The role of language in education according to

Halliday
• Knowledge is transmitted in social contexts, through
relationships, like those of parent and child, or teacher
and pupil, or classmates, that are defined in the value
systems and ideology of the culture. And the words that
are exchanged in these contexts get their meaning from
activities in which they are embedded, which again are
social activities with social agencies and goals.
 Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) is a theory of language,
which highlights the relationship between language, text and
context (Halliday & Hasan, 1989)
 SFL is a functional theory of language, which describes how
people use language to make meanings in context (Halliday &
Matthiessen, 2004).
 Systemic means meaning making or sense making in context.
 Functional means a description of language functions.
 SFL is a social theory of language—the actual use of language
in context (context of culture and context of situation).
 SFL is a theory of language use and development interwoven in
social practice.
 Language is viewed as a semiotic tool intimately involved in the
negotiation, construction, organization, and reconstrual of human
experiences.
Systemic-Functional Linguistics (SFL) is a
theory of language centered around the notion
of language function.
SFL accounts for the syntactic structure of
language; It places the function of language as
central (what language does, and how it does
it), in preference to more structural
approaches, which place the elements of
language and their combinations as central.
SFL starts at social context, and looks at how
language both acts upon, and is constrained by,
this social context.
Systemic functional grammar (SFG) or systemic functional linguistics
(SFL) is a model of grammar that was developed by Michael Halliday
in the 1960s. It is part of a broad social semiotic approach to
language called systemic linguistics.
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
meaning, as opposed to formal grammar, which focuses on word
classes.
SFG is concerned primarily with the choices that the grammar makes
available to speakers and writers. These choices relate speakers' and
writers' intentions to the concrete forms of a language. Traditionally
the "choices" are viewed in terms of either the content or the
structure of the language used.
SFG presents a view of language in terms of both structure (grammar)
and words (lexis). The term "lexicogrammar" describes this combined
approach.
A central notion is 'stratification', such that
language is analyzed in terms of four strata:
Discourse (Context), Semantics, Lexico-Grammar
and Phonology-Graphology.
1. Discourse (Context) concerns: socio-culture
and situational context. Situational context
includes the Field (what is going on), Tenor
(the social roles and relationships between the
participants), and the Mode (aspects of the
channel of communication, e.g.,
monologic/dialogic, spoken/written, +/- visual-
contact, etc.).
• The context of situation is made up of all the
phenomena which affect the discourse. In
face-to-face interaction, the context of
situation includes the immediate and wider
environment in which the text actually occurs,
like the classroom in the case of a teaching
discourse, the shop or market in a sales
transaction, the workshop in the case of a
discussion about a gearbox replacement.
• The context of culture is an intricate complex of
various social phenomena involving historical and
geographical settings but also more general
aspects like the field of the activity: education,
medicine, provision of goods and services in
exchange for money. Car maintenance discourse
in a highly hierarchical society may be different
from that which takes place in a relatively
egalitarian society. Classroom discourse takes
place within a wider cultural context of, say,
university education or secondary school
education, or slightly more specifically African
university education, or Kenyan University
education.
The discipline in question also plays a part in the
context of culture: thus an English lecture
takes place within the cultural practices and
traditions of the England or people speaks
English as well as in a particular education
system or institution English department.
• Halliday's theory of "language as a social
semiotic" is a very sophisticated, elaborate,
"extravagant" (Halliday 1994) sociocultural
theory of language, which really builds upon,
extends, earlier theories of language and
culture and language as social interaction. Its
sophistication is in the way Halliday specifies
the semiotics of the culture at the level of
grammatical constituent, at the level of
clause.
2. Systemic semantics includes what is usually
called 'pragmatics'. Semantics is divided into
three components:
a) Ideational Semantics (the propositional
content);
b) Interpersonal Semantics (concerned with
speech-function, exchange structure,
expression of attitude, etc.);
c)Textual Semantics (how the text is structured
as a message, e.g., theme-structure,
given/new, rhetorical structure etc.
• The ideational, or cognitive function of
language is realized by choices of process
(verb) type; subject and object choices
are to do with "participants" and their
semantic roles; and "circumstances" are
to do with adverbial choice:
• For example, the words which function as the
processes of a clause were classified traditionally as
verbs, and the meaningful unit which they
predicated was classified as a clause; something/s,
person/persons, or ideas or facts or utterances or
thoughts, were directly involved in the process:
these are classified as 'participants' in functional
grammar and they are to do with choices in Subject
or Object roles in the clause. The circumstances of
the processes were classified traditionally as adverbs
• The interpersonal function is to do with the
kinds of communication roles chosen,
together with ways of assessing usuallity and
probability: For example, our choice of
making a statement, asking a question or
giving an order is the foundation of the
communication roles. Speakers and writers
also position themselves in relation to their
statement, question or command by assessing
usuallity, obligation, probability. These
functions are realised by such modals as:
sometimes, ought, perhaps.
• The textual function of language; because
word order is central in the structure of
English the first word or phrase (or clause in a
clause complex) in the clause/clause-complex
will be the message of the clause/clause
complex. The thematic organization of clauses
is the foundation of organization of language
into meaningful extended texts, whether
those texts are conversational or academic.
3. The Lexico-Grammar concerns the syntactic
organization of words into utterances. Even
here, a functional approach is taken, involving
analysis of the utterance in terms of roles
such as Actor, Agent/Medium, Theme Mood,
etc. (See Halliday 1994 for full description).

4. Phonology-Graphology
 Characterizing language
• Traditional Grammar (prescriptive) focusses
on rules for producing correct sentence.
• Formal Grammar concerned to describe the
structure of individual sentence (it views
language as a set of rules which allow or
disallow certain sentence structure).
• Functional Grammar views language as a
resource for making meaning. This grammar
attempts to describe language in actual use
and so focus on texts and their contexts.
The book “Making Sense of Functional Grammar” by Linda Gerot
and Peter Wignell. 1994. Australia: Antipodean Educational
Enterprises (AEE).

Chapter 1: Genre and Grammar, Text and Context

What is Grammar?
Grammar is a theory of language, of how language is put
together and how it works. More particularly; it is the study
of wordings.
Wordings = the words and their orders
Wordings are characterised such that they are able to explain
meaning.

Folk terminology: linguistic terminology:

Meaning semantics
Wording lexicogrammar = syntax
Letters/sounds orthography/phonology
Why Clauses

The reason why Systemic Functional

Grammar uses the term Clauses instead of
Sentences:

Sentence is a unit of written language; it does

not apply to spoken language. People do not
speak in sentence; very often, they will speak
in messages, which are realized grammatical-
ly in clauses and clause complexes.
Rank scale:
- Traditional (written): sentence, phrase, word.
- Systemic-functional (written and spoken): clause,
group, word.
A clause is defined as the largest grammatical unit,
and a clause complex is two or more clauses
logically connected.

E.g. one sentence, containing 5 underlined clauses:

John invited the Wilsons to the party but they

didn’t come which made John rather indignant as
he had thought he was doing them a favour.
Types of clause
minor non-elliptical
Clause independent elliptical

major dependent embedded

non-embedded

A minor clause has no predicator, major clause do.

E.g.
Address (vocatives): Rhonda, sweety cakes.
Greeting : Hi! Gooday!
Exclamations : Oh bugger! Streuth!

Vocatives: bentuk penyeru.

Traditional and SFG have the same
view of independent and dependent
clauses.

Non-Elliptical Elliptical
-Who is the best man? Michael Jane (is the best man)
-Are they having a reception? Yes (they are having a reception)
-Joanne’s mother began to cry and (she) was handed a hanky
Relators of dependent clauses:
1. subordinating relators: since, although, because, etc.
2. a relator Wh-word: who, which, when, what, etc.
3. relative word: that
(do you still remember the sentence “The man who sits
there is my friend”). The underlined clause is adjective
clause or relative clause.
OR
the verbal group functioning as the Predicator of
dependent clause. E.g.:
-perfective (infinitive) to:
to keep sandwiches in, to get the other connection.
-imperfective (participial) ing: hiding herself in the
room
- A clause considered from the view point of
TRANSITIVITY, MOOD, and THEME-RHEME is a
multivariate structure: that is one made up of
units of different rank.

-Clauses can be combined through one of two

logico-semantic relations: Expansion or
Projection.
-Expansion links Processes by providing
additional information. It involves three types of
relationship: Elaboration, Extension, and
Enhancement.
- Elaboration involves 4 relationships:
specifying in greater detail, restatement,
exemplification, and comment.

The types of logical relationships covered under

Elaboration are: ‘i.e.’, ‘e.g.’, and ‘namely’ type.
Elaboration is shown through the sign =

e.g. This stew is awful

= It is too salty
-Extension extends the meaning of one clause
by adding something new. It involves ‘and’, ‘but’,
and ‘or’ type.
-Extension is marked by a + sign.

E.g.: I play a French horn

+ and my sister plays oboe
Enhancement involves circumstantial
relationships where the circumstantial
information is coded as a new clause rather than
within a clause.
This can be temporal, conditional, causal,
concessive, spatial or manner. It is marked
through an X sign.
E.g.:
I went to rehearsal
x after I lectured all day (temporaL)
-Projection links clauses by having one process
projected through another either by quoting or
reporting. Both meanings (ideas) and wordings
(locutions) can be projected.

-A projecting wording is marked with “ and a

projected idea is marked with ‘ .
-We can also project propositions (information) or
proposals (goods and services).
-Projection occurs through Mental and Verbal
processes.
E.g. verbal: The conductor said “The next concert is in July
Mental: I thought ‘the next concert is in July
 Context of situation:
through the use of the register variables :

Tenor : social
Field : what’s Mode : how language
relationship between
is being used
going on those taking part
• Status or power • The channel of
• Activity focus (agent roles, peer or communication is
• Object focus hierarchic relations spoken or written
• Affect (degree of • Language is being
like, dislike or used as a mode of
neutrality) action or reflection
• Contact (frequency,
duration and
intimacy of social
contact
 Types of meaning/Functions :

Ideational : meanings about • participants

phenomena (things, what’s • process Influenced by the
going on, circumstances)
• circumstances field of discourse

Interpersonal : meanings • mood

which express a speaker’s Influenced by tenor
attitudes and judgments • modality of discourse

Textual : meaning as
expressed the relation of
language to its environment • theme Influenced by the
(verbal and non verbal (co- • cohesion mode of discourse
text) and situational
(context)
 Context and text connection
context text
Semantics Lexicogrammar
(meanings) (wordings)

Field (what’s
ideational transitivity
going on)

Tenor (social Mood and

interpersonal
relations) modality

Mode
(contextual textual Theme, cohesion
coherence
 Context of culture

GENRE
Genre: a culturally specific text-types which results from
using language (written or spoken) to help accomplish
something

Stages:
distinctive
Linguistic
purposes beginnings,
feature
middles and
ends
 Types of genre
Genre Social Generic Linguistic feature
function/purpose structure/stages
1. narrative To amuse, entertain -Orientation -Focus on specific
and to deal with actual - evaluation participants
or vicarious -Complication - use of material
experiences in -Resolution process
different ways -Re-orientation -Use relational
process
-Use temporal
conjunction and
temporal
circumstances
-Use of past tense
 genre Social Generic Linguistic feature
function/purpose structure/stages

2. spoof To retell event with -Orientation -Focus on specific

humorous twist - events participants
- twist - use of material
process
- circumstances of
time and place
-Use of past tense

To retell events for the - orientation - focus on specific

3. recount purpose of informing - events participants
or entertaining - re-orientation -Use of material
processes
-Circumstances of
time and place
-Use of past tense
-Focus on temporal
sequences
A representation of the model of language

mode

LANGUAGE

field REGISTER tenor

GENRE
 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?
 What’s the context of
A: Yes Please the text?
B: Can I have those two? What accompanies the
A: Yes. One’s forty five. One’s twenty five. language?

B: And have you got ………………….. What kind of a text is

it? (genre)
A: Yes. How many would you like? What are the stages of
B: I’ll take two the text?

A: Right. That’s four dollars twenty What is it about? (field)

altogether. Who is involved?
B: Here you are. (tenor)

A: Thankyou. Mode of
communication?
B: Thankyou. (mode)
Data reveals that the greatest consumer What’s the context
spending traditionally occurs during the pre of the text?
What accompanies
Christmas period. A consequence of this
the language?
spending is debt. The publicity and
expectation of a gift laden Christmas has What kind of a text
is it? (genre)
lead some families to incur debts beyond
What are the stages
their means of immediate repayment, of the text?
leading to the additional and spiralling cost What is it about?
of interest fees. A substantial education (field)
Who is involved?
program is required to reverse this trend. (tenor)
Mode of
communication?
(mode)
 Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) is a theory of language,
which highlights the relationship between language, text and
context (Halliday & Hasan, 1989)
 SFL is a functional theory of language, which describes how
people use language to make meanings in context (Halliday &
Matthiessen, 2004).
 Systemic means meaning making or sense making in context.
 Functional means a description of language functions.
 SFL is a social theory of language—the actual use of language
in context (context of culture and context of situation).
 SFL is a theory of language use and development interwoven in
social practice.
 Language is viewed as a semiotic tool intimately involved in the
negotiation, construction, organization, and reconstrual of human
experiences.
Language is used to create texts, which are based in
both the culture and the specific context of the situation
in which they are used (Language, Text, & Context)
SFL recognizes previous experiences and language
resources developed through social
engagement/participation.
The development of semiotic processes is the key to
the reconstruction of knowledge and language
(Hasan, 2005).
Language canalizes knowledge and discourse in
context.
SFL recognizes critical language awareness of how
three meta-functions/meanings operate or are
embedded in texts.
1. What is meant by Traditional, Formal, and Functional
Grammar? Explain them by example/s.
2. What is text ? What is context in the perspective of Functional
Grammar.
3. Explain these terms: Field, Mode, and tenor; Ideational, inter-
personal, and textual meaning; Participant, Process, and Cir-
cumstance; Mood and Modality; Theme, Cohesion; Genre and
Register; Discourse, Semantics, Lexico-Grammar, and
Phonology-Graphology.
4. Explain the Mood system discussed in clause as Exchange.
5. Explain the term Mood in relation to Predicator, Complement,
and Adjunct.
6. Clause analysis = sentence analysis. Write down the example of
analysis of clauses (5 examples).
7. The Mood types = (traditional in sentence types). They are
indicative mood including declarative and interrogative, and
imperative mood