Functional Model Language

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

Introduction to functional grammar 1.Language system – Texts 2. Key Researchers

What do they mean? Why can we make meaning from them?

When I got home last night, I could not believe what ………….. had done.

What choices are possible? What’s the implication of the

What is implied about what a language system has to encapsulate? Culture Genre Topic

What is the broad and specific context? How does that impact on the text? What is the specific purpose of the text? How is it organised to achieve this?

What is being discussed / written Relationships about?

Mode

Who is taking part? What is the nature of their relationship? What are their statuses and roles? Is it spoken, written or multimodal?

A: Yes Please B: Can I have those two? A: Yes. One’s forty five. One’s twenty five. B: And have you got ………………….. 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.

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?

What’s the consumer spending traditionally context of the text? occurs during the pre Christmas What period. A consequence of this accompanies the language? spending is debt. The publicity Data reveals that the greatest

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

What kind of a text is it? (genre) What are the stages of the text? What is it about? (field) Who is involved?

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)

Differences between traditional and functional grammar

traditional Sentence Word level

 Text

Written

 Spoken,

language

functional  Word

level but usually with large chunks written, multimodal

 Correctness

not  Correctness related to consider context context

 Discrete

grammar exercises

 Grammar

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