Language functions - alexis john b. benedicto

1. Prepared by:
ALEXIS JOHN B. BENEDICTO
Bachelor of Secondary Education (Major in English)
Publication Adviser “The Herald” , Former Editor in Chief of the
Clarion, Most outstanding Student Teacher, Most outstanding
English Teacher, Journalism Awardees, Most Promising
Photojournalist, Champion in Editorial Cartooning (teachers
category), English Coordinator, Back to back Champion Coach in
the Division and Regional English Language Festival (Editorial
Writing) Artist, Singer, Dancer

3.  Language functions refer to the purposes in which we
use language to communicate.
 The use to which language is put, the purpose of an
utterance rather than the particular grammatical form
an utterance takes (Savignon, 1983).
 language function refers to what students do with
language as they engage with content and interact with
others.

4. Examples of language functions include:
Compare and contrast
Persuasion
Asking questions
Expressing likes and dislikes
Cause and effect
Sequencing
Predicting
Agreeing/disagreeing
Greeting people/introductions

5. What They Say What They are Doing
A. You did this
B. Of course not
Accusing
Denying
A. Who did it then?
B. Why don’t you try asking Ben?
Asking information
Making a suggestion
A. I’ll do that
I’m sorry I was quick to blame you
A. That’s okay.
Accepting the suggestion
Apologizing
Accepting the apology

6.  Deal with the internal grammatical structure of
words and phrases as well as the word
themselves
Example:
When one compares boy and boys, or man and
men, he or she is considering the relationship
between different language forms or structures.

7. Language forms include cross-curricular academic
vocabulary - words or phrases frequently used across
different content-areas. Cross-curricular academic
vocabulary words typically describe or are related to
academic processes and may include:
• verbs (e.g. hypothesize, analyze),
• complex prepositions, (e.g. in contrast to, as well as),
• nouns (e.g. comparison, conclusion, analysis)
While functions address what we do with language,
forms are the language structures and vocabulary that
are used to support those functions.

8. In oral language some common functions may include:
• giving instructions
• making requests
• defending an argument In academic writing we use a
range of specific functions in order to communicate
ideas clearly.
These include:
• describing processes
• comparing or contrasting things or ideas
• classifying objects or ideas

9. Examples of Language
Functions
and Forms Language Functions
• Expressing needs and likes
• Describing people, places,
and things
• Describing spatial and
temporal relations
• Describing actions
• Comprehending text or
speech
• Retelling/relating past events
• Making claims
• Making predictions
• Asking Informational
Questions
• Asking Clarifying Questions
• Expressing and Supporting
Opinions
• Comparing
• Contrasting
• Summarizing
• Persuading
• Defending
• Analyzing
• Describing Cause and Effect
• Drawing Conclusions
• Defining
• Explaining
• Generalizing
• Evaluating
• Interpreting
• Sequencing
• Hypothesizing and speculating

10. • Summarizing Language Forms
• Indirect/ direct object, subject/ verb
agreement, pronouns
• Nouns, pronouns, adjectives
• Prepositional phrases
• Present progressive tense adverbs
• Past tense verbs, perfect aspect
(present and past)
• Verbs: future tense, conditional mode
• Verbs and verb phrases in questions
• Questions with increasing specificity
• Sentence structure, modals (will, can,
may, shall)
• Adjectives and conjunctions,
comparatives, superlatives, adverbs
• Comparative adjectives
• Descriptive adjectives
• Increasingly complex sentences with
increasingly specific academic
vocabulary
• Verb phrases
• Sentence structure, specific vocabulary
• Verb forms
• Nouns, abstract nouns, pronouns, and
adjectives
• Verb forms, indicative verb,
declarative sentences, complex
sentences, adverbs of manner
• Common, collective and abstract
nouns, verb forms, nominalizations
• Complex sentences; increasing
specificity of nouns, verbs, and
adjectives; correlative conjunctions
• Language of propaganda, complex
sentences, nominalizations
• Adverbs of time, relative clauses,
subordinate conjunctions
• Modals (would, could, might),
compound tenses (would have been)

11. Situation 1
You accidentally step on a person’s foot and you say:
EXCUSE ME.
1. What are you doing when you make that remark?
A. apologizing B. accusing C. asking for permission
2. What other remark could you make to express the same
idea?
A. I’m sorry B. Pardon C. Well…
3. What is the usual response that goes with the mark?
A. It’s all right B. So? How dare you!

12. Situation 2
You meet a person on the street and you want to ask
directions. You try to catch his eye and say: EXCUSE
ME.
1. What are you doing?
A. starting a conversation with him B. Giving
information
C. Ignoring him
2. What response will that remark call for this time?
A. Accepting the question asked B. Yes, is there
anything I can do to help you? C. May I know
your name please?

13.  A lot of what we say is for a specific purpose. Whether
we are apologizing, expressing a wish or asking
permission, we use language in order to fulfill that
purpose. Each purpose can be known as a language
function.
 Language learners need to acquire both the functions
(uses/purposes) and the forms (structures + cross-
curricular vocabulary) that make up the English
language in order to reach higher levels of proficiency.
 Teachers also need to understand the language demands
of a task as they relate to both function and form in
order to best support students’ language development.