Основные аспекты теории системной лингвистики в Великобритании конца XX века

Abstract

The article deals with some peculiarities of the development of British linguistics at the end of the 20th century. We show its links with earlier developments in the science, providing a general comparison of British and American linguistic traditions. Since the key theory of linguistics in Great Britain in the 20th century was the London School, all the subsequent concepts were, to an extent, based on it. Systemic-functional linguistics looks at the use of language in the context of speech, explaining linguistic forms from the standpoint of their meanings. Various terms for this theory, such as ‘systemic functional linguistics’, ‘systemic linguistics’, ‘systemic-functional grammar’, ‘systemic grammar’ and ‘scale and category linguistics’, have been suggested in research literature in English. The founder of systemic linguistics was Michael Halliday. The key concepts of the theory are: 1) paradigmatic or vertical dimension; 2) focus on meaning rather than on form. The theory also formulated three basic metafunctions — interpersonal, experiential and textual — on which the linguistic system is based. Systemic linguistics was developed, among others, by R. Huddleston, R. Hasan, G. Turner, C. Matthiessen, R. Hudson, R. Fawcett, C. Butler, M. Berry and M. Gregory. The principles of systemic analysis found a width of practical application, e.g. in the analysis of scientific literature and colloquial speech, in descriptions of many Asian and African languages, and in formulating the basics of systemic phonology. Like the London School theory, systemic-functional linguistics was of an applied kind. Rather than an ossified fundamental concept, it was a constantly developing strain in linguistic thought which gave rise to a whole range of new scientific disciplines. In its descriptions, the theory of systemic-functional grammar brings together data obtained by various disciplines, such as grammar, lexicology, phonetics and semantics.