Language, Communication and Functions of the Language

LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND
INSTITUTIONS OF
ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES (I)
COD. 94815
Prof. Francesco Pierini

Corso annuale
48 h SID 8 CFU
48 h POGIS 8 CFU
54 h SAP 9 CFU
Lettorato semestrale
Communication
Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange

of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs".
Although there is such a thing as one-way communication, communication

can be perceived better as a two-way process in which there is an
exchange and progression of thoughts, feelings or ideas (energy)
towards a mutually accepted goal or direction (information).
Types of communication
There are three major parts in human face to face communication which
are body language, voice tonality, and words. According to some research:
•55% of impact is determined by body language — postures, gestures, and
eye contact,
•38% by the tone of voice
•7% by the content or the words.
Verbal Language
Language is a shared system of symbols that permits “sharing” meaning.

Roman Jakobson defined six functions of language (or communication
functions), according to which an effective act of verbal communicationcan be
described.
Each of the functions has an associated factor. Jakobson's model of the

functions of language distinguishes six elements, or components of
communication, that are necessary for communication to occur:
(1) context,
(2) addresser (sender),
(3) addressee (receiver),
(4) contact,
(5) common code,
(6) message.
In other
words:
SENDER EMOTIVE FUNCTION Wow, what a view!

RECEIVER CONATIVE FUNCTION Tom! Come inside and eat!
MESSAGE POETIC FUNCTION Horrible Harry
CODE METALINGUAL FUNCTION What do you mean by “liberalism”?
CHANNEL PHATIC FUNCTION "Hello?", "Ok?", "Hummm",
CONTEXT INFORMATIVE FUNCTION The autumn leaves have all fallen
ORIENTED
TYPE FUNCTION
TOWARDS
Referential/informative context imparting information
Emotive/expressive addresser expressing feelings or attitudes
addressee influencing behaviour

Conative
establishing or maintaining social

Phatic contact
relationships
referring to the code. It is used to decipher

Metalingual code
and understand the message
referring to the ability to manipulate language

Poetic message
in a creative way
IN THE LANGUAGE OF POLITICS THE CONATIVE FUNCTION IS
CRUCIAL AS IT IS IN THE LANGUAGE OF ADVERTISING.
Positive, inclusive, motivating
Conative Function
•Focuses on the reader/hearer/addressee/receiver

•Used to call upon the addressee to act, think or feel, to react in the way
intended by the text
•Aim: to produce a certain effect/response on the addressee, to convince, to
persuade:
Explicit –order, request, demand, warning, advice..
Implicit –through expressive means changing people’s mind
Conative texts:
requests, instructions, advertisements, propaganda,
theses, popular fiction, contracts, orders, prayers
Grammar:
2ndperson, pronouns, forms of address, infinitives,
some modals, vocatives, exhortatives, imperatives,
e.g.Tom! Come inside and eat!, Drink!, Go away!, Are you
ready to go?, Touch me
The poster advertisement “Fake hurts real” is a part of advertising
of ADIDAS shoes company.
In this advertisement, we see phatic function which aims to draw the

receiver’s attention. The company focuses the receiver’s attention on the
imitations and their harm to health by showing a wounded naked foot with
sticking plaster on it, which is similar to the Adidas original logo.
Secondly, the advertisement convinces people with the aim not to buy
imitations, which fulfills the conative function of language.
It also appeals to reason (informative function) which results in injuries on

human foot. Two opposite words are given together “fake and real” to
intensify the attraction. In the advertisement “fake hurts real” gives some
associations (informative function) to the addressee :1) if you buy imitations,
your health that is symbolized by the ‘real’ is in danger, 2) if you buy Adidas
which is in the orthopaedic shoes category for the ad, your foot will be
protected.

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LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND

Prof. Francesco Pierini

Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange

Although there is such a thing as one-way communication, communication

Language is a shared system of symbols that permits “sharing” meaning.

Each of the functions has an associated factor. Jakobson's model of the

SENDER EMOTIVE FUNCTION Wow, what a view!

Referential/informative context imparting information

Emotive/expressive addresser expressing feelings or attitudes

addressee influencing behaviour

establishing or maintaining social

referring to the code. It is used to decipher

referring to the ability to manipulate language

•Focuses on the reader/hearer/addressee/receiver

In this advertisement, we see phatic function which aims to draw the

It also appeals to reason (informative function) which results in injuries on

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