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Grammar, semantics and context: stratification and variation (LING 320)

Convenors: David Butt and Christian Matthiessen

Offered: D 2

Credit points: 4

Prerequisites: LING 211

Contact hours: 3 hours per week (seminar)

Unit objectives:

To help students map out the major subsystems of language in context, using the fundamental semiotic principle of stratification, and to help them select features to focus on in discourse analysis.

Content:

This course offers an overview of the overall system within which grammar as presented in LING 211 is located. The course models the stratal move from grammar to semantics to context for them; and it foregrounds linguistic variation of different kinds (registerial, codal etc.) and its relationship to contextual factors, showing the value of corpus-based investigations.

Assessment: Assignment and final essay.

Recommended texts:

Halliday, M.A.K. & R. Hasan. 1985. Language, text and context. Geelong, Vic.: Deakin University Press.

GLOSSARY of terms: Click Systemic glossary.

LING 320, Semester 2, 1998 — suggested readings for project areas discussed in class:

For general a general bibliography, you can go to "Systemic Bibliography" within our web site.

General readings that provide surveys of descriptions of resources that you are using in your text-based projects include the following:

• Butt, David, Rhondda Fahey, Sue Spinks & Colin Yallop. 1995. Using functional grammar: an explorer’s guide. Sydney: Macquarie University, NCELTR (National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research). ISBN 1 86408 044 2.
• Eggins, Suzanne. 1994. An introduction to systemic functional linguistics. London: Pinter.
• Eggins, S. & D. Slade. 1997. Analysing casual conversation. London: Cassell.
• Halliday, M.A.K. & R. Hasan. 1985. Language, text and context. Geelong, Vic.: Deakin University Press.
• Halliday, M.A.K. 1978. Language as social semiotic: the social interpretation of language and meaning. London & Baltimore: Edward Arnold & University Park Press.
• Halliday, M.A.K. 1984. Language as code and language as behaviour: a systemic-functional interpretation of the nature and ontogenesis of dialogue. M.A.K. Halliday Robin P. Fawcett S. Lamb & A. Makkai (ed.), The semiotics of language and culture. London: Frances Pinter. Volume 1: 3-35.
• Martin, J.R. 1992. English text: system and structure. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
• Martin, J.R., C. Matthiessen & C. Painter. 1997. Working with functional grammar. London: Edward Arnold.
• Matthiessen, Christian M.I.M. 1995. Lexicogrammatical cartography: English systems. Tokyo: International Language Sciences Publishers.
• Thompson, Geoff. 1996. Introducing functional grammar. London: Hodder Education.

Context in particular,

— field, tenor and mode:

• Eggins, Suzanne. 1994. An introduction to systemic functional linguistics. London: Pinter.  Chapter 3.
• Halliday, M.A.K. & R. Hasan. 1985. Language, text and context. Geelong, Vic.: Deakin University Press.
• Halliday, M.A.K. 1978. Language as social semiotic: the social interpretation of language and meaning. London & Baltimore: Edward Arnold & University Park Press.

[Note that in the work by Martin and linguists following him, e.g. Eggins, the term "register" is used to refer to field, tenor and mode -- and not to functional variation in language.]

— generic analysis:

• Eggins, Suzanne. 1994. An introduction to systemic functional linguistics. London: Pinter. Chapter 2.
• Eggins, S. & D. Slade. 1997. Analysing casual conversation. London: Cassell. Chapter 6. (Also Chapter 7 on "gossip".)
• Hasan, Ruqaiya. 1996. Ways of saying: ways of meaning. London: Cassell. Chapter 3: The nursery tale as a genre. 51-73.
• Martin, J.R. 1992. English text: system and structure. Amsterdam: Benjamin.

— ideology:

• Hasan, Ruqaiya. 1986. The ontogenesis of ideology: an interpretation of mother-child talk. Terry Threadgold et al (ed.), Semiotics - language - ideology.
• Kress, Gunther. 1985. Ideological structures in discourse. T. van Dijk (ed.), Handbook of Discourse Analysis.  London: Academic Press.
• Kress, Gunther R. & Robert Hodge. 1979. Language as ideology. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
• Lemke, Jay L. 1985. Ideology, intertextuality and the notion of register. Benson & Greaves (ed.), Systemic Perspectives on Discourse. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
• Lemke, Jay L. 1990. Technical discourse and technocratic ideology. John Gibbons M. A. K. Halliday & Howard Nicholas (ed.), Learning, keeping, and using Language: selected papers from the 8th AILA World Congress of Applied Linguistics, Sydney 1987. Amsterdam: Benjamins. 435-460.
• Martin, James R. 1986. Grammaticalizing ecology: the politics of baby seals and kangaroos. Terry Threadgold et al (ed.), Semiotics - language - ideology. [This is a "classical" study involving both an exploration of the representation of ideology and detailed lexicogrammatical analysis.]

Semantics

— cohesive patterns:

• Hasan, Ruqaiya. 1984. Coherence and cohesive harmony. James Flood (ed.), Understanding Reading Comprehension. Newark: International Reading Association. 181-219.

— semantic movement in text:

• Butt, David G. 1983. "Semantic 'drift' in verbal art." Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 6.1: 38-48.

— interpersonal resources, SPEECH FUNCTION:

• Eggins, S. & D. Slade. 1997. Analysing casual conversation. London: Cassell. Chapter 5.
• Martin, J.R. 1992. English text: system and structure. Amsterdam: Benjamins. Chapter 2.

— interpersonal resources, APPRAISAL:

• Eggins, S. & D. Slade. 1997. Analysing casual conversation. London: Cassell. Chapter 4.
• Martin, James R. 1998. Beyond exchange: APPRAISAL systems in English. In Susan Hunston & Geoff Thompson (eds.), Evaluation in text.

— relationship to lexicogrammar, grammatical metaphor:

• Halliday, M.A.K. 1994. An introduction to functional grammar. London: Edward Arnold. Chapter 10.
• Halliday, M.A.K. 1998. Things and relations: regrammaticizing experience as technical knowledge. In J.R. Martin & Robert Veel (eds.), Reading science: critical and functional perspectives on discourses of science. London: Routledge.

The following articles contain examples of lexicogrammatical text analysis; they can help as models for your projects -- but note that you will want to go beyond lexicogrammar to include features of context (including generic staging) and semantics:  

• Fries, Peter H. 1985. How does a story mean what it does? A partial answer. James D. Benson & William S. Greaves (ed.), Systemic perspectives on discourse. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex. 295-321.
• Halliday, M.A.K. 1985. Dimensions of discourse analysis: grammar. Teun A. van Dijk (ed.), Handbook of Discourse Analysis. New York: Academic Press.
• Halliday, M.A.K. 1992. Some lexicogrammatical features of the Zero Population Growth text. Sandra A. Thompson & William C. Mann (ed.), Discourse description: diverse analyses of a fund-raising text. Amsterdam: Benjamins. 327-358.
• Halliday, M.A.K. 1994. So you say 'pass' ... thank you three muchly. Allen D. Grimshaw (ed.), What's going on here: complementary studies of professional talk. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex.
• Hasan, Ruqaiya. 1988. The analysis of one poem: theoretical issues in practice. D. Birch & M. O'Toole (ed.),  Functions of Style. London:  Pinter. 45-73.

The following sources contain material on areas that you have decided to work on in your projects,

— media discourse:

• Bell, Philip & Theo van Leeuwen. 1994. The media interview — confession, contest, conversation. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.
• Iedema, Rick, S. Feez & P. White. 1994. Media literacy. Sydney: Metropolitan East Disadvantaged Schools Program. [This report is a very useful source; it used to be available at the "Bridge Bookstore".]
• Kress, Gunther. 1983. "The politics of newspaper language." International Journal of the Sociology of Language 32: 43-58.
• Kress, Gunther. 1983. Linguistic and ideological transformations in newspaper language. H. Davis & P. Walton (ed.), Language, Image and the Media. Oxford: Blackwells.
• Kress, Gunther. 1983. "Media Analysis and the study of discourse." Media Information Australia 28: 3-12.
• Kress, Gunther. 1983. "The politics of newspaper language." International Journal of the Sociology of Language 32: 43-58.
• Kress, Gunther. 1983. Linguistic and ideological transformations in newspaper language. H. Davis & P. Walton (ed.), Language, Image and the Media. Oxford: Blackwells.
• Kress, Gunther. 1986. "Language in the media: the construction of the domains of public and private."  Media Culture and Society 8.4: 395-419.
• Kress, Gunther & Robert Hodge. 1983. "Functional semiotics: key concepts fo the analysis of media, culture and society." Australian Journal of Cultural Studies 1.1: 1-17.
• Kress, Gunther & Tony Trew. 1978. "Ideological trasnformations of discourse: or How the Sunday Times got its message across." Sociological Review 26: 755-776.
• Nanri, Keizo. 1993. An attempt to synthesize two systemic contextual theories through the investigation of the process of the evolution of the discourse semantic structure of the newspaper reporting article. University of Sydney: Ph.D. thesis. [This is a detailed study based in particular on transitivity analysis dealing with news reports of assissinations and assassination attempts, both in contemporary newspapers and in the past 200 years or so.]

— advertising:

• Fries, Peter H. 1993. Information flow in written advertising. James Alatis (ed.), Language, communication and social meaning. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. 336- 352.
• Kress, Gunther. 1987. Educating readers: language in advertising. J. Hawthorn (ed.), Propoganda, Persuasion and Polemic. London: Edward Arnold.
• Leeuwen, Theo van. 1985. "Persuasive speech: the intonation of the live radio commercial." Australian Journal of Communication 7: 25-35.
• Stillar, Glenn. in press. "Structuration in a commodity advertisement: some goals and purposes for linguistic description from a working analysis/catalysis." Language and Style .
• Thibault, Paul J. 1990. Questions of genre and intertextuality in some Australian television advertisements. R. Rossini Favretti (ed.), The televised text. Bologna: Patron.

— opinion texts:

• Horvath, Barbara & Suzanne Eggins. 1995. Opinion texts in conversation. Peter H. Fries & Michael J. Gregory (ed.), Discourse in society: systemic functional perspectives. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex. 29-47.
• Thibault, Paul J. 1988. Knowing what you're told by the agony aunts: language function, gender difference and the structure of knowledge and belief in the personal columns. D. Birch & M. O'Toole (ed.), Functions of Style. London:  Pinter. 205-233.

[See also under "APPRAISAL" above.]

— images:

• Kress, Gunther & Theo van Leeuwen. 1990. Reading images. Geelong, Vic.: Deakin University Press.
• Kress, Gunther & Theo van Leeuwen. 1996. Reading images: the grammar of visual design. London: Routledge.
• Lemke, J. 1998. Multiplying meaning: visual and verbal semiotics in scientific text. In J.R. Martin & R. Veel (eds), Reading science: critical and functional perspectives on discourses of science. London & New York: Routledge.
• O'Toole, Michael. 1994. The language of displayed art. London: Leicester University Press (Pinter).
• O'Toole, Michael. 1995. A systemic-functional semiotics of art. Peter H. Fries and Michael Gregory (ed.), Discourse in society: functional perspectives. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex. 159-183.
• O'Toole, Michael.  in press. " A semiotics of painting and architecture." Semiotica.

Last updated: 02/10/03