Halliday (1978) proposed that there are 7 stages or functions of a child's speech. These are as follows.
Instrumental function - language that is used to fulfil a need, such as to obtain food, drink or comfort. This typically includes concrete nouns.
Regulatory function - language that is used to influence the behaviour of others including persuading, commanding or requesting.
Interactional function - language that is used to develop relationships and ease interaction. This could include phrases like "I love you mummy" or "Thank you".
Personal function - language that expresses personal opinions, attitudes and feelings including a speaker's identity.
Representational/Informative function- language that is used to relay or request information.
Heuristic function - language that is used to explore, learn and discover. This could include questions or a running commentary of a child's actions.
Imaginative function - the use of language to tell stories and create imaginary constructs. This typically accompanies play or leisure activities.
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