A Textual Analysis of Theme and Rheme Structures in Editorials A Systemic Functional Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Huzaifah A. Hamid
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Functional Perspective ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Way

The present study aims to analyze the way writers use language in order to fulfill a purpose by measuring the similarities and differences in editorials with regard to Theme and Rheme choices. Two letters of opinion of an editorial were used in this study to investigate the thematic choices that might differ, given their different purposes. The results indicated that the writers presented the information directly without emphasizing on any proposition encoded in the clauses. Besides, it was also found that the intervention made by the writers is less obvious, as measured by the low occurrences of Interpersonal Theme. In addition, it can also be concluded that the letter of support is more cohesive than the letter of oppose because of its higher occurrences of Textual Theme. Textual metafunction; ; ; systemic functional linguistics; comparative studies

scholarly journals Textual Analysis through Systemic Functional Linguistics

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Randy Y. Briones
Keyword(s):  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
News Article ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Relational Processes ◽  
Star Wars ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistic ◽  
Movie Star ◽  
Similarities And Differences

This paper primarily attempts to provide readers with a means of analyzing texts by using an approach that is considered important by applied linguists, that of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). This work identified the similarities and differences between two texts, a movie review and a news article, that dealt with the same topic, namely, the movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. In identifying the texts’ similarities and differences, the Systemic Functional Linguistic principles of Tenor/Interpersonal Metafunction and Field/Experiential Metafunction were applied. From the interpersonal metafunction analysis, it can be concluded that both texts share similar moods and modalities.  However, a closer inspection would reveal that Text 1 appears to negotiate a positive review of the film through an extensive demonstration of declarative statements that talk about the merits of the film and that of the director’s while Text 2 is more of a reportage of relevant information and interviews from the film.  In terms of the Experiential metafunction, Text 1 delves on material and relational processes that advance the film, the director, and the characters, whereas Text 2 differs as it focuses more on advancing the film while putting little emphasis on the director and the movie characters.

scholarly journals Exploring the Interpersonal Meaning in two extracts from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah : A Comparative Systemic Functional Linguistic Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-70
Author(s):  
Daniel T. Yokossi
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Prose Fiction ◽  
World Views ◽  
Full Size ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistic ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Way

Abstract This paper examines Mood Patterns in some passages from Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah. More specifically, two extracts from the above mentioned prose fiction have been purposefully selected, described and analyzed from the Systemic Functional Linguistics perspective in order to reveal how the lexicogrammatical features of the interpersonal meaning of the studied extracts underpin the perception of the two authors throughout their novels. The article goes further and highlights the similarities and differences in the interpersonal functions of the extracts under scrutiny in terms of their contents and how the English language has been used therein to construe the above pinpointed authors’ world views of the issues dealt with in their writings. The findings of the study have, among others, revealed that the gap between Achebe’s and Adichie’s writings is not full size and that the former has actually paved the way to the latter.

Context of situation and the role of language

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy L. Bowcher
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Systemic Approach ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Field System ◽  
Context Of Situation ◽  
The Way

Abstract ‘Role’ is typically defined according to the part and/or function that something or someone contributes to a situation. This two-fold perspective is also inherent in discussions of the role of language: the ‘amount’ of language that is involved in a situation and the ‘function’ of language in a situation, with both perspectives relating to the non-linguistic systems that may be involved in the conduct of the situation relative to language. It is the latter of these perspectives, however, that has typically received most attention in discourse analysis, with the former (the ‘amount’) being left implicit and unproblematised. This paper considers the role of language from various discourse analytical perspectives before critically examining the concept within Systemic Functional Linguistics. Using system networks as the representational and analytical platform, the paper redefines ‘role of language’ in contextual Mode as comprised of two sub-systems: degree of involvement and type of involvement. degree of involvement accounts for the compositional contribution that language makes in a situation; type of involvement accounts for the way in which language may function in a situation. Using an illustrative dataset, the paper also demonstrates the effectiveness of the systemic approach in accounting for overlapping and differing contextual configurations by showing how features within the role of language configure and how these in turn configure with options in the Field system-network of action. These configurations are essentially hypotheses that can be more comprehensively tested through empirical research.

Stroke systems in Chinese characters: A systemic functional perspective on simplified regular script

Semiotica ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (218) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Xuanwei Peng
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Point System ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
Writing Systems ◽  
Character Formation ◽  
Line System ◽  
Preliminary Attempt ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Functional Perspective ◽  
Chinese Writing

AbstractThis article makes a preliminary attempt to account for the stroke systems of Chinese characters in simplified regular script. The framework utilized is the three meta-functions in Systemic Functional Linguistics. The description observes the cases from the perspectives of the experiential, appraisal (aesthetic), and thematic semiosis of strokes and their constitutional segments to figure out the relevant systems: the line system and the point system. This process witnesses comparisons to seek, in brief though, the traces and origins of stroke development along evolution, and hence the straightening of lines and squaring of character formation. This is the first step towards a rank model of Chinese writing, the whole project of which will highlight a way to study other writing systems in the semiotic respect.

scholarly journals A Stylistic Investigation of the Act of Murder in Doris Lessing’s The Grass is Singing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ujjal Jeet ◽  
Keyword(s):  
White Woman ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
The Novel ◽  
White Community ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical System ◽  
Nature And Nurture

This paper is a functional stylistic study of a selected passage from Doris Lessing’s novel The Grass is Singing. In the novel The Grass is Singing, a white woman in Rhodesia is killed by her black servant but surprisingly the murder instead of bringing a stir spreads a silence in the local white community. Further, the text on an intuitive reading seems to absolve the murderer of the crime which forms the research question of the paper. Thus, close and systematic textual analysis of the text representing the murder scene was conducted and it was found that the linguistic choices of the text does create a semantic universe where the murder and the murdered are allegorical figures representing nature and nurture in a mutual conflict. The methodology for linguistic analysis of the selected text is borrowed from Michael Halliday’s theoretical system Systemic Functional Linguistics. The text is analysed by means of transitivity system which provides the investigative tools to study the representational choices of the text.

scholarly journals Discourse Intonation and Systemic Functional Phonology

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Miriam P. Germani ◽  
Lucia Rivas
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Language System ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Discourse Intonation ◽  
University Level ◽  
Natural Result ◽  
The Way

This paper is a reflection on praxis which addresses the phonological stratum as an integral part of the language system. As EFL teachertrainers, we often find that students isolate the different meaning-creating components of language as a natural result of the way courses areorganized at university level. It is in the spirit of helping students integrate the various aspects of language and context that we have set outto compare David Brazil, Malcolm Coulthard and Catherine Johns’s Discourse Intonation model –which we have been working with for morethan ten years– with the intonation approach in Systemic Functional Linguistics, by M.A.K. Halliday and William Greaves. We observe thetheoretical similarities between the two approaches in order to see how they may supplement one another. Then, we analyse a conversationtaken from a film following both theoretical approaches, and draw conclusions in the light of the comparison. Our preliminary results show thatthe two approaches explain the meanings conveyed with reference to different meaning-making resources. Brazil et al. explain the meaningsat risk in the interaction according to the phonological systems they describe (prominence, tone, key and termination). Halliday and Greavesdo so by referring to the phonological and lexico-grammatical strata in combination.

Interlingual re-instantiation – a new systemic functional perspective on translation

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (4-5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ladjane Maria Farias de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
Language Theory ◽  
New Model ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Functional Perspective ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Primary Focus

AbstractFrom a systemic functional perspective, translation has been dealt with mostly by means of the hierarchy of realization and has been modeled against parameters of difference between language systems – equivalence and shift. Such a concern with equivalence between language systems reflects the primary focus of research on the supporting language theory itself. As recent developments in systemic functional linguistics have shifted focus from system to uses and users, proposing three complementary hierarchies – realization, instantiation, and individuation – a more comprehensive perspective on translation has been enabled, which includes the systems, uses, and users involved. In tune with recent developments in translation studies, it views translation as a negotiation of meanings (including the notion of “equivalence”) between users via a specific use – the translated text. This article introduces this new model, its foundations, proposed concepts, and suggested methodology, as well as a glimpse of the model at work.

scholarly journals Systemic functional linguistics and audiovisual translation studies: a conceptual basis for the study of the language of subtitles

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (spe) ◽  
pp. 495-513
Author(s):  
Elaine Espindola
Keyword(s):  
Text Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Translation Studies ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Audiovisual Translation ◽  
Made In

The present article contemplates two complementary dimensions, namely: (i) Audiovisual Translation Studies; and (ii) Linguistic studies giving direct attention to the language of subtitling to put forward a theoretical basis for studies focusing on The Language of Subtitles. Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) provides theoretical tools to allow for a language-based understanding of the meaning making resources of subtitling on the basis of text analysis. It is argued that this complementarity allows for fruitful comparison and contrast of texts in a translational relationship in that it provides categories for describing similarities and differences emerging from investigations of the choices made in spoken texts translated into written language in subtitles. Investigations carried out along these lines may lead to insights in terms of the construals existent in source and target texts in order to understand the choices made in the realization of the texts.

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