the purpose of her language is to make the child do what is
indicated; similarly. Similarly, if we ask the question from any body, there is an implied
request for an answer. Commands and requests can be interchanged. Commands can be
changed by adding a Please at the beginning or by the suitable change in the tone of the
voice or in the expression of the face.

However; language performs multiple functions because effective communication often

requires it. For example, a speaker can cause the hearers to make their contributions to same
particular charity by making use of the multiple functions of language, Thus, as being

essential to successful communication, language must, at the same time, be used to serve all
three functions by informative, expressive and directive.

Language Function Examples of Language Forms

Expressing needs and likes Indirect/direct object, subject/verb agreement,
pronouns
Describing people, places, and things Nouns, pronouns, adjectives
Describing spatial and temporal relations Prepositional phrases
Describing actions Present progressive, adverbs
Retelling/relating past events Past tense verbs, perfect aspect (present and past)
Making predictions Verbs: future tense, conditional mode
Asking Informational Questions Verbs and verb phrases in questions
Asking Clarifying Questions Questions with increasing specificity
Expressing and Supporting Opinions Sentence structure, modals (will, can, may,
shall)
Comparing Adjectives and conjunctions, comparatives, superlatives, adverbs
Contrasting Comparative adjectives
Summarizing
vocabulary

Increasingly

complex

sentences

with

increasingly

specific

Persuading Verb forms

Literary Analysis Sentence structure, specific vocabulary
Cause and Effect Verb forms
Drawing Conclusions Comparative adjective
Defining Nouns, pronouns, and adjectives
Explaining Verb forms, declarative sentences, complex sentences, adverbs of
manner
Generalizing Abstract nouns, verb forms, nominalizations
Evaluating Complex sentences; increasing specificity of nouns, verbs, and
adjectives Interpreting Language of propaganda, complex sentences,
nominalizations

Sequencing Adverbs of time, relative clauses, subordinate conjunctions

Hypothesizing and speculating Modals (would, could, might) compound tenses
(would have been)
09/01/11

Language function is