The Research of SMMG
There are several areas of research among the Systemic Meaning
Modelling Group (SMMG). All of them are based on systemic
functional theory and are concerned with modelling various
aspects of meaning in a computational environment. They are:
General
systemic functional theoretical models
Research within SMMG is concerned with long-term development
of theoretical models based on systemic functional principles.
These models guide descriptive work, e.g., descriptive modes of
the lexicogrammatical resources of a range of languages, and
serve as the basis for computational modelling and
implementation.The nature of the resources of systemic functional
theory, e.g., the stratal organization of the systemic
metalanguage.
- The location of language as a socio-semiotic system among
other kindds of system (physical, biological and social).
- The space created by the intersection of the dimension of
stratification and instantiation.
- The nature of meaning-creating processes, in particular
models of logogenesis.
- The expansion of the potential of systemic-functional
representational resources, e.g., in the service of
multilinguality and multimodality.
Models
of semantic and lexicogrammatical resources
In addition to theoretcial research, SMMG is developing
large-scale descriptions of a vareity of languages, including
Chinese, English, German, French and Japanese. These descriptions
are concerned with semantic and/or lexicogrammatical resources.
They are intended to serve a vareity of uses, including both
educational and computational ones.
- Meaning base -- semantic resources: The meaning base of
English is being explored systematically; particular
attention has been given to the ideational resources or
ideation base. On the one hand, the general ideational
potential of Enlsih has been mapped out and contrasted
with other languages. On the other hand, domain models
associated with particular registers have been or are
being developed, including domain models of communicable
diseases in health reports and of tourism in guide books.
- Wording base -- lexicogrammatical resources: The wording
bases of the languages mentioned above are being mapped
out as meaning-making resources. The main catographic
tool is the system network. This research is
text-roientated and increasingly based on corpora of
texts. One long-term goal is to develop a new kind of
reference grammar using a computational framework that
will allow the accounts of grammar to be read in a
hypertext like fashion and will have links to ample text
examples.
Compuational
tools for developing models and for analysing text
To support systemic functional research, we have been
developing tools for building and maintaining accounts of the
linguistic system and for analysing text. Under the general
system "SysAm", there are five interrelated subsystems:
- SysFan:
a tool for lexicogrammatical text analysis
- SysRef:
a tool for managing and developing accounts of
lexicogrammatical and semantic systems. It intendded as a
step towards a new generation of computational systemic
functional reference grammars designed to support a range
of different uses.
- SysConc:
a tool for extracting linguistic patterns from a large
corpus of texts. It allows the user to search for
specific items and collocational patterns, and for a
group of items of any semantic type set by the user.
- SysGraph:
a tool for graphing systemic networks.
- SysGloss:
a glossary of systemic functional linguistic terms.
Multilingual
and multimodal presentation generation
Multilingual generation means getting the computer
to function as a writer (or as a speaker), producing texts in
multple languages from a common meaning source. Systemic
generation systems such as Multex and
KPML
currently cater for the generation of text in English,
German, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese and French.
Multimodal generation means getting the computer to
function as a presenter using non-linguistic semiotic systems
such as maps, graphs, tables, and images, animations as well
as written or spoken text. Multex currently incorporates
facilities for generating presentations consisting of written
text expanded by animated maps.
Multilingual and multimodal generation is a way of
studying processes of meaning by means of synthesis (rather
than analysis), giving us increased theoretical insight into
these processes.
Our currrent research efforts concerntrate on, but are not
limited to, the processing of information in the domains of
tourism and communicable diseases and the dynamic
presentation of this informationas HTML documents.
Web-based
interactive course
A pilot project (Virtual Ling 900) is developing a module for
learning about THEME in English on the web by exploring this
topic or doing exercises interactively. This proejct is intended
as the first step in a series of modules for exploring and
learning functional grammar and other systemic functional areas.