Functional Approaches

Functional Approaches
From the early 20th Century (Prague School)
-Emphasize the information content of utterances
-Consider language as a system of communication (not a set
of rules)
-Focus on the use of languages in real situations –
performance
-Study of SLA begins with the assumption that the purpose of
the language is communication and that the development of
linguistic knowledge requires communicative use
-The scope of concern includes discourse structure and how
language is used in interaction and to include aspects of
communication beyond language (Tomlin 1990).
Systemic Linguistics

Hallady (late 50s)

Analyzing language un terms of interrelated systems of
choices that are available for expressing meaning.
“Language acquisition…needs to be seen as the
mastery of linguistic fuctions, Learning one’s
mother tongue is learning the uses of language,
and the meanings, or rather the potential
meaning, associated with them. The structures,
words and the sounds are the realization of this
meaning potential Laerning language is learning
how to mean” (Halliday 1973: 345).
Functions of language?
 Functions of language
Acquisition process = “mastering certain basic functions of
language and developing a meaning potential for each”
(Halliday 1975:33).
Instrumental- I want
Regulatory- do as I tell you
Interactional- me and you
Personal- here I come
Heuristic – tell me why
Imagination- let’s pretend
Representational- I´ve got something to tell you
 Halliday model applied to SLA

Adding multilingual meaning potential to what has

already been achieved in L1

SLA = acquiring new linguistic forms to fulfill the

same functions with a different social context
Functional
Typology
Based on the comparative study of a wide range of
world’s languages.

Languages are classified – with the aim of describing

1.patterns of similarities or differences among them
2.Patterns that occur more/less frequently

FUCTIONAL: language structure + meaning + use

Functional Typology applied to SLA
0 L2 acquisition process
0 some constructions are more difficult than others to acquire
0 Selectivity of crosslinguistic transfer
0 Why some L1 elements transfer to L2 and others don’t

MARKEDNESS
Unmarked feature if
0 It occurs more frequently than a contrasting element in
the same category
0 it is less complex structurally or conceptually,
0 it is more normal or expected along some other
dimension.
 Un/marked feature
Phonology
Most common syllable structure in languages of the world [C + V] ba-
na-na
Less common sequence of consonants at the beginning of sentences
street.
Vocabulary
In denotes location
Into denotes location and directionality. More complex.
Syntax
Basic word order S+V+O
Less common SOV.
Discourse
How are you? Fine
How are you? Silence/ other topic. Not expected.
Markedness Differential Hypothesis
(Eckman 1977)
Unmarked elements are likely to be learnt before marked ones in
children L1 and easier to master in L2.
Babbling /first words – C+V syllabic structure
L2 learners find C+C sequences more difficult to pronounce

Marked consonant sequence [sk] school difficult for Spanish native speakers whose
native phonological system is simpler as it does not allow to voiceless consonants to
occur together. [ᵋs-kul]
Learners of Spanish L2 escuela – no problem-
 Functional Typology & CA
Both compare elements of different languages in order to predict or
explain transfer from L1 to L2
BUT ---FT- goes beyond surface level to more abstract patterns,
principles and constrains.

 Some aspects to learnt from some languages are more difficult to

learn than others
NOT al languages are equally complex

 Why some types and patterns of features

are more or less frequent than in L1 and
L2
Functional explanations refer to
extralinguistic factors
ease of cognitive processing,
physical constrains,
communicative needs
If you have studied a L2, what are
some of the linguistic elements
that have been most difficult for
you to master? Why do you think
they are harder?
Proponents of Universal Grammar
believe that language ability is
innate, whereas Functionalists
believe that we develop
language primarily because of a
need to communicate. Which
theory do you believe in?