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Exploring Roman Jakobson's Language Functions for Textual Analysis

This comprehensive guide explores Roman Jakobson's language functions in textual analysis, highlighting informative, expressive, directive, phatic, poetic, and metalingual aspects. Learn about Jakobson's communication model and medium distinctions in speech and writing. Discover how to analyze content, structure, and communication styles in texts. Examples illustrate different functions in action, enhancing understanding of sender-receiver dynamics and language intricacies. Ideal for students and enthusiasts of literary theory.

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Exploring Roman Jakobson's Language Functions for Textual Analysis

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  1. Introduction to Textual Analysis Lone Albrecht English Dept. ASB

  2. Who is Roman Jakobson • http://www.rucnyt.ruc.dk/old/9697/15/969715-02.html And in English • http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/hopkins_guide_to_literary_theory/roman_jakobson.html Jakobson and Language Functions

  3. A Communication Situation • Sender • Receiver • Message • Referent • Medium • Social context • Code Jakobson and Language Functions

  4. A Communication Model Jakobson and Language Functions

  5. Medium - Speech • Transient • Physical presence • Intonation, stress, tempo, rhythm • False starts • More or less premeditated, planned and organized • Implicitness • Body language Jakobson and Language Functions

  6. Medium - Writing • Permanent • No physical presence • Alliteration, assonance • No false starts • Premeditated • Planned & organized • Explicitness • punctuation Jakobson and Language Functions

  7. Jakobson’s Language Functions • Sender • Receiver • Message • Context • Channel • Code Jakobson and Language Functions

  8. A Couple of examples • I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, but if you would be so kind as to lower your voices a little. • Will you belt up • It was a burning hot day; the air was stifling; one could hardly breathe even near the sea. • It was a beautiful warm day; the air was like velvet; the sea air was invigorating. • Nice weather today! Jakobson and Language Functions

  9. Model for textual analysis – The Jakobson way • 1. Informative • Focus on content, explanation, definition, description as reflected in: • Frames • Choice of words: denotative connotative, abstract, concrete, technical, non-technical etc. • Sentence structure: simple, compound, complex, mixed • Group structure: complexity of NG • Information structure: theme, rheme, focus; linkage. Jakobson and Language Functions

  10. - continued • Expressive • Focus on sender’s attitude to topic: positive, negative, ironical, sentimental etc. • Focus on sender’s attitude to receiver: equal, authority, personal, impersonal, solidarity etc. • As reflected in choice of words, sentence structure etc. Jakobson and Language Functions

  11. - continued • Directive • Focus on receiver: • Explicit – order, request, demand, warning, advice etc. • Implicit – through expressive means changing people’s mind Jakobson and Language Functions

  12. - continued • Phatic • Focus on the ’channel’ between sender and receiver for the purpose of inviting or maintaining communication • Reflected in use of pronouns, rhetorical expressions Jakobson and Language Functions

  13. - continued • Poetic • Focus on form • Reflected in: imagery such as metaphor, simily, puns, allegory, assonance, etc. Jakobson and Language Functions

  14. - continued • Metalingual • Focus on language itself. Language turned back on itself, language about language: • Reflected in terminology of linguistics: adjective, pronoun, sentence, etc. – and questions like ’What do you mean when you say…..?’ Jakobson and Language Functions

  15. The end… Jakobson and Language Functions

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