Introduction to functional grammar

1
Introduction to functional grammar
Systemic Functional Approach Systemic
Approach Systemic Linguistics Functional Semantic
Approach
2
Introduction to functional grammar

• Language system Texts
• Key Researchers

3
What do they mean? Why can we make meaning from
them? Do they mean the same to everyone?
4
When I got home last night, I could not believe
what .. had done.
What choices are possible? Whats the
implication of the choice?
5
What is implied about what a language system has
to encapsulate?
6
Whats 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)
A Yes Please B Can I have those two? A Yes.
Ones forty five. Ones twenty five. B And have
you got .. A Yes. How many would you
like? B Ill take two A Right. Thats four
dollars twenty altogether. B Here you are. A
Thankyou. B Thankyou.
7
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.
Whats 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)
8

• 3 main kinds of meaning simultaneously
• Experiential information (field)
• Interpersonal relationships (tenor)
• Textual relation to mode (mode)

9
Field
Field continuum

• everyday ..specialised highly
• fields fields
  technical fields

10
Tenor
Tenor continuum

• equal status.great difference in status
• familiar .......very distant
• great deal of little
• emotional expression emotional
  expression

11
Mode
Mode continuum

• most spoken-like.... most written-like

12
A representation of the model of language
CULTURE
SITUATION
tenor
field
mode
LANGUAGE
REGISTER
GENRE
13
SEMIOTIC SYSTEM (SYMBOLIC MEANING MAKING SYSTEM)
meaning (discourse / semantics) words and
structures (lexico grammar) sounds / letters
(phonology / graphology)
14
Differences between traditional and functional
grammar
15
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 OToole 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