An SFL perspective on EFL textbooks and its pedagogical implications in language teaching

Abstract

Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) offers a framework for analyzing EFL textbooks by considering three metafunctions of language: ideational, interpersonal, and textual. This study aims to explore how SFL can provide insights into the linguistic features and discourse patterns that contribute to establishing these metafunctions in EFL textbooks, focusing on the pedagogical implications for language teaching. Specifically, the study investigates the transitivity pattern, mood system, and nominal group analysis, focusing on two selected EFL textbooks from different publishers. For the convenience of the research process, the researcher selected dialogue samples from the textbooks through convenience sampling and transformed them into clauses for analysis. The findings revealed that material process types were the most frequently employed, while interrogative forms predominated among the clause types. Additionally, the analysis of nominal groups indicated that the most common were nominal group types Thing (T) and Noun and Thing (NT). These findings shed light on the linguistic features of EFL textbooks and suggest that a closer examination of the metafunction of language can enhance our understanding of how language is utilized to achieve learning objectives. Consequently, to support students' language learning and proficiency development, EFL teachers should incorporate instructional focus, contextualized language teaching, integration of SFL concepts, promotion of language awareness, and differentiated instruction.