This lecture discusses about Functional Linguistics, Halliday, Metafunctions, Register, systemic functional grammar,

1. 15. Functional Linguistics
Lecture No. 15
Zafar Ullah,
zafarullah76@gmail.com

2. Functional Linguistics
• Meaning is the primary driver of form in
language..
• Functional linguistics is focused on deriving
grammatical syntactical and textual structures
from the ways in which language is used.
• Systemic functional linguistics is an approach to
linguistics that considers language as a system.
• The label “systemic” is related to the system
networks used in the description of the lexico-
grammar of human languages.
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3. Halliday
• Halliday states that language is the study of how
people exchange meanings through the use of
language.
• SFG (Systematic Functional Linguistics)
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4. Theoretical Underpinning
• 1. The language use is functional.
• 2. Its function is to make meanings.
• 3. These meanings are influenced by the social
and cultural context in which they are exchanged.
4. The process of using language is a semiotic
process, a process of making meaning by
choosing..
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5. Three key Concepts
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6. Functional Linguistics Approaches
• There are three approaches…
• functional grammar
• role and reference grammar by Foley and Van
Valin
• Systemic functional grammar by Halliday
• Functional Grammar is a moderate functional
theory.
• Each theory proposes different replacement view
of structure.
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7. Cont…
• Functional Grammar view of language: the
language system is not considered as an
autonomous set of rules rather it is assumed that
the rules can only be understood when they are
analyzed in terms of conditions of use.
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8. SFG and Discourse
• Halliday maintains that the ultimate explanations
of linguistic phenomena are found in language
use.
• Language has evolved to satisfy human needs;
and the way it is organized is functional with
respect to these needs – it is not arbitrary. A
functional grammar is essentially a “natural”
grammar, in the sense that everything in it can be
explained, ultimately, by reference to how
language is used.
• According to Halliday, there are three
metafunctions of language.
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9. Metafunctions
• I: Ideational Context: (Language interprets
human experience)
• II. Interpersonal Context: (Language enacts
human relationship)
• III. Textual Context: (Language creates
discourse)
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10. Systemic Functional Linguistics
• Systemic: System of choices
• Functional: meaning focused
• Language is a social semiotic system (social and
cultural circumstances)
• Halliday took idea from his teacher J.R. Firth
• Functional: Language evolved under pressure of
the functions that language must serve.
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11. 3 Metafunctions
• i. experiences of outer and inner
worlds
• Ii. Social relations
• Iii. Wording connected two functions
of I and ii
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12. Register (FTyMu)
• Field: (activities, role of language)
• Tenor: (interpersonal relation)
• Mode: (form of written, oral, body language)
• Theme: Point of departure
• Rheme: Point of destination)
• Tom Likes travelling.
• Subject Predicate
• Theme Rheme
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13. Application of SFG
• Language
• Pedagogy
• technology
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14. Functionalism vs Formalism
• FUNCTIONALIST: Those linguists who believe
language as system of communication and take
the communicative functions of language to be
important for its analysis.
• Formalists: •They consider the communicative
functions of language to be irrelevant to its
analysis, following Chomsky.
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15. Conclusion
• All functionalists agree that language is a system
of forms for conveying meaning in
communication and in order to understand it, it is
necessary to investigate the interaction of
structure, meaning and communicative function.
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