1. A Functional- Notional
Approach to Language Learning
MARMARA UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMANT OF ELT
MA PROGRAMME
YDIO 703 APPROACHES AND
METHODS IN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Submitted by Buket Demirbüken
Fall 2013, İstanbul

2. Contents
1
2
1
33
Historical Background
Main components
3
Merits
Theoratical Bases
4
Drawbacks Optimism
Reasons for
5
Critics

3. Historical Background
 In 1972, British linguist D.A. Wilkims published a
document to describe language to an analysis of the
communicative meanings.
 In 1976 Notional Syllabuses work followed it.
 Wilkins‟ work was used by Council of Europe in
drawing up a communicative language syllabus.
 In 1970s, first books based on functional syllabuses
began to appear.

4. BASIC CLAIMS
 Functional- Notional approach focuses on the purposes
for which language is used. It emphasizes
communicative purposes of a speech act.
 It underlines what people want to do or what they want to
accomplish .
 The Functional Notional Approach helps learners to use
real and appropriate language for communication.


5.  The basic communicative purposes can be
expressed in two ways, depending on the
function;
 Either formulas, fixed expressions
 Communicative or functional expressions

6. What is function?
 Function is the communicative act ; it is the
use of language to achieve a purpose;
inviting sb, writing an apology, ordering,
promising, greeting…

7. EXAMPLES

FUNCTION: Greeting
(informal) „Hello‟
( formal) „ Good evening‟
FUNCTION: Leave-taking
(informal) „ So long‟ or „bye‟
(formal) „ Goodbye‟
FUNCTION: acknowledging an introduction
(informal) „ Please to meet you‟
(formal) „ How do you do?‟
FUNCTION: expressing and acknowledging
gratitude
(formal/informal) „Thank you‟
„You are welcome‟

8.  In English , formulas are fixed. In other
languages fixed formulas also exist but not
necessarily in the same social situation.
For example; Italian and Turkish

9. What is NOTION ?
 It is important that functional language must also incorporate with specific
notions ;
vocabulary, nouns,verbs, adjectives, adverbs, structure
verbs, miscellaneous words.
 The words following the functional expression would be considered
notions.
 A notion is a concept, or idea and it may be quite specific, such as a
vocabulary (dog, house, for example); or it may be very general – size,
emotion, movement,place
 A notion may be “time past”; this may include past tenses, phrases like a
month ago, in 1990, last week, and utterances using temporal clauses
beginning with when….., before…., after…. and so on;

10. 
Notion




universal linguistic
structural and
phenomena; time, space,quantity,
motion, matter, case and deixis.
vocabulary
items
 The notion of time , the notion of place …

11.  For example; „ I‟d like to invite your son to come to
my club for lunch on Saturday.‟
 Specific notions depend on three major factors;
 a. the function
 b. the elements in the situation
 c. the topic which is being discussed

12. Situation includes;
 The persons taking part in the speech act
 The place where the conversation occurs
 The time it is taking place
 The topic or activity which is being
discussed.
The function+ the situation + the topic

13. What are exponents ?
 Exponents are language utterances or statements
which stem from the function, the situation and the
topic.
 They are language forms a speaker uses to express
a message or indicate social roles, formality,
informality.
 Exponents are mostly depend on our personalities,
level of linguistic competence, social statue..

14. Possible exponents in one example;






Please open the window
Open the window, please.
Would you open the window?
Would you mind opening the window?
I wonder if you would mind opening the
window ?
It might be a good idea to open the window.
Also, variations of language result from dialects,
informality, formality, mode, wishes..

15. 
+ +
communicative
expressions and / or
formulas
Situation
people
place
time
topic
>
Specific
Notions
nouns
verbs
adj/ adv
structure words
michellaneous words

16. Unit-Credit System ( How are topics
organized? )
Functions are classified and put into units or
modules.
2. Units can be limited to specific duties such as serve
as a receptionist in a doctor‟s office.
3. They are specific as global content but free as to
internal organization and mode of presentation
1.
4. Units will specificy general grammatical,
lexical, notional-semantic items; that is ,
meaningful and appropriate use in context or
social situations.

17. Sample Unit
Function: Making an
appointment,persuading,refusing
 1
2
A,B.Greetings
A.Asking for an
appointment
B.Accepting
B. Refusing
A,B.Making
A. Persuading
arrangements B. Accepting
A,B. Leavetaking A,B. Making
arrangement
A,B Leavetaking
3
B.Refusing
A.Persuading
B. Adamant
refusal
A. Angry
interchange
A,B. Cold
leavetaking

18. SITUATUION (Notion)
FUNCTION
ACTUAL LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
PATTERNS and
TENSES
Getting things connected
e.g. gas, phone, TV.
Rent-payment–contract
Buying furniture –
Second-hand, markets,
auctions, small ads.
Paying bills-when and how.
At the door: milkman,
dustman, salesman.
Repair-plumber, electrician.
Making appointments,
Electotal Register.
Understanding and asking for
information..
Understanding directions and
local information.
Expressing intentions.
Declining.
Giving information.
Making requests to.
I‟m looking for a large
wardrobe.
What sort of price did you have
in mind?
Have you got anything
cheaper?
I‟m moving to... Can I have the
gas/electricity connected,
please?
What‟s your address?
It‟s £70 deposit.
Hello, I‟m the…
Could I see your identification,
please?
Where can I get a…?
Are you interested in…?
No, not today, thank you
I‟m looking for…
Have you got…?
Could I have…?
Can I…?
Can you tell me…?
Would you like…?
Sorry, I…
Comparatives/Adjetives
Where can I…?
(+ infinitive without to)
LEXIS
LITERACY
SYSTEM
AIDS and MATERIALS
Names of households items,
including plugs, etc.
Equipment.
Names of local institutions
e.g. clinic, library.
Reading bills, final demands,
meter and filling in estimated
bills, checking meter readings.
Library-Section headings
Form-fillings
Reading contracts.
Types of shops best for certain
items.
Where to buy what.
Use of the telephone for buying,
inquiring.
Filling bills and receips.
Guarantees.
What is delivered-milk, etc.
How and when to pay bills.
Where to get local informationlibrary, rent officer,Legal centre.
Asking for identification from
strangers at the door.
Meaning of deposit.
Simplified maps of locality –
grading up to actual maps.
Simplified and graded gas bills
and meter readings.
«7 days a week» Pack Tapes –
of dialogues situtaions.

19.  The same function may repeatedly occur in different
situations at succeeding units so there is a cyclical
order.
 Grading is very difficult so it is expected that
performance tests are used instead of achievement
test.

20. Theoretical Bases
 F-N approach combines „communicative
grammar‟ with cognitivisim and humanism.
 The primary focus is the learner and the
function or functions of language- the
communicative purpose s/he wishes to
express and to understand.
 Varied sociolinguistic situations are taken into
considerations.
 Social roles, psychological attitudes of
participants, the place, time, the activity, topic
are all discussed .

21.  Communicative behaviour is always situationally
conditioned. On that point, there are three factors
underlie speech acts;
 a. the functions
 b. the varieties of language
 c. the shared sociocultural allusions - presupposition-

22. Categories of Functions
 Personal
 Interpersonal
 Directive
 Referential
 Imaginative

23. Varieties of Language
 Geographical factors
 Social factors
 Status in the community or nation
 Differences related to social classes
 Educational background
 Register; a.) formality, informality b.) the topic,
activity, work or profession c.) the mode-oral or
written-of the course.
 Code-switching ; a person‟s individual use of the
language or dialect.
Ex: A doctor use a casual, informal register at home while
using a formal register at a professional dinner.

24. Cultural Knowledge
 F-N curriculum provides implicit and explicit
information for learning of culture .
radio broadcasts, television, tapes, cassettes,
documentaries, films, pictures, short
illustrated dialogues, real-life situations.
 Curriculum set realistic objectives as
paralinguistic feature of languages , gestures,
convey meaning to listeners.
Ex: cultural insights for immigrants
 cultural immersion – explicit information

25. Psycholinguistic Components
F-N curriculum takes cognizance;
 Basic needs of learners ; need for survival
Threshold Level, self-realization, general
competency or advanced.
 Self – motivating; social, vocational, cultural
needs of learners
 Individual differences: varying abilities:
cyclical or spiral approach.

26. Linguistics
 F-N approach will provide learner to acquire
a reasonable, basic knowledge of the
phonological, grammatical and lexical
subsystems of the language and the use of
language in actual communication.
 Encoding and decoding a message;
appropriateness, acceptability
 Oral or written communication
 Gestures and other paralinguistic features

27. Pyschological Bases
 Related material with needs and experiences
of the learners
 Student motivation
 Meaningful material through their use in real
life
 Active participation of learner depending on
learning strategies
 Make a realitionship among the elements in
language, situation and culture.
 Different learning styles and rates of learning
 Time for transfer of learning

28. Educational Principles
 Transfer of learning is not always automatic
 A spiral and cyclical approach is recommended.
 The curriculum is divided into units and modules
 The starting point is the communicative function and
the social situation in which situation or purpose is
being expressed.
 The title of the units is expressed in functional terms
 The same function may be presented in different
situations
 The grammar and vocabulary to be taught in each
unit result from the integration of function and
situation.

29.  In F-N curriculum ,a number of different functions
may be clustered in one unit.
 In the F-N approach grammatical structure and
function do not overlap. The same structure may be
used to express more than one function of language.
 Concepts and language needed in social studies,
geography, mathematics, art, music and literature are
integrated into the curriculum.
 Units contain linguistics and cultural materials the
learners will need for sociocultural and
sociovocational purposes

30. Reasons for Optimism
 It sets realistic learning tasks.
 It provides everyday, real world language in a variety
of sociocultural situations.
 It emphasizes the need for numerous, varied and
receptive activities.
 The language used should be based on a situation or
setting. The speaker must have a real purpose to talk
about.
 The act of communication is motivating as it
expresses basic, universal communicative functions
of language.

31.  It enables teachers refer to psycholinguistic,
sociolinguistic, linguistic and educational principles
 It does not insist upon mastery of any body material
presented.
 It makes provision through a unit and module system
for admission to certain programs at any time during
the year.
 In F-N approach grammatical structure and function
do not overlap. There is no obligatory one to one
relationship.

32. A debatable issue
 Some linguists and notably Halliday
developed a theory of language showing how
the formal grammatical patterns reflect the
functions of language structure.
 No pedagogical use and not formulated
 There is an arbitrary relationship between
function and grammar.

33. Form and Function
Meaning of an utterance is derived from the whole situation and not from
words and sentences used in isolation
 Request
 It‟s cold here
 Would you ease
close the door
 I wonder if some one
could close the door
 You have left the
door open




Suggestion
Statement
Requesting
Threat

34. Critics
 Dividing language into items is aganist the
nature of language
 It neglects linguistic items and gives more
attention to fixed expressions and formulas
 Grading is problematic and subjective.