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Systemic Functional Grammar. INTRODUCTION . What is Functional grammar? . Functional grammar describes the relationship between grammatical structures and meanings It focuses on language resources for: . What is Functional grammar? .
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Systemic Functional Grammar INTRODUCTION
What is Functional grammar? Functional grammar describes the relationship between grammatical structures and meanings It focuses on language resources for:
What is Functional grammar? Functional grammar describes the relationship between grammatical structures and meanings It focuses on language resources for: • Analyzing experience ( what is going on) • Subject matter ( field) - what about ?
What is Functional grammar? Functional grammar describes the relationship between grammatical structures and meanings It focuses on language resources for: • Analyzing experience ( what is going on) • Subject matter ( field) - what about ? • Analyzing interaction ( who is communicating with whom) • Roles and relationships ( tenor) – who to?
What is Functional grammar? Functional grammar describes the relationship between grammatical structures and meanings It focuses on language resources for: • Analyzing experience ( what is going on) • Subject matter ( field) - what about ? • Analyzing interaction ( who is communicating with whom) • Roles and relationships ( tenor) – who to? • Analyzing the ways messages are constructed • Mode and medium ( mode) – how to?
4 assumptions of SFG: • Language is: • FUNCTIONAL • SEMANTIC • CONTEXTUAL • SEMIOTIC
Why is Language functional? The function of language is to create meanings.
Why is Language contextual? • Because meanings are influenced by the context in which they are made. Cultural Context Social Context WHAT is being spoken or written about ? Written Symbols LEXICO- GRAMMAR Text WHO is involved in the interaction ? Auditory Symbols HOW is the message being conveyed ? Subject Matter Roles and Relationships Mode and Medium PURPOSE What is the purposeful cultural activity ? Genre
Cultural Context Football PURPOSE What is the purposeful cultural activity ? Genre
Cultural Context Football Blues vs Browns Social Context WHAT is being spoken or written about ? WHO is involved in the interaction ? HOW is the message being conveyed ? Subject Matter Roles and Relationships Mode and Medium PURPOSE What is the purposeful cultural activity ? Genre
Cultural Context Football Blues vs Browns Social Context WHAT is being spoken or written about ? Written Symbols Text WHO is involved in the interaction ? Auditory Symbols HOW is the message being conveyed ? Subject Matter Roles and Relationships Mode and Medium PURPOSE What is the purposeful cultural activity ? Genre Luciano Morales
Why is Language semiotic? • Because language offers us different options or choices for creating meaning. We make meanings by choosing. • a finite set of options or oppositions • The choices in the system are discrete • It is the oppositions, not the substance, in the system that are important
Why is Language semantic? • Because its function is to create meanings . • Language creates 3 different kinds of meaning simultaneously ( METAFUNCTIONS): • EXPERIENTIAL OR LOGICAL ( System of transitivity) • INTERPERSONAL ( System of Mood) • TEXTUAL ( System of theme)
METAFUNCTIONS: Experiential meaning: has to do with the way language represent our experience of the world as well as the inner world of thought and feelings Interpersonal meaning: has to do with the way language express the writer’s or speaker’s reaction towards others and writer’s or speaker’s attitude towards a subject Textual meaning: has to do with the way a text is organized. Language use to organize experiential and interpersonal meanings into a linear and coherent whole.