School: BUCAS GRANDE FOUNDATION COLLEGE

Department: College of Teacher Education (CTE)

Grade/Yr & Section: BSEd – English 1
Subject: LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY
Teacher: Ms. Blessy Grace R. Abacahin

LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND SOCIETY

(An Introduction)

What is Language?
• Language is a system that helps people express thoughts, feelings, and meaning through symbols and sounds.
• Throughout history, language has played important roles in social and cultural functions.

What is the social function of language?

• The social function of language refers to the way we relate language to our relationships with other people. This
means it's how we use language and how we communicate in a social setting.

Example:
“Hey Shei. I'm sorry, boss. I feel sick to my stomach. I'm gonna need to take the day off.”
“Hi Dr. Lasala. I'm sorry, boss, but I feel very sick today. I'm going to need to take the day off.”

Which of the examples uses word forms that are a socially acceptable way to communicate with your supervisor or
principal? These are examples of indirect social cues we use in language to express how we view ourselves in
comparison to someone else in society. The way we form phrases or words, despite their variations having the same
meanings, helps us understand things like social standing when two people interact with one another.

Language varies according to the nature of the society, what kind of people, and their attitudes. People use language
according to their situation. The social background of any person can play an important role in the kind of language he
has.

Functions of Language
(Geoffery Leech, 1974)

Informational Function
“Informational function which every one tends to assume is most important” Geoffery Leech(1974). In fact, this function
concentrates on the message. It is used to give new information. It depends on truth and value.
Example: The car is big.
The bus is crowded.

Expressive Function
“Language can have an expressive function: that is, it can be used to express its originator’s feelings and
attitudes – swear words and exclamations are the most obvious instance of this”. Geoffery Leech( 1974 ). The speaker or
writer of this function tries to express his feelings. He or she reflexes his or her impression. This function could give a
clear image for the personality of the speaker or writer.
Example: Poetry and literature

Directive Function
“The third function of language is the directive function whereby we aim to influence the behavior or attitudes of
others. The most straightforward instances of the directive function are commands and requests. This function of social
control places emphasis on the receiver’s end, rather than the originator’s end of the message: but it resembles the
expressive function in giving less importance, on the whole, to conceptual meaning than to other types of meaning,
particularly affective and connotative meaning” Geoffery Leech( 1974 ).

Aesthetic Function
“The use of language for the sake of the linguistic artifact itself, and for no purpose. This aesthetic function can have at
least as much to do with conceptual as with affective meaning” Geoffery Leech( 1974 ). All art understood as art is taken
to embody this function, and any object valued for its beauty rather than for its ideological value or usefulness-whether a
gorgeous car, an elegant teapot, or some acreage of untouched real estate-takes on this function.

Phatic Function
“The function of keeping communication lines open, and keeping social relationships in good repair ( in Britain culture,
talking about the weather is a well-known example of this)” Geoffery Leech( 1974 ). We can say about this function that it
is used for normal talks.

Functions of Language
(Michael Halliday, 1975)

Instrumental Function – it is used to communicate preferences, choices, wants, or needs.

Personal Function – is used to express individuality.

Interactional Function – is used to interact and plan, develop, or maintain a play or group activity or social relationship

Regulatory language – is used to control

Representational Function – use language to explain.

Heuristic Function
Heuristic language is used to find things out, wonder, or hypothesize.

Imaginative Function
Imaginative language is used to create, explore, and entertain