The phatic function allows you to start, maintain, extend, resume or end a communication.
The phatic function is a mode of language use whose purpose is to begin, maintain, extend, resume or conclude a communication . This function uses expressions or words that allow you to check whether the communication channel is working as it should.
It is important to indicate that, to establish communication, the sender sends a message to the receiver through a certain channel. The people involved in the process must share the same code so that the message in question is understood. What the phatic function does is orient itself to the channel that enables the transmission of the content to check its relevance and availability.
Objective of the phatic function
The objective of the phatic function is to determine if the channel is suitable for the exchange of messages . Through this function, a verification can be carried out and determine if there are barriers capable of affecting quality or directly preventing communication.
In another sense, it can be said that the phatic function allows us to confirm whether everything is ready for the sender to complete the emission of the message and the receiver to receive it. Therefore, it facilitates contact and the exchange of information.
It should be noted that usually the statements and terms used by the phatic function do not have their own or autonomous meaning . They do not contain valuable data but rather fulfill a specific role in the establishment and continuity of the communicative link.
The greetings
Greetings constitute a central element in the phatic function, also called the contact function or relational function. These forms serve to initiate communication and to close it.
"Hello", "Good day", "Good afternoon", "Good night" y«Bye» son algunos de los saludos más frecuentes. También hay preguntas que funcionan como saludo: "How are you?", "How are you doing?", "How's it going?", "What do you say?" ("What are you saying?").
It must be considered that, in this context , the questions are rather rhetorical . The answer does not matter so much since what is intended with the expression is to launch communication. In other words: the sender does not want to know how the receiver is doing but, with the question, he is indicating that he intends to start a communication.
In the same way, when saying "Good morning" or "Good evening" , there is an intention to start or complete a communicative exchange and not to pronounce a wish. Of course, this does not mean that the person does not really want the interlocutor to have a good day; What is marked by the phatic function is, above all, the opening or closing of communication.
The phatic function is aimed at determining whether the channel is functioning correctly.
The phatic function and verification
The phatic function is also used to check if the message is reaching the receiver . In a telephone conversation, for example, you can ask "Are you listening to me well?" to confirm that there is no noise on the channel and that communication is flowing correctly.
Another possibility is that the receiver becomes the sender for a brief moment just to demonstrate that the message is being well received and that the sender can continue with his statements. For this, accompaniment formulas such as "Sure" , "Yes" , "OK" or "Aha" are used.
Interrupt and continue
Another purpose of the phatic function is to establish an interruption or to specify the resumption of communication when necessary. Thus, it can be used to pause and resume the exchange of messages.
Suppose someone is speaking and the interlocutor says "Excuse me." This word, used in this framework, serves to make the sender stop and pay attention to what the other individual has to express. Terms like "Wait" or "Await" have the same effect.
To resume an interrupted communication, on the other hand, you can say "As I was telling you..." or "Just as I was telling you..." .
Non-verbal language may be important in the phatic function.
Non-verbal language in the phatic function
Non-verbal language in the phatic function can be important. Although it is easier to notice the functioning with verbal language, a posture , a look, facial expressions or different gestures can be oriented to the communication channel.
Pausing or including silence can also be helpful to confirm whether the message is coming through clearly . These resources can be combined with words. For example: "I need your commitment to carry out this project... As I was telling you, the idea is to open two branches in the center." By remaining silent after referring to the "commitment" , the subject leaves open the possibility of an interruption; In the absence of it, he resumes the enunciation.
Other language functions
It should be noted that the phatic function is one of the six functions of language that Roman Jakobson recognized. This Russian linguist, born in 1896 and died in 1982 , also referred to the referential function, the emotive function, the conative function, the poetic function and the metalinguistic function, which obey different purposes or intentions.
The referential function , which is also known as the informative function or representative function , provides information and appears in univocal content . The emotive, symptomatic or expressive function , meanwhile, is linked to emotions and feelings, with subjectivity predominating.
The conative or appellative function aims to provoke a reaction in the recipient. The aesthetic or poetic function , for its part, has a stylistic purpose, while the metalinguistic function is oriented to the language itself and the code .