If one were to ask why humans have or acquire language, the

most typical answer would likely be “to communicate with it.”

In other words, the ultimate goal of a person acquiring a
language is not merely to produce or know the “correct” linguistic
structures/forms, but to get the right meaning across and
accomplish certain social purposes with that language. This
kind of view is pretty much aligned with the notion of Systemic
Functional Linguistics (SFL) which was developed by M.A.K.
Halliday in 1960s.
SY S TE M IC F U NC T I ON A L
LING U IS T IC S
SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS
•A branch of linguistics with specific theoretical principles and
the aim of increasing our understanding of how human language
works.
•Systemic analysis seeks to demonstrate that linguistic texts are
typically making not just one, but a number of meanings
simultaneously.
Systemic Functional
Linguistics
Concerned
focuses on the with
meaning-
making
specific
task involves
describing resources of social
and language action
explaining
language in use
SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS
Analyses of Expression (Phonetics & Phonology)

Analyses of Content (Lexicogrammar & Semantics)

Analyses of Context
SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS
•SFL claims that the semantic networks, which are
social and cultural constructs, carry meaning
potential, which is ‘unfolded’ within texts (spoken
or written) in specific contexts of situation.
 Func ti o na l L i ngu i s ti c s
y s te mi c
A
S
REL EV AN C E T O CD
SFL VS. CDA
•both highlight role of language as a social construct
•One strength of SFL when compared with more formal
schools of linguistics is that it is has always been
concerned with more than clause and sentence
grammar and has worked with instances of
‘authentic’ language (recorded or written) rather than
with examples constructed by the linguist.
 Func ti o na l L i ngu i s ti c s
y s te mi c
T
S
S F L AND C O N T E X
 Field
SFL Theory
of Context
Tenor
Deceptively Simple
and limited Mode
 term used for the subject
matter of any texts involved
in the discourse event,

Field
term used for social status of those
involved in the discourse and the
nature of the relationship
between speaker and listener or
writer and reader.

Tenor
a. concerns channel, speech or writing, online or
film, but may include diagrams, emoticons or
even toys
b. has also been applied to the rhetorical role
played by language users in a specific
context: instructional, explanatory, persuasive,
critical, apologetic and so on

Mode
ME T A FU N C T ION S
 Ideational

Metafunctions Interpersonal

Textual
 • Experiential (language’s
Ideationa ability to construe human
experience into categories)
l
• Logical (complex patterns)
Transivity elements
process participants circumstances
 • ability of language to
Interpersona negotiate social roles and
l attitudes.

Interpersonal
Mood Modality
Metaphors
 • language’s ability to create

Textual
discourse which entails theme
and rheme, and the use of
cohesive devices at both
lexical and grammatical
levels.
Cohesive
theme Rheme
Devices
Lexical and Grammatical Levels
SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS
•uses the term lexicogrammar to encapsulate the idea that
vocabulary (lexis) is inextricably linked to grammatical choices
that are available in a language. These choices are contained in
system networks which offer paradigmatic options that carry
significant meaning, as, for example, the difference between
negative and positive evaluation.
L ex i co gr am m at i c a l
T E X T AN A L Y SIS
Tools for
 Analysis of the linguistic elements using
Process, and Participant and Circumstance
analysis (ideational component)

Lexicogrammatical Analysis of the linguistic elements that express

roles, attitudes, demands and social and personal
Tools relations (including mood, modality, appraisal,
politeness (interpersonal component)
Analysis of the linguistic elements that serve to
construct cohesive and coherent chunks of language
in use (including means of reference, rhetorical
structure theory and thematic structure). This is
known as the textual component.
 Negative

Ideational How writers

can represent
Component reality

Positive
 Speaker

Interpersonal Nature of
interactive
Component relationship

Writer
 Refers to how the text is
Textual organized as a piece of writing
Component (or speech)
EXAMPLES:

•(i) UK falls into deflation

•(ii) UK’s period of deflation to
recover within weeks
•(iii)Will deflation affect your lifestyle?
EXAMPLES:

•(i) UK falls into deflation

EXAMPLES:

•(ii) UK’s period of deflation to recover within weeks

EXAMPLES:

•(iii) Will deflation affect your lifestyle?

TR A NS IT IV IT Y IN S F L
TRANSITIVITY ELEMENTS
TRANSITIVITY ELEMENTS: CIRCUMSTANTIAL (OPTIONAL)
EXAMPLES:

•(1) His government has overseen dramatic

increases in most forms of taxation.
•(2) Hisgovernment has dramatically increased
most forms of taxation.
•(3) Most forms of taxation have increased
dramatically under his government.
EXAMPLES:

•1.President Bush (Sayer) demanded (Verbal Process) the

prompt and safe return of the crew. (NYT)
•2. White House officials (Sayer) said (Verbal Process) they
wanted to lower the diplomatic temperature. (NYT) •
•3. President Jang (Sayer) praised (Verbal Process) Wang and
Zhao for their courage.
•4. The general (Sayer) pointed out (Verbal Process) that the US
side should take full responsibility for the collision
EXAMPLES:

•‘Spurs played Liverpool. They beat them.’

• ‘The cops chased the robbers. They
caught them.’
How do we know who beat/ caught who?
(Halliday and Hasan, 1976: 310)
EXAMPLES: