Introduction to SFL Experiential, Interpersonal and Textual meaning Lise Fontaine Cardiff University FontaineL@cf.ac.uk

Today’s outline: the Introductory Programme General introduction to the 3 main metafunctions Experiential Interpersonal Textual Summary Questions - discussion

Introductory Programme Functional Grammar Lexicogrammar Functions of the clause and clause structure Spoken Language Phonology Intonation Text and Discourse Theme Information Structure

Grammatical Meaning Language as ‘system of meanings’ “When people use language, their language acts produce – construct meaning.” (Bloor and Bloor, 2004:2) how meaning is built up through choices of words and grammatical resources grammar (ibid.): semantic (concerned with meaning) functional (concerned with use) lexicogrammar (words and grammar are inextricably linked)

Multi-functional view of grammar each ‘bit’ of language (e.g. Clause) expresses more than one type of meaning/function/use more than one way of looking at meaning 3 main ‘strands’ of meaning sentence as representation of some phenomenon in the real world sentence as social interaction sentence as text

Grammatical choice Context I was given the new Jamie book for my birthday For my birthday, Kev gave me the new Jamie book I got the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the Jamie book for my birthday didn’t he? Did Kev give me the new Jamie book for my birthday?

a useful metaphor: multifunctional view of the clause different strands of meaning the ‘clause’ experiential interpersonal textual logical

example of language in use Tony Blair “I wasn't born into this party. I chose it. I've never joined another political party. I believe in it. I'm proud to be the leader of it and it's the party I'll always live in and I'll die in.”  Special conference, April 29 1995

Nick Clegg "Like most people of my generation, I wasn’t born into a political party. I am a liberal by choice, by temperament and by conviction. And when I talk to the people I represent, I become more convinced every day that only liberalism offers the answers to the problems they face." October 19th, 2007

I chose the labour party Language as a (complex) system…. Are they saying the same thing? I chose the labour party I am a liberal by choice … of CHOICES among meanings

form and meaning system representation forms stop traffic control go

language as semantic system language - a resource for communicating meanings to our fellow human beings sign system; potential text – an output of the language system an instance of language in use sign; instance

The sociosemantic nature of discourse (Halliday, 1978:128) Basic assumptions The semantic system is one of three strata (levels) of the linguistic system Semantic (the meaning) Lexicogrammatical (the wording: syntax, lexis, morphology) Phonological (the sound) The semantic system is made up of 3 main functional components Experiential Component Interpersonal Component Textual Component

3 (main) strands of Meaning Language as a (complex) system of choices among meanings I chose (the labour party) I am a liberal by choice 3 (main) strands of Meaning Experiential (Representing experience) Interpersonal (Speaker – Addressee interaction) clause Textual (Organisation (text/language))

The Clause represents experience speaker as Observer Experiential meaning: expressing the CONTENT; expressing the processes and other phenomena of the external world including thoughts, feelings, etc. (Halliday, 1978:48) The experiential component serves to "express our experience of the world that is around us and inside us" (Halliday, 1970)

The Clause – a representation The clause is a configuration of a process, participants involved in it and any attendant circumstances (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004:169) experience as ‘events’ or ‘goings-on’ Three components: A process unfolding through time The participant(s) involved in the process Circumstance(s) associated with the process

What’s going on? What’s being represented? Someone is giving someone something Event of ‘giving’  the Process Kev gave me the new Jamie book for my birthday Why?  Circumstance Participating ‘entities’  the Participants

Circumstance elements optional elements of the clause peripheral not directly involved in the process occur 'freely' in all types of processes (in theory) for Halliday, they do not have the potential of becoming Subjects participants are "inherent" in the process process circumstances participants participants circumstances

3 main types of Experiential meaning « Outer » experiences Something happens There is a « doer » an ACTOR Ex: John drove the car. « Inner » experiences Something is sensed Internal world of the mind There is a SENSER Ex: John sees the car. Representing Experience Material Mental Relational Relating concepts Relating two concepts that refer in some way to the same thing Ex. John is the driver.

Material Process Type Process:material What did someone do? What happened? Process:material Proto-typical Action events ‘doing’, ‘happening’; physical actions Most salient type of process Participants: Actor, Goal, Beneficiary Performer of the action – Actor Impacted/affected by the action – Goal Benefits/receives from the action - Beneficiary Eat, kick, jump, hit, drive, walk, run, cook, etc.

Mental Process Type Process:mental Participants: Senser, Phenomenon What did someone think or see or want? Process:mental Internal processes States of mind; senses Knowing, thinking, seeing, hearing, ... Participants: Senser, Phenomenon Undergoing/experiencing – Senser Thing experienced – Phenomenon think, know, see, hear, like, want, ...

Relational Process Types What is it? Who is it? What properties does something have? Process:relational Being; relating Processes that describe or identify something; express a relation between two concepts/entities Participants: Carrier, Attribute; Identified, Identifier The thing that carries the attribute – Carrier The attribute being ascribed – Attribute The identified entity – Identified The identifying entity - Identifier Be

Transitivity system

Same experience process: material (giving) I was given the new Jamie book for my birthday For my birthday, Kev gave me the new Jamie book I got the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the Jamie book for my birthday didn’t he? Did Kev give me the new Jamie book for my birthday? 3 participants, 1 circumstance

I chose the labour party Are they saying the same thing? Material Process: Tony Blair did something (Actor) I chose the labour party I am a liberal by choice Relational Process: Nik Clegg is described by something (Carrier); he is being something

The Clause expresses (inter)personal relations Speaker as Intruder Interpersonal meaning expressing relations among participants in the situation and the speaker’s own intrusion into it (Halliday, 1978:46)

Key elements for Interpersonal meaning and the Mood system The Subject of the clause the Finite element of the verb group The main system concerned is the MOOD system Transitivity Experiential interrogative indicative declarative clause Interpersonal MOOD imperative Theme Textual

Interpersonal meaning: Clause as exchange 2 key components: Mood and Residue In English, MOOD is determined by Subject and Finite: I have told you have you told me? no you haven't (you) tell me! SUBJECT and FINITE together form the main component of the clause at this level of analysis – Mood Block Declarative Interrogative Declarative Imperative

The FINITE in English is a VERBAL OPERATOR which expresses either : The clause in English can be FINITE or NON-FINITE Each « Finite » clause contains a VERBAL OPERATOR which expresses finiteness In SFL, the finite element gives the (clause) a point of reference: Tense Person Modality Mood The FINITE in English is a VERBAL OPERATOR which expresses either : TENSE or MODALITY

Clause as exchange Halliday’s metaphor of symbolic exchange Role in exchange Goods and services Information Giving Offer Statement Seeking Command Question proposal proposition speech function

Clause as exchange – an example Can anyone pick up the parcel at the post office? Role in exchange Goods and services Information Give Offer “I’ll pick it up” Statement “John said he would pick it up” Seek Command “Pick it up yourself” Question “Can’t John pick it up tomorrow?”

Clause as exchange Direct (or congruent) exchanges Offer Declarative Role in exchange Goods and services Information Give Offer Declarative “I’ll pick it up” Statement “John said he would pick it up” Seek Command Imperative “Pick it up yourself” Question Interrogative “Can’t John pick it up tomorrow?”

Clause as exchange Indirect (or incongruent) exchanges Offer Role in exchange Goods and services Information Give Offer Interrogative “Could I pick it up for you?” Statement “How should I know?” Seek Command Declarative “I’d like you to pick up the parcel” Question “I wonder who could pick up the parcel for me”

The speaker’s own intrusion into the situation Kind of Modality Modal Finite Mood (Modal) Adjuncts probability may, might, can, could, will, would, should, must probably, possibly, certainly, perhaps, maybe usuality usually, sometimes, always, never, ever, seldom, rarely obligation may, might, can, could, should, must definitely, absolutely, possibly, at all costs, by all means readiness (inclination and ability) may, might, can, could, will, would, must, shall, can, could willingly, readily, gladly, certainly, easily

Working with interpersonal meaning I was given the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev definitely gave me the new Jamie book Did Kev give me the new Jamie book? Kev might have given me the Jamie book Kev should give me the Jamie book Kev, give me that book!

The Clause relates itself to text Speaker as Organiser or Relevance-maker According to Halliday (1978: 48): The TEXTUAL Function is intrinsic to language. « It is the function of creating text, or relating itself to the context – to the situation and to the preceding text »

Key elements for Textual meaning and the Theme system The Theme of the clause The main system concerned is the THEME system material relational process mental Transitivity Experiential circumstance interrogative indicative clause declarative Interpersonal MOOD imperative marked Theme Textual unmarked

What is Theme? Seeing the clause as message The Textual function is the linguistic resource that lets Speakers create text. The word Text comes from Latin textere, which means to weave. A text is something woven. Theme is a key element, on which the message is hinged. Theme is defined as « the point of departure of the message …  that which locates and orients the clause within its context ». (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004:64)

Identifying Theme Theme corresponds to the first element having a role in transitivity: a participant, a process, or a circumstance Most commonly, the Theme will conflate with the Subject and will have a Participant role in the transitivity. Theme is said to be marked when it is not the Subject of the clause (ie Circumstance) Everything else in the clause is referred to as Rheme

Types of Theme But do you want to go? first element with a role in Experiential meaning Experiential Theme Finite: concerns Interpersonal meaning Interpersonal Theme Textual Theme tells us how this clause relates to others

Working with textual meaning I was given the new Jamie book for my birthday Kev gave me the new Jamie book for my birthday For my birthday, Kev gave me the new Jamie book

Multifunctional view of the clause I chose (the labour party) I chose the Labour party Experiential Meaning Actor Process: Material Goal Interpersonal Meaning Subject Finite/Event Complement Mood: Declarative Textual Meaning Theme Rheme

Questions?

References Bloor,T. & Bloor,M. (2004) The Functional Analysis of English. London: Arnold. Halliday, MAK (1978) Language as social semiotic. Edward Arnold, London.