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Language, Function, Cognition
Week 2: The Systemic Linguistic
Framework
Mick O’Donnell Modulo 6 bis, 311
3. The SFL Framework
Systemic Model of Language Strata
3.1 A Stratal Model of Language
Context of Situation
Semantics
Grammar
Phonology/Graphology
meanings
wordings
Soundings/Spellings
Language:
Context of Culture
3. The SFL Framework
Systemic Model of Language Strata
3.1 A Stratal Model of Language
Context of Situation
Semantics
Grammar
Phonology/Graphology
meanings
wordings
Soundings/Spellings
Language:
Context of Culture
Context of Culture constrains the set of contexts of situation
that are usual in a culture.
Context of Situation constrains the
appropriateness of language choices
The Language Strata:
• SFL works with three levels of analysis within language: 1. Semantics: how the text is organised as a system of meanings;
2. Grammar: how the sentence is structured into units of words and phrases;
For speech: 3. Phonology: how the text is organised as a system of soundings
(phonemes, tone units, turns, etc.)
For writing: 3. Graphology: how the text is
organised as a system of written symbols (characters, sentences, paragraphs, etc.)
3. The SFL Framework
3.2 Strata within Language
Context of Situation
Semantics
Grammar
Phonology/Graphology
Language:
Context of Culture
3. The SFL Framework
• Systemicists generally follow a “prosodic phonology” approach.
• Based on J.R. Firth’s Prosodic Phonology.
• Not a lot of attention paid to this area (SFL focuses on meaning)
• However, Halliday did work on Intonation:
Halliday M.A.K. 1967. Intonation and Grammar in British English (Janua Linguarum Series Practica 48). The Hague: Mouton.
Halliday M.A.K. 1970. A Course in Spoken English: Intonation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Paul Tench is probably the main Systemic Phonologist: Tench, P. 1990. The Role of Intonation in English Discourse. Frankfurt, Main: Peter
Lang.
Tench, P. (ed.) 1992. Studies in Systemic Phonology. London; New York: Pinter Publishers.
Tench, P. 1996. The Intonation Systems of English. London; New York: Cassell.
3.3 Language: Phonology
3. The SFL Framework
• Called “Lexico-grammar” to emphasise that it is words and their combination that makes sentences.
• As stated previously, SFL takes a 3-layer view on grammar:
• Phrases (called groups) have just one layer of analysis:
3.4 Language: Grammar
My mother gave a book to me
Subject Pred Complement Adjunct
Actor Process Goal Recipient
Theme Rheme
Transitivity
Mood
Theme
the large electric car
Deictic Epithet Classifier Thing
7
SFL asks three questions:
• How is language structured to enable interpersonal meanings to be realised? Here we explore how different Mood structures allow clauses to realize different interpersonal meanings in text.
• How is language structured to enable experiential meanings to be made? Here we describe how different Transitivity structures allow clauses to realize different experiential meanings in text.
• How is language structured to enable textual meanings to be made? Here we examine how different Theme structures allow clauses to realize different textual meanings in text.
Eggins (1994:143)
3. The SFL Framework
3.4 Language: Grammar
3. The SFL Framework
Systemic Grammar breaks down into three main areas:
1. Mood: Analysis of the clause using more traditional syntactic functions:
2. Transitivity: analysis of the clause in terms of who is doing what to whom:
3. Theme: Analysis of the clause in terms of message structure
3.4 Language: Grammar
My mother gave a book to me
Theme Rheme
My mother gave a book to me
Actor Process Goal Recipient
My mother gave a book to me
Subject Pred Complement Adjunct
3. The SFL Framework
3.4 Language: Grammar: Mood
clause
FINITENESS
finite-clause
FINITE-CLAUSE-TYPE3
declarative-clause
interrogative-clauseINTERROGATIVE-CLAUSE-TYPE
yes-no-question
wh-question
imperative-clause
MODALITY
nonmodal-clause
TENSE present-clause
past-clause
NONMODAL-CLAUSE-TYPE
do-insert
no-do-insert
modal-future-clauseMODAL-TYPE
future-clause
modal-clause
nonfinite-clauseNONFINITE-CLAUSE-TYPE
infinitive-clause
present-participle-clause
past-participle-clause
PROGRESSIVENESS not-progressive-aspect
progressive-aspect
PERFECTNESS not-perfect-aspect
perfect-aspect
POLARITY positive-clause
negative-clause
3. The SFL Framework
Transitivity: (or process type analysis)
1. Processes: what kind of event is being described)
2. Participants: the entities involved in the process, e.g., Actor, Sayer, etc.
3. Circumstances: the adjuncts of the clause, specifying when, where, why, etc.
3.4 Language: Grammar: Transitivity
3. The SFL Framework
Types of Process 1. Material Processes: physical actions in the real world
- Actor: the one who does the action - Goal: The one who is affected by the action - Recipient: the one who receives something - Beneficiary: the one for whom something is done
3.4 Language: Grammar: Transitivity
John drove Mary home
Actor Process Goal Circ: destination
Mary was driven home by John
Goal Process Circ: destination Actor
John gave Mary a book
Actor Process Recipient Goal
John built Mary a house
Actor Process Beneficiary Goal
3. The SFL Framework
Types of Process 2. Mental Processes: processes of perception, cognition, affection
- Senser: the one who does the mental action - Phenomenon: The thing that is perceived, thought, appreciated
3.4 Language: Grammar: Transitivity
John saw Mary
Senser Process Phenomenon
Mary liked what he liked
Senser Process Phenomenon
John thought that Mary was coming
Senser Process Phenomenon
Perception:
Cognition:
Emotion:
That he was tall pleased Mary
Phenomenon Process Senser
3. The SFL Framework
Types of Process 3. Verbal Processes: processes of communication
- Sayer: the one who communicates - Addressee: the one recieving the message - Verbiage: What they say
3.4 Language: Grammar: Transitivity
John told Mary to go
Sayer Process Addressee Verbiage
John was told to go by Mary
Addressee Process Verbiage Sayer
John said that he was tired
Sayer Process Verbiage
3. The SFL Framework
Types of Process 4. Relational Processes: expressing possession, equivalence, attributes...
- Carrier: An entity being described - Attribute: The description of the entity
- Possessor: the one owning or containing something - Possession: the thing owned or contained. - Token: an entity being equated with another - Value: the other description.
3.4 Language: Grammar: Transitivity
John is tall
Carrier Process Attribute
John owns a Mercedes
Possessor Process Possession
John is the president
Token Process Value
3. The SFL Framework
THEME: point of departure for the clause
Consider the following sentences • Canaries have been used for centuries to test the air in mines.
• For centuries, canaries have been used to test the air in mines.
• Miners have used canaries to test the air for centuries.
• The air has been tested in mines for centuries using canaries.
• They all express the same proposition, but focus a different entity.
• We call this first occuring entity in the claause, the THEME.
• The rest of the clause is called the RHEME.
3.4 Language: Grammar: THEME
The spider gave the beetle a bite
Subject/Actor/Theme
A bite was given to the beetle by the spider
Subject/Goal/Theme Actor
The beetle was given a bite by the spider
Subject/Theme/Recipient Actor
A bite the beetle was given by the spider
Complement/Goal/ Theme
Subject Actor
By the spider the beetle was given a bite
Theme/Actor Subject
Theme, Subject and Participants combine in different ways
SMB 14812 - C.M. Lingüística Inglesa (2009-2010) 17
How layers of analysis combine
Did the spider give the beetle A bite?
Finite Subject Predicator Complement Complement
Actor Process Beneficiary Range
Theme → Rheme →
3. The SFL Framework
• In post-Chomskian contexts, “Semantics” concerns just propositional semantics (representation of experience).
• Speech acts and means of organising the text are allocated to “pragmatics”.
3.5 Language: SEMANTICS
3. The SFL Framework
• In SFL, “semantics” includes also pragmatics. – Ideational Semantics: the representation of the ideational content (of
clauses, or of whole texts)
– Interpersonal Semantics:
• Sentence level: speech acts (called ‘speech functions’)
• Discourse level: Organisation of sequences of speech-acts into exchanges, turns, etc. Also, analysis of evaluations in text (Appraisal theory)
– Textual Semantics: how the text is organised as a message:
• Generic Structure: the staging of a text, e.g., as Introduction, Body, Conclusions
• Rhetorical Structure: organising of sentences as facilitating others (e.g., Evidence, Example, Result, etc.)
• Thematic Progression: How the selections of themes throughout a text are organised to help the reader understand what the text is about.
3.5 Language: SEMANTICS
• Halliday’s semantic strata is largely is mostly concerned with the semantics of the clause:
• Ref: Halliday and Hasan (1989) Language, Context, and Text: Aspects of language in a social-semiotic perspective. Oxford, OUP.
3. The SFL Framework
3.5 Language: Semantics
Context
Semantics
Grammar
Phonology
Language:
Ideational Experiential
Logical
Interpersonal Speech function
Textual Cohesion, Reference, Theme, Given/New
• In Jim Martin’s approach, the “semantics” is about the organisation of the text “above” the clause (discourse-level structures):
• Ref: Martin J.R. and David Rose (2003) Working with Discourse: Meaning Beyond the Clause (Open Linguistics Series). London: Continuum.
3. The SFL Framework
2.8 Language: Semantics
Context
Discourse Semantics
Grammar
Phonology
Language:
Ideational Ideation,
Conjunction
Interpersonal Negotiation (exchange),
Appraisal (Attitudes)
Textual Identification (reference,
cohesion), Periodicity (theme, new)
3. The SFL Framework
• Ideational Semantics of a sentence
• Ideational Semantics of a text
3.5 Language: SEMANTICS: Ideational
J-999
J-998
King
brooch
designer
designersilver
class
workplace
class
designer
employer Liberty
nationality
Scottish
London
class
company
enamel
Art-DecoADJewels
style
style
material
materialInstantiatation
Generalisation
material
place-of-wearing
breast
design human brooch
Actor Affected
3. The SFL Framework
3.5 Language: SEMANTICS: Speech Function
moveMOVE-TYPE
initiateINITIATE-TYPE
question
+PB
statement
+PC
respondRESPOND-TYPE
answer
+PC
agree
+PS
deny-knowledge
+PD
disagree
+PR
3. The SFL Framework
3.5 Language: SEMANTICS: Speech Function
Move No.
Turn Text
Exchange Type
Initiative Speech Function
Comm- odity
1 o: good AFternoon ~ Salut. initiate greet
2 inforMAtion SERvice Neg. initiate propose info
3 c: YES ~ Neg. respond support
4 I'd LIKE information on some PAnel beaters
Neg. initiate propose info
5 o: Ø on some PAnel BEAters? Neg. initiate elicit info
6 c: HMM Neg. respond propose info
7 Øwhere you live LOcally Neg. initiate elicit info
8 c: HMM ~ Neg. respond propose info
9 CHIPpendale ~ Neg. initiate propose info
10 YEH Neg. respond support
3. The SFL Framework
3.5 Language: SEMANTICS: Texual Semantics
• Textual Semantics involves the resources language offers for the organisation of a text as a message.
• This includes:
References: • M.A.K. Halliday and Ruqaiya Hasan 1976 Cohesion in English. London: Longman.
• Martin J.R. and D. Rose 2003 Working with Discourse. London: Continuum.
Within the clause (grammar) Over a Discourse
Cohesive devices (pronouns, ellipsis, substitution)
Cohesive chains, identity chains
Theme choices Thematic Progression
Reference choice Information Structure (Given/New)
- Generic Structure
Conjunctions. Rhetorical Structure
3. The SFL Framework
3.5 Language: SEMANTICS: Texual Semantics
Example of Thematic Progression Analysis
Conj Adjuncts Theme Rheme
Hard by a great forest
dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children
The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel
He had little to bite and to break and once, when great dearth
fell on the land he could no longer procure even daily bread
Now when he thought over this by night in his bed…
he groaned
and (he) said to his wife “”
I 'll tell you what, husband," answered the woman
early tomorrow morning We will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest