HALLIDAY 7 Functions of Language

HALLIDAY’S 7 FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE

1.

2.

Instrumental: Language used to fulfil a need on the part of the speaker. Directly concerned with obtaining food, drink and comfort. Regulatory: Language used to influence the behaviour of others. Concerned with persuading / commanding  / requesting other people people to do things you want. want.

3.

Interactional: Language used to develop social relationships and ease the process of interaction. Concerned with the phatic dimension of talk.

4.

Personal: Language used to express the personal preferences and identity of the speaker. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Here I am!’ function announcing oneself to the world.

5.

Representational: Language used to exchange information. Concerned with relaying or requesting information.

6.

Heuristic: Language used to learn and explore the environment. Child uses language to learn; this may be questions and answers, or the kind of running commentary that frequently accompanies children’s play.

7.

Imaginative: Language used to explore the imagination. May also accompany play as children create imaginary worlds, or may arise from storytelling.

From Wikipedia

The first four functions help the child to satisfy physical, emotional and social needs. Halliday calls them instrumental, regulatory, interactional, and personal functions. 

Instrumental: This is when the child uses language to express their needs (e.g.'Want juice')

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Regulatory: This is where language is used to tell others what to do (e.g. 'Go away')

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Interactional: Here language is used to make contact with others and form relationships (e.g. 'Love

you, mummy') 

Personal: This is the use of language to express feelings, opinions, and individual identity (e.g. 'Me

good girl') The next three functions are heuristic, imaginative, and representational, all helping the child to come to terms with his or her environment. 

Heuristic: This is when language is used to gain knowledge about the environment (e.g. 'What the

tractor doing?') 

Imaginative: Here language is used to tell stories and jokes, and to create an imaginary

environment. 

Representational: The use of language to convey facts and information.