Emilia Nur Febriantini
Meti Wismarini
Language Function
Function are essentially the purposes that we accomplish with language, for example: stating , requesting,
responding, greeting, parting, etc. Function can not be accomplished without
the forms of language: morphemes, words, grammar rules, discourse rule and
other organizational competencies.
Function are sometimes directly
related to forms.
·
“how much does that cost?” is usually a form
functioning as a question.
·
“ he bought a car” functions as a statement.
But linguistic forms are not always unambiguous in their
function. A child who says “ i want
some ice cream” it means that she requests ice cream in the child’s own
intimate style. Not only that, a sign on the street also the example of the
functions it self.
Communication
may be regarded as a combination of acts. A series of elements with purpose and
intent. Communication is not merely an
event, something that happens: it is functional, purposive, and designed to
bring about some effect, change, however subtle or unobservable on the
environment of hearers and speaker. Second language learners need to understand
the purpose of communication, developing an awareness of what the purpose of a
communicative act is and how to achieve that purpose through linguistic forms.
Halliday’s seven functions of language
Michael Halliday (1973), who provide
one of the best expositions of language function, used the term to mean The
purposive nature of communication, and outlined seven different functions of
language:
1.
The instrumental function serves to manipulate
the environment, to cause certain events to happen.
2.
The regulatory function of language is the
control of events.
3.
The representational function is the use of
language to make statements, convey facts and knowledge, explain, or report.
4.
The interactional function of language serves to
ensure social maintenance.
5.
The personal function allows the speaker to
express feelings, emotions, personality, “gut-level” reactions.
6.
The heuristic function involves language used to
acquire knowledge, to learn about environment.
7.
The imaginative function serves to create
imaginary systems or ideas.
These all are neither discrete nor mutually exclusive a
single sentence or conversation might incorporate many different functions
simultaneously.
Functional Approaches to Language Teaching
The most apparent practical
classroom application of functional descriptions of language was found in the
development of functional syllabuses, more popularly national-functional
syllabuses. national-functional syllabuses
attended to functions as organizing elements of a foreign language curriculum.
A typical current language
textbook will list a sequence of communicative functions that are covered. For example,
the following functions are covered in the first several lessons of an
advanced-beginner’s text book.
1.
Introducing self and other people
2.
Exchanging personal information
3.
Asking how to spell someone’s name
4.
Giving commands
5.
Apologizing and thanking
6.
Identifying and describing people
7.
Asking information.
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