Which theory believes language is a vehicle for interpersonal relations and performing social transactions?

• A. Functionalist
• B. Krashen's Monitor Model
• C. Transformationalist
• D. Interactionist

Answer: (D)

Language develops and is used through social interaction—the idea that language is a tool people use to connect with others and perform social actions. This interactionist view holds that communication happens in real conversations where meaning is negotiated, and language serves to maintain relationships, request, refuse, agree, and coordinate joint activities. Learning a language, then, comes from engaging in authentic social exchanges, receiving feedback, and adjusting language in context to achieve those social purposes. The other theories focus on different aspects: one centers on input and internal monitoring rather than social function, another on innate grammatical structures, and another on language’s function in society without the emphasis on interactive learning. So the theory that best matches language as a vehicle for interpersonal relations and social transactions is the interactionist perspective.