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   This morning  We had a class taught by Teacher She, involving linguistics. She gave a short description for us about the basic functions of language:

1、Informative(信息功能)

   For most of people the informative function is predominantly the major role of language. Language is the instrument of thought and people often feel they need to speak their thoughts aloud to make everyperson heard. This is indeed a crucial function of language. It is also called ideational function(意念功能) in the framework of functional grammer. Halliday notes that "Language serves for the expression of content: that is, of the speaker's experience of the real world, including the inner world of his own consciousness...In surveying this function, language also helps us determine our way of looking at things.

2、Interpersonal Function(人际功能)

By far the most important sociological use of language is the interpersonal function, by which people establish and maintain their status in a society. In the framework of functional grammer, this function is concerned with interaction between the addresser and addressee in the discourse situation and the addresser's attitude toward what he speaks or writes about. Language marks our identity, physically in terms of age, sex, and voiceprints; psychologically in terms of language, personality, intelligence; geographically in terms of accents and dialects; ethnically and socially in terms of class, status, role, solidarity and distance.

3、Performative(行为能力)

   The performative function can extend to the control of reality as on some magical and religious occasions. For instance, in Chinese when someone breaks a bowl or plate the host or the people present are likely to say sui sui ping an(every year be safe and happy) as a means of controlling the invisible forces which the believers feel might affect their lives adversely.

4、Emotive Function.(情感能力)

The emotive function of language is one of the most powerful use of language, because it is crucial in changing the emotional status of an audience for or against someone or something. What a sight, Wow.....We also can learn something in detail from others' reaction, tone, expressions whether they are in exasperation/agony or ecstasy so on order to make a right judgement and then help them relieve pain or magnify ecstasy. As we grow older, we will find that we have two hands, one for helping ourselves, the other for helping other people.

5、Phatic Communion(寒暄式交谈)

   To be honest, I dont like to see good relationships are to be maintained/kept by phatic communication, if so, that cannot be called""good relationships "but "strange relationships". Dont waste your time on such an unmeaningful thing. What are the true friends? we've got to know one thing: In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends, and a friend to all is a friend to nobody.

   Good luck!