Introduction to functional grammar

Introduction to
functional grammar
Systemic Functional Approach
Systemic Approach
Systemic Linguistics
Functional Semantic Approach
Introduction to
functional grammar
1. Language system – Texts
2. Key Researchers
What do they mean?
Why can we make meaning from them?
Do they mean the same to everyone?
When I got home
last night, I could
not believe what
………….. had
done.
What choices are possible?
What’s the implication of the choice?
What is implied about what a language
system has to encapsulate?
Culture
What is the broad and specific context?
How does that impact on the text?
Genre
What is the specific purpose of the text?
How is it organised to achieve this?
Topic
What is being discussed / written
about?
Relationships
Who is taking part? What is the nature
of their relationship? What are their
statuses and roles?
Mode
Is it spoken, written or multimodal?
A: Yes Please
B: Can I have those two?
What’s the context of
the text?
What accompanies
the language?
A: Yes. One’s forty five. One’s twenty
What kind of a text is
five.
it? (genre)
B: And have you got …………………..
What are the stages of
the text?
A: Yes. How many would you like?
B: I’ll take two
A: Right. That’s four dollars twenty
altogether.
B: Here you are.
A: Thankyou.
B: Thankyou.
What is it about?
(field)
Who is involved?
(tenor)
Mode of
communication?
(mode)
Data reveals that the greatest
consumer spending traditionally
occurs during the pre Christmas
period. A consequence of this
spending is debt. The publicity and
expectation of a gift laden
Christmas has lead some families to
incur debts beyond their means of
immediate repayment, leading to
the additional and spiralling cost of
interest fees. A substantial
education program is required to
reverse this trend.
What’s the context
of the text?
What accompanies
the language?
What kind of a
text is it? (genre)
What are the
stages of the text?
What is it about?
(field)
Who is involved?
(tenor)
Mode of
communication?
(mode)
3 main kinds of meaning simultaneously:
1.Experiential: information (field)
2.Interpersonal: relationships (tenor)
3.Textual: relation to mode (mode)
Field
Field continuum

everyday ………..specialised ………highly
fields
fields
technical fields
Tenor
Tenor continuum

equal status….………great difference in status

familiar …….…………..………...….very distant

great deal of …………………………………little
emotional expression
emotional expression
Mode
Mode continuum

most spoken-like………....… most written-like
A representation of the model of language
CULTURE
SITUATION
tenor
field
mode
LANGUAGE
REGISTER
GENRE
SEMIOTIC SYSTEM
(SYMBOLIC MEANING MAKING SYSTEM)
meaning (discourse / semantics)
words and structures (lexico – grammar)
sounds / letters (phonology / graphology)
Differences between traditional and functional grammar
traditional
functional
Sentence
 Text
Word
 Word
level
Written
language
 Correctness
not
consider context
 Discrete grammar
exercises
level but usually with
large chunks
 Spoken, written, multimodal
 Correctness
 Grammar
related to context
within study of genre
- how contributes to meaning
KEY RESEARCHERS
Development of systemic linguistics:
Sydney systemists: Michael Halliday (from 1970s); Hasan;
Martin; Matthiesson
Links with other systemists: Gregory; Sinclair and Coulthard
Language Education: Christie; Macken and Rothery
Visual art: O’Toole; Kress and van Leeuwen; Unsworth
Psychotherapy: Eggins; MacKinnon
Artificial Intelligence: Bateman
Speech Pathology: Armstrong
References:
Eggins (1994) An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics, Pinter
Love, Pigdon, Baker Built (Building Understandings in Literacy and Teaching)
CDROM 2nd Edition, University of Melbourne

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