Halliday's functions of language

What are Halliday's functions of language? Michael Halliday, a prominent linguist, proposed a
functional approach to language known as Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). In 1975,
Halliday published his 'seven functions of language', which describes the way children use
language, referring to these as 'developmental functions' or 'micro functions'. Halliday's seven
functions of language: instrumental, personal, regulatory, interactional, imaginative,
representational, and heuristic.

Halliday's functions of language

Function of
Description Examples
language

Language used to fulfill needs or

Instrumental desires, such as requesting food or "I want," "Can I have," "I need"
comfort.

Language used to command, "Let's go home now," "You need to

persuade, or request someone to do finish that work by tomorrow,"
Regulatory
something, controlling their "Can you give me the report from
behavior. yesterday?"

Language used to form relationships,

"I love you, mom," "Thank you so
Interactive express emotions, and strengthen
much"
bonds with others.

Language used to express personal

opinions, emotions, and identity, as "Me good," "Me happy," "What's
Personal
well as to seek information about the that?"
world.

Heuristic Language associated with discovery "The horsey goes over to the
and explanation, often through dinosaur and says hello," "What's
 Halliday's functions of language

questions and self-narration. that?"

"What's that?" "What does that

Language used to request and relay
do?" "I was walking down the
Representational information between people,
street and a cat jumped out in front
exchanging facts and experiences.
of me."

Language used in storytelling and Pretending to be in a house,

Imaginative imaginative play, creating fictional spaceship, or adopting different
scenarios and characters. characters during play.

Halliday's functions of language examples

Let's have an in=depth look at Halliday's functions of language, along with examples of each and
the situations they may be used in. The following functions describe how children acquire and
use language. The first four of Halliday's functions relate to how children's social, emotional, and
physical needs are met through language.

The instrumental function of language

The instrumental function of language refers to when language is used to fulfil a need, such as
requiring food, drink, or comfort.

For example, the phrases 'I want', 'Can I have', and 'I need' are all examples of instrumental
language.
When a child is thirsty they might say something like 'I want bottle'. If the carer gives them the
bottle then their needs have been met through their use of language.

The regulatory function of language

When a speaker commands, persuades or requests something from someone else, this is
known as a regulatory language function. Regulatory language controls the listener's
behaviour (the speaker adopts a commanding tone). Examples include:

 'Let's go home now.'

  'You need to finish that work by tomorrow so get on with it.'
 'Can you give me the report from yesterday?'

As evident in these examples of Halliday's functions, the listener has restricted agency as the
speaker has taken the dominant position in the conversation.

Interactive

This example of Halliday's function is how we form relationships with others as it

encompasses the communicative use of language. It is how we relay our thoughts and emotions,
strengthening bonds with those around us. Interactional language examples include phrases like
'I love you mum' or 'Thank you so much', revealing the emotions and opinions of the speaker.

Personal functions

This function defines how we refer to ourselves and express our personal opinions, our
identity, and our feelings. A child may communicate their opinions and emotions in a simplistic
way, using phrases like 'me good' or 'me happy'.

As well as expressing personal opinions and emotions, the personal function of language also
encompasses how we use language to learn more about our surroundings, by requesting
information about it. This is known as the 'personal function of language', as we gain information
which benefits ourselves and our understanding of society. Questions like 'what's that?' or 'what
does that mean?' are examples of personal language function.

Next time you interact with a young child or toddler see if you can spot any of these language
functions in their speech and communication styles.
The next three language functions that are part of Halliday's functions of language describe how
children adapt to their environment through learning language.

Heuristic

This term refers to language associated with discovery and explanation, usually in the form
of questions or a running commentary (when the child talks about what they are doing as they
are doing it). For example, a lot of children talk to themselves when they are younger (some
people still do this as adults!) to explain what they are doing, to themselves. This helps them
understand their actions in relation to the world around them.
Children tend to do this when they are playing. They say things like 'The horsey goes over to the
dinosaur and says hello, but he doesn't say hello back because he isn't being friendly. The
wizard felt bad for the horsey and came and said hello to her. Now they are best friends'.

Another example of children narrating is persistent questioning. It is not uncommon for

children to continuously ask 'What's that?', 'What does that do?', or 'Why?' in response to an adult
giving them an instruction. It also occurs when adults are talking about a topic children don't
understand.

Representational / informative

Similar to heuristic and personal functions, representational language occurs when we request
information. However, it differs from 'heuristic' and 'personal' functions as it also refers to when
we relay information. In other words, it describes the exchange of information between two or
more people.

For example, questions like 'what's that?' and 'what does that do?' are representational; if this
question is answered it leads to an exchange of information.
Another example of representational language is when people relay information. Imagine
someone telling a story, such as, 'I was walking down the street and a cat jumped out in front of
me. It really made me jump! 'This is an example of representational language because it relates
information about events.

Imaginative

When children tell stories and create imaginary friends or concepts in their heads, it is an
imaginative way of using language. Imaginative language usually occurs in leisure or play
scenarios.

Remember when you were a child playing in the playground? Did you and your friends imagine
you were somewhere else, such as in a house or a spaceship? Children do this to make games
more interesting.

Children adopt suitable characters to act out with their friends. For example, if you pretend you
are in space you remove yourself from the playground environment and into a fantasy world -
much more exciting!

Halliday's theory of language

Now we have looked at Halliday's functions of language, how exactly did Halliday believe
children learn languages?

Based on his own child, Halliday argued that children communicate and learn a language
before they can speak. There are a few things that Halliday believed impact how a child learns
its first language:
  Halliday suggests social interaction is key for child language learning as it is vital for
them to see how language functions in society. That way they can learn how to be
members of society themselves.
 Halliday views language as not only a mode of communication but a cultural code we
need to understand to fit in with our surroundings: 'Language is the main channel
through which the patterns of living are transmitted to him, through which he learns to
act as a member of a society... [and] to adopt its' culture'. This quote reveals Halliday's
view that language is the key to learning how to become a member of society rather
than just a method of communicating.
 Rather than the language learning process starting when children start to speak, Halliday
argued that as soon as children can cry or make facial expressions language is present.
This is because children can communicate their feelings through facial expressions and
actions.
 Children learn to do things to get a reaction, meaning they can communicate their
emotions and use language to get what they want before they can talk. Children often
throw small objects or start to cry to get a reaction from their caregivers.
 Halliday believes we are always making choices in our language and communication.

Halliday's 3 stage theory of child language acquisition

Halliday came up with three phases describing how children learn a language.

Phase 1
This phase occurs when the child is 6-18 months old.
When the child is in this phase they are in a 'first language' environment. During this period, they
learn the seven functions and begin to understand how language connects them to their
surroundings.
It is important to note that child 'language' at this point doesn't always resemble recognisable
words, but rather combinations of sounds.

Phase 2
Phase 2 happens when the child is 18 - 24 months old. This phase describes the transition from
child to adult language.
Children begin to use more recognisable words but they remain less advanced communicators
than adults as they speak in broken sentences.

For example, they would say 'Where's blankie?' and 'I want mama.' instead of 'Where is my
blanket?' and 'I want my mum'.
This phase refers to what a child can do with language rather than how many words it takes to
communicate their point. Halliday believes in this phase a child can get the same results as an
adult speaking in full correct sentences without speaking in grammatically correct English.
In phase 2, the child uses multiple phrases in conjunction rather than just singular
expressions. For instance, rather than saying 'Oh I didn't know there was any pasta left, please
can I have some?' They would say 'PASTA!' followed by 'me want pasta.' or 'I want some.'
Phase 3
A child typically transitions into phase 3 when they are around 2 years old.

They begin to understand more about the functions of language and they start to stray from their
previous communication methods used to get attention, such as crying or throwing things. They
realise language can help them learn and find out about things rather than just getting them
what they want.

Halliday's systematic functions in linguistics

Unlike most linguistic functions, Halliday's theory of systemic functional linguistics is functional
and semantic in its orientation, rather than formal and syntactic. This means that Halliday's
theory looks at the impact of how we use language. Halliday suggests language serves a purpose
in our lives rather than being a set of rules for communication.
Halliday views language as a system in which we make choices every time we communicate.

Ideational

Ideational linguistic features describe how we use language to take in experiences. It is made up
of 'experiential function' and 'logical function'.

Experiential
Experiential linguistic features refer to grammatical choices that help us attach meaning to
everything we come into contact with: our surroundings and our feelings. It's how we make
sense of the world around us and our place within it.
An example of this feature is when children interact with objects around them.

It is clear they are using language (non-verbally) to construct a response to their experience with
the object. If they were enjoying playing with a toy, we would see them smile, suggesting they
will start to associate this toy with happiness. They will build on their interpretations every time
they play with the object.

Logical
This feature describes the semantic relationship between clauses, helping to explain how we
link sentences together in a way that makes sense to us.

When a sentence contains two or more clauses, the speaker chooses whether or not to give them
equal weight in the sentence or place emphasis on one or the other. Halliday believes this choice
represents the speaker's view of the experience.
For example, take a look at these two sentences:
'School was good and we also went to my friend's house later in the day'
'I had the most amazing time at my friends' house after school! We played for hours and ate
cake, but school was good too.'
Both sentences suggest school was good and that the speaker had a good time at their friends'
house. However, in the second sentence, the speaker emphasises going to their friend's house by
putting it first in the sentence and elaborating on the event. This suggests they had a better time
at their friends' house than at school.

This is an example of how the speaker's choice to emphasise their experience at their friends'
house subtly reveals their experience, as the choices we make reflect our attitude towards their
day.
Task: Describe your day to yourself. Think about what you place emphasis on when you
speak. Is it what you expected?

Interpersonal

This function allows speakers to convey their complex and diverse emotions to those around
them, helping people to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships with people
around them. It not only encompasses what they are saying but how frequently they discuss a
topic, indicating its value in their life. The interpersonal function reflects our mood, modality,
and polarity.
A basic example could be one of your friends continuously talking about someone but insisting
they don't like them. The fact they are talking about them a lot could be an indicator that they are
fond of them. This is not always true, but when someone talks about something or someone a lot
it can be assumed they like the chosen topic as they see it relevant in multiple scenarios.

Textual

This function describes the grammatical systems that manage the flow of discourse. The
textual function is both experiential and interpersonal as it is language itself - it relates to the
rules of language and how it flows in conversation.
This system is both structural and non-structural. It is structural in the sense that it relates to the
choice the speaker makes in the way they order their sentence (the clauses at the end reduce the
emphasis on this part of the sentence). It is non-structural in the sense that speakers do not
always need cohesive ties between sentences for them to make sense.

For example, if you are talking to a friend while walking along, something that catches your eye
might cause you to momentarily change the subject matter to something unrelated, but this
would still make sense to the listener.
'My work is going well thanks. I am excited to start a new project next month because- Woah did
you see that person's jacket?! It was so cool! '
This example demonstrates how our surroundings cause us to briefly deviate from the point, but
it does not mean our sentence doesn't make sense to the listener(s).

Halliday - Key Takeaways

 Halliday sees language as a cultural code that teaches us how to be part of society, rather

than simply being a method of communication.

 In 1975, he published 7 functions of language that describe the way children use

language. These functions are: instrumental, regulatory, interactional, personal,

imaginative, representational, and heuristic. These functions offer a comprehensive

framework for analyzing the diverse purposes and uses of language in communication.

 Halliday argued children can communicate before they can talk. As soon as the child can

cry or make facial expressions, language is present as children can communicate their

feelings through facial expressions and actions.

 There are 3 linguistic functions in Halliday's theory: Ideational, Interpersonal, and

Textual.

 Halliday believes we are always making choices in our language and communication.

Frequently Asked Questions about Michael Halliday

What is the theory of Halliday?

Michael Halliday was a language theorist who studied how children learn language. His theory is
called 'The Theory of Language Development'.

What is language and linguistics, according to Halliday?

Halliday views language as a social function that helps us learn how to become part of society.
Halliday suggests language serves a purpose, allowing users to build relationships and exchange
meaning. It is more than a set of rules.
What are Halliday's functions of language?

Halliday describes 7 functions of language (1975): instrumental, regulatory, interactional, personal,

imaginative, representational, and heuristic. These functions offer a comprehensive framework for
analyzing the diverse purposes and uses of language in communication.

What are the three basic functions of language?

There are 3 linguistic functions in Halliday's theory: Ideational, Interpersonal, and Textual.

Why is it that language is key to all human activities?

Language is key to all human activities because it enables communication, helping us exchange
opinions and ideas and understand our surroundings.
Linguist who changed the way languages are taught
Updated May 16, 2018 — 12.21pmfirst published at 11.23am
Although far too modest to admit it, Emeritus Professor Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday,
who has died at Manly aged 93, extended the work of Charles Darwin and Karl Marx by drawing
the study of language and ‘meaning’ further into the natural and social sciences.

Halliday (often known as ‘MAK’) was born in Leeds in Yorkshire on April 13, 1925. It was
almost inevitable he would engage with language. Wilfred Halliday, his father, was an English
teacher and a poet of the Yorkshire dialect. Winifred Kirkwood, his mother, taught French.

MAK Halliday
When war broke out, the British government resolved to deploy military forces in Asia and
established a national services foreign language training course. Halliday volunteered for the
course in 1942 and was posted to the Chinese Intelligence Unit in Calcutta where, among other
things, he debriefed those who had fled Japanese-occupied China.

After the war, Halliday obtained a grant from the University of London to study Chinese as an
external student at Peking University, where he also taught English. It was at Peking University
he began to collect the strands of thought he would later weave into his theories of functional
linguistics and grammar.
They included research on Mandarin and Sino-Tibetan languages with the distinguished linguist
Luo Changpei and on the languages and dialects of the Pearl River Delta led by Wang Li of
Lingnan University at Canton (now Guangzhou). Thus Halliday saw Mao’s Red Army sweep to
victory twice. He was in the crowd watching it march into Beijing in February 1949 and, later
that year, he saw it triumph in the south.

Halliday returned to England for post-graduate work at the University of London’s School of
Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) where he was influenced by the leading English linguist,
John Firth and, later, by the sociologist Basil Bernstein. As Halliday’s China experiences had left
him a firm Marxist, the increasing tensions of the Cold War and outbreak of McCarthyism made
him ineligible to remain at the SOAS.

Halliday joined the Chinese department at Cambridge, where he completed his PhD in 1955
under Firth’s supervision. There, Halliday became an active member of the Communist Party
and worked alongside luminaries including eminent historians Joseph Needham and Eric
Hobsbawm. Halliday broke with the party over the Soviet Union’s brutal invasion of Hungary in
1956.

It was at Cambridge that Halliday applied his insights into language. Drawing on Firth’s work,
Halliday came to see language as a social construction and, crucially, the mechanism by which
society is reproduced and, occasionally, transformed. That insight, combined with his
commitment to improving social conditions, left Halliday searching for a new way of teaching
language to improve literacy rates and give ordinary people greater opportunities.

This socially focused approach put Halliday at odds with established figures on the ‘nature’ side
of the ‘nature or nurture’ debate. They included Noam Chomsky and his followers, who believed
the human capacity for language was innate rather than acquired during life.

Halliday argued the key to language development lay in how children attribute "meaning" to
elements in their environment. In contrast to Chomsky and his followers, who advocated an
inherent universal human grammar, Halliday developed a theory of language based on a system
of choices. The results were Halliday’s models of systemic functional grammar and systemic
functional linguistics.

His approach remains a strong influence on the field of descriptive linguistics and on teacher
training curriculum across the world today. An unexpected opportunity to demonstrate his
theories arose on his resignation from the University of London to take up a post at the
University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

By then Halliday had married Ruqaiya Hasan, one of his early postgraduate students and a
formidable linguist. When the Canadian government declined to grant Halliday a visa, he
realised their young son, Neil, offered a chance to closely monitor how children develop
grammar.
Halliday’s study showed how children build grammar in stages through the specific interactions
of their lives. This led to the publication of his seminal work Learning how to Mean in 1975, in
which Neil was given the rather unconvincing pseudonym ‘Nigel’. It is indicative of Halliday’s
sense of humour that he considered dedicating his book to the Canadian government.
Halliday’s ground-breaking work was recognised by the University of Sydney, which appointed
him foundation professor of linguistics in 1976. For the following decades, the family home at
Killara and later Manly would be an international meeting house for language studies with both
Halliday and Hasan (who was appointed Professor of Linguistics at Macquarie University) both
in great demand for international conferences, visiting professorships, and publications.