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?
Whats 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?

Whats the context of

the text?
What accompanies
the language?

A: Yes. Ones forty five. Ones 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: Ill take two

A: Right. Thats 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.

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)

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: 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