The communication It is an intrinsic process that enables us to share ideas, emotions and experiences. However, not everyone expresses themselves in the same way, nor do we all use this means of communication for the same purpose: perhaps we are simply trying to provide information on a topic, or persuading a customer to buy a product; perhaps we just want to tell a friend how we feel. In each case, the types of communicative intent are different.
It’s therefore not just important to know what we want to say, but also how we communicate it. In this post, we explain what communicative intent is and what the most common types are. We’ll also share some examples that might help you. Ready to express yourself better?
Let’s first explain what communicative intent is
Whenever we share an idea, we have a reason for doing so. This is called communicative intent. Generally speaking, it is what drives us to communicate in a certain way, whether to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to express emotions or to maintain social relationships. The aim is to elicit a reaction from the recipient, whether through verbal or non-verbal language.
As we mentioned earlier, the type of communicative intent It may vary depending on the context, the recipient and the specific purpose of the interaction. Understanding this concept is key to interpreting the messages we receive correctly, gaining a better understanding of the sender’s motivations and avoiding misunderstandings.
Functions of language
The functions of language refer to the various purposes or intentions behind the use of language in human communication. Each function focuses on specific aspects of this process of interaction:
- Referential or informative function: It focuses on conveying objective information about the outside world. It is used to describe facts, situations or concepts accurately and clearly.
- Conative or appellative function: In this role, the emphasis is on influencing the recipient of the message, with the aim of persuading, convincing or influencing their behaviour or attitude. It is used in calls to action, such as in adverts urging people to buy a product or in political speeches urging people to vote for a candidate.
- Emotional function: It focuses on expressing the emotions, feelings or moods of the person sending the message. It is used to share personal experiences and to express love, joy or other emotions.
- Poetic function: Here, language is used to create aesthetic beauty or emotional impact through the form and style of the message. It focuses on linguistic creativity, rhythm, metre, metaphors and other figures of speech to produce an artistic effect on the recipient.
- Metalinguistic function: refers to the use of language to talk about language itself, to define terms, clarify meanings or discuss grammar.
- Phatic function: It aims to maintain or initiate communication, rather than to convey specific information. Phrases such as «Can you hear me?», «Are you there?» or «How are you?» are examples of this function
Types of communicative intent and some examples
The theory of the types of communicative intent was developed by the philosopher John Searle who argued that there are different modes, which vary depending on their purpose. Below, we set out six types of communicative intent that are very common in the business world:
- When we write a report on the results of a project, or when we give clear instructions on the steps to follow to carry out a task, we are conveying specific information or knowledge. In this case, there is a for information purposes only.
- Meanwhile, the company’s policies and procedures that set out guidelines and standards of conduct for employees seeking to influence the recipient to take certain actions or adopt certain behaviours are in line with a prescriptive intent.
- For its part, the emotional intent This is evident when congratulating a colleague on their performance, as it expresses a feeling or state of mind on the part of the speaker.
- The phatic intention It is part of our everyday lives and is evident in everything from greeting someone to meeting with the team to work collaboratively. This approach focuses on maintaining connection and the flow of communication.
- Similarly, promotional leaflets about a product or the use of creative elements to improve the quality of communication are in line with the aesthetic intention.
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