Koya University

Faculty of Education
Department of English

Prepared by:- Bayan Bahadin Ali

Prepared for :- Assistant Professor Dr. Bakhtyiar Omar Fattah
 Understanding Functional Linguistics: Pioneers and Their Theories

• 1. Terminology of Systemic Functional Linguistics

• 2.Introduction to Functional Linguistics
• 3. Malinowski's Theory
• 4. Firth's Theory
• 5.Halliday and Systemic-Functional Grammar
 Systemic Functional Meaning?

• The term “Systemic” refers to the view of language as “a network of systems,

or interrelated sets of options for making meaning”.

• The term ”Functional ” indicates that the approach is concerned with the
contextualized, practical uses to which language is put, as opposed to formal
grammar, which focuses on , syntax and word classes such as nouns and
verbs.
 An Introduction to Functional Linguistics
•

• Functional linguistics is an approach to the study of language that

emphasizes the functions of language elements within communication. It
explores how language structures serve communicative purposes, focusing
on the relationship between language form and its meaning in context.

• Functional Linguistics theories have practical applications across diverse

fields. In education, these theories inform language curriculum design,
emphasizing real-world language use.
• In language teaching, understanding functional aspects aids in teaching
communication skills.
 These theories are relevant in understanding language variation by exploring how
linguistic choices reflect social context, enabling a nuanced interpretation of linguistic
diversity.

Discourse analysis benefits from Functional Linguistics by providing insights into

how language functions in context, facilitating effective communication strategies.
 The Father of SFL?

• The father of Systemic Functional linguistics is often considered to be Michael

Halliday 1960s. As a model of grammar developed by him.
 Malinowski's Theory
• Bronisław Malinowski, a prominent anthropologist, is known for his
functionalist approach to understanding cultures.
• He emphasized the idea that cultural practices serve specific functions in
meeting the basic needs of individuals within a society.
• His participant observation method involved immersing himself in the daily
lives of the people he studied to gain a holistic understanding of their culture.
 Firth's Theory

• The second linguist is J.R. Firth was a British linguist known for his work on
prosody and the concept of "context of situation" in language analysis.,who
established linguistics as a discipline in Britain. (Firth emphasized the
importance of studying language in its social context and argued that meaning
arises from the relationship between linguistic elements and their situational
context.

• He developed Malinowski's theory about the centrality of the context of

situation and applied it through his linguistic model.
• In addition, he developed an approach to phonology called 'prosodic
phonology', which enables phonological features to be shared over successive
phonemes rather than each phoneme having its own unique features (O’Donnell
2012, p. 6)
 Halliday and Systemic-Functional Grammar

• Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) is a linguistic theory that

views language as a social semiotic system, emphasizing its functional and
communicative aspects. It was developed by Michael Halliday in the 1960s.
SFG analyzes the way language functions in various contexts, considering
both structure and meaning.
Halliday &Systemic Functional Grammar

What is
Grammar?

S
y
Patterns
n Rules
t
a
x
Exercises Correctness

Structures
 Language in SFL

• These Metafunctions help explain how language serves different purposes in

communication.

• A key concept in SFG is the "clause," seen as the basic unit for conveying meaning. The
theory also introduces the concept of "register," emphasizing how language adapts to
different social situations, and "genre," highlighting recurring patterns in different types of
discourse.

• The theory also introduces the concept of "register," which refers to language variations
based on context, field, tenor, and mode. "Field" relates to the subject matter, "tenor"
involves participants and their roles, and "mode" pertains to the channel of communication.
• SFG provides a comprehensive framework for understanding
language use, making it valuable in linguistic analysis and
educational contexts.
 Firthian examples about only grammar are" meaningless"

• Example:-
• " I have not seen your father's pen ,but I have read the book of your
uncle's gardener’,
• Like so much in grammar books, is only the grammatical level. From the
semantic point of view it is just nonsense.

• The following gives perfectly satisfactory contexts for phonetics,

morphology and syntax but not for semantics:
• Example:- My doctor's great-grandfather will be singeing the cat's wings.
• We make regular use of nonsense in phonetics, and so also do most
grammarians.
 Primary Concern of SFG
• Systemic functional grammar is concerned primarily with the choices the
grammar makes available to speakers and writers.
• Traditionally the “choices” are viewed in terms of either the content or the
structure of the language used.
• In SFG, language is analyzed in three different ways(strata):
• Semantics, phonology , and lexicogrammar.

• SFG presents a view of language in terms of both structure (grammar) and

words(lexis). The term “lexicogrammar” describes this combined approach.
 The systemic functional grammar
•
• (often SFG) studies the language through meaning (i.e. its function)
• Halliday believed that linguistics should describe actual sentences with
many functions and without a deep structure.
• He was concerned with the function of the sentence, or in other words, the
writer's purpose in writing the sentence (Matthiessen & Halliday 1997).
• Halliday had good reasons to believe that function and meaning can help
shape form (Bavali & Sadighi 2008).
 Halliday &Systemic Functional Grammar

• Grammar is an economy-based system to make multiple meaning .It

enables us to make infinite meanings with a finite number of expressions.
• A form can have different meanings.
• Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) is a linguistic theory that explores
the relationship between language structure and its social functions.
Developed by Michael Halliday, SFG views language as a system for
expressing meaning in various contexts. It analyzes how language choices
are influenced by social factors, emphasizing the functional aspects of
communication.
 Halliday &Systemic Functional Grammar

• SFG posits that language serves three main functions:

• Ideational (expressing ideas and experiences)

• Interpersonal (managing social relationships)
• Textual (organizing information in discourse).

• These functions are realized through grammatical structures and

choices, including the use of mood, modality, and thematic roles.
References:-

• 1. Kaplan,R. B.(2010). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Linguistics . The Oxford Handbook
of Applied Linguistics Second edition )
• 2. Michael Halliday, An Introduction to Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics.
• 3. Mark Aronoff and Janie Rees-Miller ,The Handbook of Linguistics, Second Edition.