Thematic Organization and the Analysis of Selected Online Academic Scientific Journals' Site

2010 ◽  
pp. 376-388
Author(s):  
Foluke Olayinka
Keyword(s):  
Information Structure ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Scientific Journals ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
New Information ◽  
The Given

This chapter analyses the thematic organization of the instruction to authors’ section of selected online academic scientific journals’ sites. Fifteen scientific journals were selected randomly from different fields in the sciences. The theoretical framework for the study is provided by Systemic Functional Linguistics. The results showed that the marked theme had a higher occurrence than the unmarked theme. The marked themes were realized by adverbials and grammatical subjects. The unmarked themes were realized by subjects and predicates. Simple themes had a higher occurrence than multiple themes while interpersonal themes had more frequency than textual themes. The editors observed the given-new information structure as there was a low occurrence of entirely new information. The derived theme pattern was mostly used while the split-theme pattern had the least occurrence. The results show that the editors of these journals made use of these structures to organize their message logically and coherently.

scholarly journals Discourse Intonation and Information Structure: An Empirical Study of Existential There Constructions in Non-native Spontaneous Speech

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-153
Author(s):  
Judit Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Information Structure ◽  
Sentence Type ◽  
Spontaneous Speech ◽  
New Information ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Discourse Intonation ◽  
Problematic Area ◽  
Accented English ◽  
The Given

Abstract The management of given and new information is one of the key components of accomplishing coherence in oral discourse, which is claimed to be a problematic area for language learners (Celce-Murcia, Dörnyei, and Thurrell 1995: 14). Research on discourse intonation proposes that instead of the given/new dichotomy, givenness should be viewed as a continuum, with different types of accessibility (Baumann & Grice 2006). Moreover, Prince (1992) previously categorized information structure into Hearer-old/Hearer-new and Discourse-old/Discourse-new information. There is consensus on the fact that focus or prominence associated with new information is marked with nuclear pitch accent, and its main acoustic cue, fundamental frequency (f0) (Ward & Birner 2001: 120). Non-native intonation has been reported to display numerous differences in f0 range and patterns compared to native speech (Wennerstrom 1994; Baker 2010). This study is an attempt to address the issue of marking information structure in existential there sentences by means of f0 in non-native spontaneous speech. Data originates from task-based interactions in the Wildcat Corpus of Native- and Foreign-Accented English (Van Engen et al. 2010). This paper examines two issues: (1) information structure in relation to the notions of givenness and different types of accessibility (Baumann & Grice 2006) and to Prince’s (1992) multidimensional taxonomy and (2) the use of f0 peaks to mark the prominence of new information. Several differences were measured among native speakers regarding the use of f0, sentence type, and complexity.

scholarly journals OFFICIAL PEDAGOGY, FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LITERACY: A FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (Special) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
BEL A. NEDDAR
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Functional Activity ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Educational Requirement

The theoretical framework that informs this paper is systemic functional linguistics (Halliday, 1994, Mathiessen, 1995 and Halliday and Mathiessen, 2004). This paper is not meant to be a guide for foreign language teachers on how to teach with a list of prescriptive tips to be adequately followed, but meant to highlight the importance of language teaching as a social functional activity. It stresses the need for a particular type of literacy that helps learners reflect on the ideational content of the educational input, questions beliefs and settled practices of their societies, and dwells on the educational requirement for any country to join the socio-economic revolutionary processes of Globalisation.

Information structure in canonical and scrambled dative orders in L2 Korean

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyae-Sung Park
Keyword(s):  
Information Structure ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Double Object ◽  
Indirect Object ◽  
Null Arguments ◽  
Dative Alternation ◽  
New Information ◽  
The Given ◽  
L1 English

AbstractThe Given-before-New Principle holds in adult speech: Given information tends to precede new information. For instance, in the English dative alternation, the given-theme – i.e., the direct object [DO] – tends to precede the new-recipient – i.e., the indirect object [IO] – in the prepositional dative (e.g., John gave the books to some children), while the given-recipient tends to precede the new-theme in the double object dative (e.g., John gave the children some books). Likewise, in Korean datives, the given-recipient tends to occur earlier in the canonical [IO–DO] order, while the given-theme tends to occur earlier in the scrambled [DO–IO] order. This study investigates whether L1-English adult L2ers of Korean, who have knowledge of the Given-before-New Principle in their L1, automatically adhere to it in their interlanguage. L2ers’ choices between canonical and scrambled dative orders were tested using novel oral contextualized preference tasks. The native speakers of Korean overwhelmingly complied with the Given-before-New Principle. However, the intermediate-to-advanced L2ers exhibited a strong bias for the (default) canonical [IO–DO] order, which apparently overrode the Given-before-New Principle. The findings of analyses by group and by individual are discussed in terms of frequency, syntactic complexity, processing, and null arguments.

scholarly journals La fuerza en la construcción del marco teórico en artículos científicos: un análisis desde la lingüística sistémico-funcional

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-91
Author(s):  
Norma Patricia Barletta ◽  
Diana Chamorro ◽  
Jorge Mizuno
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Authorial Voice

Opposite to what is traditionally stated, the theoretical framework often constitutes an independent section in research articles. Therein writers establish the theoretical tradition that supports their research and make an account of the theoretical and research developments in their discipline, specifically, in their topic of research, thus establishing a dialogue with other voices. This article examines how writers organize their theoretical framework by means of verbal clauses using the resources of the graduation subsystem proposed by the systemic functional linguistics to express force —which will help them to construct their authorial voice. This study analyzed the verbal clauses and the graduation resources of the theoretical frameworks in 20 research articles in Spanish language published in Colombian journals from the area of applied linguistics. Findings show the variety of resources deployed by writers in their verbal clauses to strengthen their commitment to their tenets, especially in prominent places of their theoretical framework, such as the macroTheme, hyperThemes, macroNew and hyperNew. Awareness of these theoretical framework features may be relevant for teaching academic writing.

A Social Semiotic Approach to Multimodal Discourse of the Badge of Xi’an Jiaotong University

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 1596
Author(s):  
Yang Yang
Keyword(s):  
Visual Imagery ◽  
Visual Communication ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Semiotic Approach ◽  
Literal Expression

Using the school badge of Xi’an Jiaotong University as an example, this article aims to unravel that both literal expression and visual imagery have the ideographic function. The analysis in this article primarily utilizes the theoretical framework of the visual communication grammar, which is developed by Kress & Van Leeuwen from Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics. By analyzing the representational, interactive, and compositional meaning of the school badge, this article shows that school badges have rich connotations and the ability to interpret them should be attached importance. Furthermore, this article aims to make a little contribution to the interpretation of school badges.

scholarly journals “BÁNH TRÔI NƯỚC” AND THREE ENGLISH VERSIONS OF TRANSLATION: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL COMPARISON

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoang Van Van
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Lexical Choice ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
John Balaban

This paper is concerned with a comparison of the three English versions of translation: “The Floating Cake” translated by John Balaban, “The Cake That Drifts In Water” translated by Huỳnh Sanh Thông and “Floating Sweet Dumpling” translated by Marilyn Chin with the source poem “Bánh trôi nước” by the Vietnamese renowned poetess Hồ Xuân Hương. The theoretical framework employed for analysis and comparison of the texts is systemic functional linguistics. The results show that there are both similarities and differences between the translated versions and the source poem, and between the translated versions in terms of ideational, interpersonal and textual meanings. The results also indicate that there are more differences in lexical choice (the choice of words and groups/phrases) than in syntactic choice (the choice of transitivity, mood, and thematic patterns) between the three translated versions and the original poem, and between the three translated versions.

Interpersonal functions of interjections

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Jing
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
A Minor

Abstract Motivated by the frequent omission of interjections from film subtitles, this study investigates the interpersonal functions of interjections, and seeks to disentangle their meaning relations. Based on the analysis of interjections from six English language films under the theoretical framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), the study primarily classifies the functions of interjections in terms of whether the interjections independently realize moves in exchange. The function of the interjection which realizes a move on its own is described at the semantic stratum in terms of a minor speech function, and the function of the interjection which realizes a move together with a clause is described at the lexicogrammatical stratum in terms of an optional clausal function referred to as a ‘latched function’. The study highlights the distinction between latched functions and their agnate minor speech functions, and offers more delicate accounts of the functions of interjections. It proposes a system network of the minor speech functions, which can facilitate a more systematic analysis of the functions realized by interjections. This study contributes to the SFL description of English interjections, and can offer methodological insights into further research on the functionality of interjections.

Genre and Literacy-Modeling Context in Educational Linguistics

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 141-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
General Question ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Educational Linguistics ◽  
Literacy Initiatives

Christie (1992), in the previous year's volume of the Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, reviewed literacy initiatives in Australia which drew on systemic functional linguistics, focusing on three themes: differences between speech and writing, written genres, and the study of spoken language. This paper is designed to complement her review, highlighting ongoing research within the same general theoretical framework, and focusing on the general question of modeling context in educational linguistics.

scholarly journals DOCTOR-PATIENT POWER RELATION: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF A DOCTOR-PATIENT CONSULTATION

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thanh Nga
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Social Relation ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Power Relation ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Different Ages ◽  
Patient Consultation

This paper attempts to explore the power relation between a doctor and a patient through the language they use at a consultation. The consultation is taken from YouTube. The doctor and the patient are women of different ages. The doctor is much younger than the patient. The paper uses systemic functional linguistics as the main theoretical framework, following the top-down approach to analysis; particularly from the analysis of the consultation in terms of field, tenor and mode down to the analysis of the consultation in terms of transitivity, mood and modality. The results of the analysis have revealed that behind the language the doctor and the patient used in their interaction exists social relation in which the doctor has the power over the patient.

scholarly journals A systemic functional analysis of two multimodal covers

2006 ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Martínez Lirola
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
New Literacies ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Basic Unit ◽  
Unit Of Analysis ◽  
Visual Mode ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Modes Of Representation ◽  
Situated Approach

Our society is influenced by new texts, which are clearly characterised by the increasing dominance of the visual mode; this implies that new literacies need to be developed as a way of enabling the readers to question the texts they are exposed to. We argue for a multimodal and situated approach for understanding and interpreting writing on magazine covers because they are examples of an increased emphasis on modes of representation other than the written, especially an increased dominance of the visual mode. This is the reason why we are going to analyse two covers of free British magazines (published in London on July 14, 2003) to see the different resources they use to attract people's attention and to encourage readership, particularly because they were delivered at the exit of underground stations. Systemic Functional Linguistics will be our theoretical framework in this article because for this linguistic school the text is the basic unit of analysis and it studies language in relation to society. SFL will help us to understand why a text is written as it is by paying attention to its context and textual organisation.

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