Definition of
expressive function
The expressive function is one of the many Language functions that the Russian linguist identified Roman Jakobson. Using it, the speaker or sender expresses desires, emotions, moods and feelings in the message: that is, he focuses on communicating what and how he feels. In practice, it gives rise to expressions like “What joy!”, “I’m not feeling well”, “Don’t you realize that you are offending me?”, “How much more will I have to endure?”, “All this has me rotten!”, «I am lucky, what I am experiencing is beautiful!» either “I need you”.
This style of communication, due to the sentimental and revealing characteristics it possesses, is also described as symptomatic function either emotive function. The contents that fall into this category have subjectivity (contrary to objectivity because it gives rise to a point of view or value judgment) as a distinctive feature. Depending on the intention of the person creating the message, the expressive function It can be presented in communications, notes or declarations loaded with irony, sarcasm either humor.
Article Topics
- Characteristics of the expressive function
- Genres that support an emotive function
- Importance of the expressive function
- Related Topics Tree
If you only have a few seconds, read these key points:
- The expressive function is characterized by evaluative adjectives, use of the first person and rhetorical questions, with the purpose of moving and sharing internal beliefs or emotions.
- Non-verbal language, such as gestures and intonation, enhances the emotional profile of the expressive function.
- The expressive function is found in genres such as lyrical poetry, autobiography, personal diaries, letters, and social media.
- There are literary figures and resources (anaphora, ellipsis, hyperbole, alliteration) that reinforce the expressive profile of a text.
- The importance of the expressive function lies in expressing emotions and beliefs, influencing the receiver, being useful in areas such as therapeutic writing and emotional intelligence.
Characteristics of the expressive function
Between the characteristics of the expressive function Easier to recognize are the tendency to use evaluative adjectives and the use of verbs aimed at revealing opinions and issues of the inner universe of each person.
It is also common to use the first person both the singular and the plural and that they are used as resources of expression from the rhetorical exclamation until the rhetorical question. Its purpose is to move, excite, make a belief known or reveal what process one is going through inside. The issuer, through expressive functioninforms what you think of a certain issue (“This terrible situation is beyond me”) or how he faces a certain reality (“Fear paralyzes me, I don’t know how to continue…”).
To take into account: it is very useful, in this framework, the nonverbal language because with a certain intonationdetermined gestures and body expression (moving hands, waving arms, smiling or frowning, making a enumeration of possibilities) the emotive language profile.
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Genres that support an emotive function
There is genres that admit an emotional function because they are enriched by the issuer’s sensitivity. This is the case, for example, with the lyric poetry and the autobiography.
The expressive function is also displayed in each book of memorieswhile feeding a personal diary and when writing a letter. By analyzing in detail the features of a testimony or one confessionundoubtedly brushstrokes of expressive function.
The personal experiences that are narrated in the social networks and the contents of a Blog that is oriented to share texts about human experiences and intimate reflections demonstrate how the expressive function to each speech, message or work, whether on the level of literature or not.
It should also be noted that in the field of narrativeThanks to the prosopopoeia (kind of ontological metaphor also known as personification), the characters, even if they are objects or animals, acquire abilities typical of human beings, reacting, feeling, speaking or acting as someone of our species would.
On the other hand, it is interesting to take into consideration the existence of multiple literary figures and resources that contribute to reinforce or exalt the expressive profile of a text. By the hand of the anaphora (reiterating one or more words at the beginning of a verse or statement), the Ellipse (eliminating at least one term belonging to a sentence without hindering the interpretation of the sentence), the hyperbole (exaggerating an episode, a feature, a quantity, etc.) or the alliteration (enhancing expressiveness by repeating similar sounds in a fragment or text), among other alternatives, an effective formula is reached to express something with impetus.
See also: Ellipses
Importance of the expressive function
The importance of expressive function it lies in the possibility it gives to let what one feels, believes or considers emerge. At the same time, it affects the receiver by influencing their ideas. For this reason, for example, those who work in politics and/or marketing make frequent use of the emotional language because they know that with him there are chances to leave a positive mark on someone, to manipulate him in a certain way and to persuade him.
It cannot be overlooked that this language function has enormous value for, for example, the therapeutic writinga technique that puts on the surface, in written words, everything that the person does not manage to verbalize, to get out of his interior.
The emotional issue, the fact of sharing an impression or emotion orally or in writing, is closely linked to the emotional intelligence. This concept emphasizes the human capacity to, in a positive and healthy way, understand, use and manage emotions. Developing it, one manages to bond with others efficiently, can feel empathygenerate a effective communication and be in a position to implement a active listeningFor example.
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