This document discusses the various functions and roles of the English language. It begins by defining language and its purpose of communicating ideas. It then outlines the main functions of a language as instrumental, regulatory, interactional, and personal. Additionally, English serves as an international language, a link language that facilitates mobility between countries, a library language for accessing knowledge, a window onto other cultures of the west and east, a language for employment, trade, and science/technology. The document emphasizes how English has become a global language due to its widespread use in these many domains.

1. FUNCTIONS OF
ENGLISH
Presented By
Karthika Shibu

2. LANGUAGE IS A PRIMARILY
HUMAN AND NON –
INSTINCTIVE METHOD OF
COMMUNICATING IDEAS ,
EMOTIONS AND DESIRES BY
MEANS OF A SYSTEM OF
VOLUNTARILY PRODUCED
SYMBOLS
SAPAIR ,1921

3. Functions of a Language
Instrumental : Facilitates expression of one’s
needs .eg – I want water
Regulatory : Facilitates giving directions
eg – don’t make noise
Interactional : To interact with others
eg – hello , I am anupa and you ?
Personal : Express one’s feelings , opinion etc
eg – I am so happy today
Representational : To convey information
eg –the exam has been postponed

5. International Language
 It is the lingua franca of the modern era
 Used as a second language around the world
 It absorbs and shares aspects of cultures
worldwide
 It is the language of international politics
 It is the medium of international trade and
commerce
 It is the language most number of people
knows in the world
 It is the language of international magazines ,
periodicals etc

6. LINK LANGUAGE
 For interstate communication
Absorbs and shares aspects of cultures worldwide
Facilitates mobility of professionals from one
country to another
The language link is a greater link between us and
the English speaking people than political /
anything else :- Jawaharlal Nehru
Now it is less being considered as a second
language
Medium for discussion in UNO and Common
Wealth

7. LIBRARY LANGUAGE
A language which is widely and
fruitfully used to collect knowledge and
information from books
80 % of world ‘ s electronically stored
information is in English language
Key to store house of knowledge
While the goal is to adopt the regional
language as the media of education , we
would like to stress again that this
doesn’t involve elimination of English
:- Kothari commission
Regular use of English as a library
language develops our reading skill and
widens our horizon in regard to world
affairs

8. ψ For the east English is a window to the west and for the west , it
is a window to the east
ψ Chief agent of globalization
ψ Great Indian scholars and intellectual giants like Ram Mohan
Roy , Swami Vivekananda spread the values of Indian culture
and tradition in the west through their powerful English
ψ Eminent western scholars like James Mill ,Elphistone and
Vincent Smith wrote Indian history in English
ψ The richness of this multi -national , multi-religious , multi –
cultural literature is unique and it provides a golden key to the
culture of the global village of the future. This process is now
taken to further distance by the creation of the internet and the
websites :- M.G.S.Narayan
WINDOW ON THE WORLD

10. LANGUAGE FOR EMPLOYMENT
 Opens the doors of employment across the
length and breadth of the world
 Widens the scope of professional experts
 Facilitates careers of good remuneration
 Helps employers recruit candidates of
competence
 Facilitates mobility of professionals from one
country to another
 A language of opportunities

11. LANGUAGE FOR TRADE
East Indian company came to India with
the aim of trade
Make free trade between countries possible
The rules and regulations of trade are
prepared in English
We are using products of other countries on
which the details will be invariably
inscribed in English language

12. LANGUAGE FOR SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGYTechnical words and registers of
concerned subject will be in borrowed
terms as they have no equivalent in
target language
To get ourselves updated with
technological advancements
 Authentic books are available
only in English
Communication to any part of the
world is possible within seconds
through network in English
For transacting scientific and
technological help and knowledge
between nations English is the medium

13. Every advance in science , in
engineering , in trade , in politics , in
every branch of human thought ,is
discussed ,printed and determined
and made available in English
F . G . French

14. ENGLISH
International
Language
Link Language
Library
Language
Window on
the world
Language for
Employment
Language for
Trade
Language for
Science and
Technology

15. THANK YOU