Introduction to functional grammar

Language as a resource for making meaning; language in actual use and focus on texts and their contexts

The Context – Text Connection All meaning is situated: In a context of situation in a context of culture

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

Types of meaning/Functions : participants process circumstances Ideational : meanings about phenomena (things, what’s going on, circumstances) mood modality Interpersonal : meanings which express a speaker’s attitudes and judgments theme cohesion Textual : express the relation of language to its environment (verbal and non verbal (co-text) and situational (context) Influenced by the field of discourse Influenced by tenor of discourse Influenced by the mode of discourse

Context and text connection Semantics (meanings) Lexicogrammar (wordings) Field (what’s going on) Tenor (social relations) Mode (contextual coherence ideational interpersonal textual transitivity Mood and modality Theme, cohesion

Stages: distinctive beginnings, middles and ends Context of culture GENRE Genre: a culturally specific text-types which results from using language (written or spoken) to help accomplish something purposes Stages: distinctive beginnings, middles and ends Linguistic feature

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

Social function/purpose Generic structure/stages genre Social function/purpose Generic structure/stages Linguistic feature spoof recount To retell event with humorous twist To retell events for the purpose of informing or entertaining Orientation events twist orientation re-orientation Focus on specific participants use of material process circumstances of time and place Use of past tense focus on specific participants Use of material processes Circumstances of time and place Focus on temporal sequences

A representation of the model of language Context of SITUATION CULTURE Context of A culture will determine the kinds of genres which are valued and a situation will determine the specific instance of that genre. The language choices will reflect the specific situation. LANGUAGE tenor field REGISTER GENRE

Why can we make meaning from them? Do they mean the same to everyone? Door: real door Typical of a specific era – if you were an architect, the era might interest you symbolic for future possibilities or closed possibilities understood as a symbol by people in this culture as often used as a metaphor may be understood by other cultures Man on top of the world: not real at all: only symbolic for feeling good, achieving success Dragon representative of a cultural group recognised but not have a close affinity to other cultural groups choice to use this symbol would be to align to this cultural group Choice of symbol may not attract some Generally Visuals are a meaning making system dependent on culture Reading visual texts are dynamic processes involving not only the text and its author but also the person reading the text Reading visual texts involves engaging with the purpose of the text, the intention of the author and one’s own knowledge and experience Thus all visual texts are influenced by the cultures, values, ideologies and world views in and through which they are created and consumed Certain images are favoured and presented as normal and there may be preferred or dominant interpretations of an image, with which the viewer may not agree, or images which are excluded e.g. a visual of an exclusive high rise apartment may exclude the image of struggling poor who have no where to live Some images may be so familiar to us that we may forget that they are in fact culturally specific Implication Language is also a meaning making system and it too may be influenced by culture 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. Possible choices for the missing word would be dependant on the context, relationship, attitude to the “thing / person” , and mode of communication What choices are possible? What’s the implication of the choice?

What is implied about what a language system has to encapsulate? Culture Genre Topic Relationships Mode What is the broad and specific context? How does that impact on the text? What is the specific purpose of the text? How is it organised to achieve this? What is being discussed / written about? Who is taking part? What is the nature of their relationship? What are their statuses and roles? Is it spoken, written or multimodal? Culture impacts on the types of genres which are generated Genre can be any regularly occurring text Topic, relationship, mode impact simultaneously on the text and is reflected in the language choices

What’s the context of the text? What accompanies the language? What kind of a text is it? (genre) What are the stages of the text? What is it about? (field) Who is involved? (tenor) Mode of communication? (mode) A: Yes Please B: Can I have those two? A: Yes. One’s forty five. One’s twenty five. B: And have you got ………………….. A: Yes. How many would you like? B: I’ll take two A: Right. That’s four dollars twenty altogether. B: Here you are. A: Thankyou. B: Thankyou. Context? Shopping in a shop - western culture (no bartering), not in “furniture store” because prices are low and the customer is buying multiple amounts. What kind of a text? (genre) transaction with a formulaic structure What is it about? (field) we don’t know, but regardless we can still tell a lot about this text Who is involved? (tenor) a shop keeper and customer – and expected relationship is embedded in speech functions and level of poilteness Mode of communication? (mode) face to face – can be seen by shortness of utterances

What’s the context of the text? What accompanies the language? Data reveals that the greatest consumer spending traditionally occurs during the pre Christmas period. A consequence of this spending is debt. The publicity and expectation of a gift laden Christmas has lead some families to incur debts beyond their means of immediate repayment, leading to the additional and spiralling cost of interest fees. A substantial education program is required to reverse this trend. What’s the context of the text? What accompanies the language? What kind of a text is it? (genre) What are the stages of the text? What is it about? (field) Who is involved? (tenor) Mode of communication? (mode) Mode of communication? (mode) distant audience – written communication Who is involved? (tenor) a writer (probably not an official consumer watch dog authority – more likely to be a student researcher) to a distant audience which may not be aware of the debt issue What is it about? (field) debt resulting from Christmas spending What kind of a text? (genre) might become an argument for an education program Context? Western context where Christmas is celebrated, and where speaking “for the oppressed” is also the norm