The communication process is an intrinsic mechanism that allows us to share ideas, emotions, and experiences. However, not all people express themselves in the same way or use this resource for the same purpose: perhaps we’re simply trying to inform about a topic, persuade a client to buy a product, or tell a friend how we feel. In each case, the types of communicative intention are different.
Therefore, it’s not only important to know what we want to say, but also how we communicate it. In this post, we explain what communicative intention 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 intention is
Whenever we share an idea, we have a motivation for doing so. This is called communicative intention. In general terms, it’s what drives us to communicate in a certain way — whether to inform, persuade, entertain, express emotions, or maintain social relationships. The goal is to provoke a reaction in the receiver, whether through verbal or non-verbal language.
As we mentioned before, the type of communicative intention may vary depending on the context, the receiver, and the specific purpose of the interaction. Understanding this concept is key to properly interpreting the messages we receive, better understanding the sender’s motivations, and avoiding misunderstandings.
Language functions
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 interaction process:
- Referential or informative function: focuses on conveying objective information about the external world. It is used to describe facts, situations, or concepts accurately and clearly.
- Conative or appellative function: in this function, the emphasis is on influencing the receiver of the message, aiming to persuade, convince, or influence their behavior or attitude. It is used in calls to action, such as in advertising that urges consumers to buy a product or in political speeches that encourage voting for a candidate.
- Emotive function: focuses on expressing the sender’s emotions, feelings, or moods. It is used to share personal experiences, express love, joy, or other emotions.
- Poetic function: here, language is used to create aesthetic beauty or emotional impact through form and style. It emphasizes linguistic creativity, rhythm, meter, metaphors, and other rhetorical figures to achieve an artistic effect on the receiver.
- Metalinguistic function: refers to using language to talk about language itself — to define terms, clarify meanings, or discuss grammar.
- Phatic function: aims to maintain or initiate communication rather than convey specific information. Phrases like “Can you hear me?”, “Are you there?”, or “How are you?” are examples of this function.
Types of communicative intention and some examples
The theory of types of communicative intention was developed by philosopher John Searle, who proposed that there are different modes that vary depending on their purpose. Below, we illustrate six common types of communicative intention often found in business contexts:
- When we write a report about project results or give clear instructions about the steps to follow in a task, we’re conveying concrete data or knowledge. In this case, there is an informative intention.
- Meanwhile, company policies and procedures that establish guidelines and rules of conduct for employees — aiming to influence the receiver to adopt certain behaviors or actions — reflect a prescriptive intention.
- In turn, the emotive intention is reflected when congratulating a coworker for their performance, as it expresses a feeling or emotional state from the sender.
- The phatic intention is present in everyday life — from greeting someone to meeting with a team to work collaboratively. This intention focuses on maintaining connection and the flow of communication.
- Likewise, promotional brochures about a product or the use of creative elements to enhance communication quality respond to an aesthetic intention.
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