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Introduction to SFL

Introduction to SFL. Experiential, Interpersonal and Textual meaning Lise Fontaine Cardiff University FontaineL@cf.ac.uk. Today’s outline:. the Introductory Programme General introduction to the 3 main metafunctions Experiential Interpersonal Textual Summary Questions - discussion.

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Introduction to SFL

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  1. Introduction to SFL Experiential, Interpersonal and Textual meaning Lise Fontaine Cardiff University FontaineL@cf.ac.uk

  2. Today’s outline: • the Introductory Programme • General introduction to the 3 main metafunctions • Experiential • Interpersonal • Textual • Summary • Questions - discussion

  3. Introductory Programme Functional Grammar • Lexicogrammar • Functions of the clause and clause structure Spoken Language • Phonology • Intonation Text and Discourse • Theme • Information Structure

  4. Grammatical Meaning • Language as ‘system of meanings’ “When people use language, their language acts produce – construct meaning.” (Bloor and Bloor, 2004:2) • how meaning is built up through choices of words and grammatical resources • grammar (ibid.): • semantic (concerned with meaning) • functional (concerned with use) • lexicogrammar (words and grammar are inextricably linked)

  5. Multi-functional view of grammar • each ‘bit’ of language (e.g. Clause) expresses more than one type of meaning/function/use • more than one way of looking at meaning • 3 main ‘strands’ of meaning • sentence as representation of some phenomenon in the real world • sentence as social interaction • sentence as text

  6. Grammatical choice Context I was given the new Jamie book for my birthday For my birthday, Kev gave me the new Jamie book I got the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the Jamie book for my birthday didn’t he? Did Kev give me the new Jamie book for my birthday?

  7. a useful metaphor: multifunctional view of the clause different strands of meaning the ‘clause’ experiential interpersonal textual logical

  8. example of language in use Tony Blair “I wasn't born into this party. I chose it. I've never joined another political party. I believe in it. I'm proud to be the leader of it and it's the party I'll always live in and I'll die in.”  Special conference, April 29 1995

  9. Nick Clegg "Like most people of my generation, I wasn’t born into a political party. I am a liberal by choice, by temperament and by conviction. And when I talk to the people I represent, I become more convinced every day that only liberalism offers the answers to the problems they face." October 19th, 2007

  10. Language as a (complex) system…. Are they saying the same thing? I chose the labour party I am a liberal by choice … of CHOICES among meanings

  11. form and meaningsystem representation meanings forms stop traffic control go

  12. language as semantic system language - a resource for communicatingmeanings to ourfellowhumanbeings sign system; potential text – an output of the language system an instance of language in use sign; instance

  13. The sociosemantic nature of discourse(Halliday, 1978:128) Basic assumptions • The semantic system is one of three strata (levels) of the linguistic system • Semantic (the meaning) • Lexicogrammatical (the wording: syntax, lexis, morphology) • Phonological (the sound) • The semantic system is made up of 3 main functional components • Experiential Component • Interpersonal Component • Textual Component

  14. Language as a (complex) system of choices among meanings I chose (the labour party) I am a liberal by choice 3 (main) strands of Meaning Experiential (Representing experience) Interpersonal (Speaker – Addressee interaction) clause Textual (Organisation (text/language))

  15. Experiential meaning: expressing the CONTENT; expressing the processes and other phenomena of the external world including thoughts, feelings, etc. (Halliday, 1978:48) The Clause represents experiencespeaker as Observer The experiential component serves to "express our experience of the world that is around us and inside us"(Halliday, 1970)

  16. The clause is a configuration of a process, participants involved in it and any attendant circumstances (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004:169) experience as ‘events’ or ‘goings-on’ Three components: A processunfoldingthrough time The participant(s)involved in the process Circumstance(s)associatedwith the process The Clause – a representation

  17. What’s going on?What’s being represented? Someone is giving someone something Event of ‘giving’  the Process Kev gave me the new Jamie book for my birthday Why?  Circumstance Participating ‘entities’  the Participants

  18. Circumstance elements • optionalelements of the clause • peripheral • not directlyinvolved in the process • occur 'freely' in all types of processes (in theory) • for Halliday, they do not have the potential of becomingSubjects participants are "inherent" in the process process circumstances participants participants circumstances

  19. 3 main types of Experiential meaning • « Outer » experiences • Something happens • There is a « doer »an ACTOR • Ex: • John drove the car. • « Inner » experiences • Something is sensed • Internal world of the mind • There is a SENSER • Ex: • John sees the car. Representing Experience Material Mental Relational • Relating concepts • Relating two concepts that refer in some way to the same thing • Ex. John is the driver.

  20. Material Process Type What did someone do? What happened? Process:material • Proto-typical Action events • ‘doing’, ‘happening’; physical actions • Most salient type of process Participants: Actor, Goal, Beneficiary • Performer of the action – Actor • Impacted/affected by the action – Goal • Benefits/receives from the action - Beneficiary Eat, kick, jump, hit, drive, walk, run, cook, etc.

  21. Mental Process Type What did someone think or see or want? Process:mental • Internal processes • States of mind; senses • Knowing, thinking, seeing, hearing, ... Participants: Senser, Phenomenon • Undergoing/experiencing – Senser • Thing experienced – Phenomenon think, know, see, hear, like, want, ...

  22. Relational Process Types What is it? Who is it? What properties does something have? Process:relational • Being; relating • Processes that describe or identify something; express a relation between two concepts/entities Participants: Carrier, Attribute; Identified, Identifier • The thing that carries the attribute – Carrier • The attribute being ascribed – Attribute • The identified entity – Identified • The identifying entity - Identifier Be

  23. Transitivity system

  24. Same experienceprocess: material (giving) I was given the new Jamie book for my birthday For my birthday, Kev gave me the new Jamie book I got the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the Jamie book for my birthday didn’t he? Did Kev give me the new Jamie book for my birthday? 3 participants, 1 circumstance

  25. Are they saying the same thing? Material Process: Tony Blair did something (Actor) I chose the labour party I am a liberal by choice Relational Process: Nik Clegg is described by something (Carrier); he is being something

  26. Interpersonal meaning expressing relations among participants in the situation and the speaker’s own intrusion into it(Halliday, 1978:46) The Clause expresses (inter)personal relations Speaker as Intruder

  27. Key elements for Interpersonal meaning and the Mood system • The Subject of the clause • the Finite element of the verb group • The main system concerned is the MOOD system Transitivity interrogative Experiential indicative declarative MOOD clause Interpersonal imperative Theme Textual

  28. Interpersonalmeaning: Clause as exchange • 2 key components: Mood and Residue • In English, MOOD is determined by Subject and Finite: • Ihave told you • haveyou told me? • no youhaven't • (you) tell me! • SUBJECT and FINITE together form the main component of the clause at this level of analysis – Mood Block Declarative Interrogative Declarative Imperative

  29. The clause in English can be FINITE or NON-FINITE Each « Finite » clause contains a VERBAL OPERATOR which expresses finiteness • In SFL, the finite element gives the (clause) a point of reference: • Tense • Person • Modality • Mood The FINITE in English is a VERBAL OPERATOR which expresses either : TENSE or MODALITY

  30. Clause as exchangeHalliday’s metaphor of symbolic exchange speech function

  31. Clause as exchange – an example Can anyone pick up the parcel at the post office?

  32. Clause as exchange Direct(or congruent) exchanges

  33. Clause as exchange Indirect(or incongruent) exchanges

  34. The speaker’s own intrusion into the situation

  35. Working with interpersonal meaning I was given the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev definitely gave me the new Jamie book Did Kev give me the new Jamie book? Kev might have given me the Jamie book Kev should give me the Jamie book Kev, give me that book!

  36. The Clause relates itself to text Speaker as Organiser or Relevance-maker According to Halliday (1978: 48): The TEXTUAL Function is intrinsic to language. « It is the function of creating text, or relating itself to the context – to the situation and to the preceding text»

  37. Key elements for Textual meaning and the Theme system • The Theme of the clause • The main system concerned is the THEME system material relational process mental Transitivity Experiential circumstance interrogative indicative clause declarative MOOD Interpersonal imperative marked Theme Textual unmarked

  38. What is Theme? Seeing the clause as message • The Textual function is the linguistic resource that lets Speakers create text. • The word Text comes from Latin textere, which means to weave. A text is something woven. • Theme is a key element, on which the message is hinged. • Theme is defined as « the point of departure of the message …  that which locates and orients the clause within its context ». (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004:64)

  39. Identifying Theme • Theme corresponds to the first element having a role in transitivity:a participant, a process, or a circumstance • Most commonly, the Theme will conflate with the Subject and will have a Participant role in the transitivity. • Theme is said to be marked when it is not the Subject of the clause (ie Circumstance) • Everything else in the clause is referred to as Rheme

  40. Types of Theme But do you want to go? first element with a role in Experiential meaning Experiential Theme Finite: concerns Interpersonal meaning Interpersonal Theme Textual Theme tells us how this clause relates to others

  41. Working with textual meaning I was given the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the new Jamie book for my birthday For my birthday, Kev gave me the new Jamie book

  42. Multifunctional view of the clause I chose (the labour party) Experiential Meaning Interpersonal Meaning Textual Meaning

  43. Questions?

  44. References • Bloor,T. & Bloor,M. (2004) The Functional Analysis of English. London: Arnold. • Halliday, MAK (1978) Language as social semiotic. Edward Arnold, London.

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