Systemic Functional Linguistics Research Articles

Easy read health information for people with intellectual disabilities: A linguistic discourse analysis. What happens to language when it is simplified?

Easy Read health documents prepared for people with intellectual disabilities are often generated from Standard Texts. Language in Easy Read versions is typically assumed to be simpler. However, simplification of language may have unintended consequences. This study aimed to explore the differences in language used between Easy Read health material and the Standard Text versions of the same material produced for the general population. Five Easy Read/Standard Text pairs were sampled and analysed using Systemic Functional Linguistics. This addressed: how people with intellectual disabilities and others were represented by language, the author stance in relation to the reader and the overall organisation of the text. The Easy Read versions often used language that was less empowering and inclusive. Increased awareness of author power and better knowledge of the impact of language choice could help to redress these issues.

Incoherent coherence? Using systemic functional linguistics to improve oral language assessment literacy

AbstractThis paper discusses the challenges of defining coherence in the context of oral language assessment literacy and proposes that better understanding of the construct can be achieved through a systemic-functional linguistic lens. Coherence is taken to be a foundational quality of written and spoken discourse and is a standard feature in the assessment rubrics of most large-scale English-language oral proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge. However, the precise meaning of coherence, and how it can be identified in language, is difficult to grasp. This has implications for the makers and raters of tests as well as the candidates who take them. The literature suggests coherence is the most troublesome category to rate reliably and validly. The systemic-functional linguistic (SFL) model of language provides a rich description of coherence, but has been under-utilised by the language testing industry to date. In this paper we examine three aspects of coherence: (1) how it is currently conceptualised in oral language proficiency testing; (2) how it is conceptualised in linguistics in general and SFL in particular; and (3) how insights from SFL could inform the evaluation of coherence in oral language proficiency examinations.

한국어 중급 교재의 대화문에 나타난 대인적 기능의 실현 양상 분석

Objectives This study aimed to analyze the realization patterns of interpersonal functions in dialogues of inter-mediate Korean language textbooks from the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics. Methods This study analyzed the interpersonal functions and their realization patterns in dialogues from Korean intermediate integrated textbooks published in the late 2000s. By establishing two main analytical categories—mood system and mood metaphor—and conducting distribution and realization pattern analyses for each cat-egory, we explored the linguistic characteristics of textbook dialogues from the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics. Results In the textbook dialogues, declarative sentences were most frequent, followed by interrogative, imper-ative, and suggestive sentences. For honorific forms, the combination of ‘하십시오체+해요체’ was most common, followed by ‘해라체+해체’, with the ‘하게체’ being least frequent. For mood metaphors, interrogative forms func-tioning as statements or commands were most frequently observed. Conclusions The study confirmed that the analyzed Korean textbook dialogues accurately reflect the language us-age patterns of native Korean speakers, and demonstrated the effectiveness of the Systemic Functional Linguistics approach in textbook analysis.

Meaning-making in English-medium instruction science classroom interaction: from the systemic functional linguistics perspective

Abstract Teaching science in English is increasingly common worldwide. This study explores the role of language in science meaning-making during classroom interactions by drawing on video-recorded classroom observations of four biology lessons in secondary English medium instruction (EMI) settings in Hong Kong. Informed by systemic functional linguistics (SFL), we integrate classroom interaction analysis with Lemke’s approach to thematic analysis. The results reveal similar interactional patterns across full- and partial-EMI science classrooms, characterised by a lack of interactivity and authoritative teacher behaviour in selecting student responses to engage with. During extended initiation–response–feedback exchanges, teachers’ feedback on students’ responses appears to underscore the importance of teachers’ modified input – specifically input emphasising semantic relations within the field of biology – in developing students’ content knowledge and language skills. The implications of the findings for applying SFL pedagogies in EMI science classrooms to improve teacher–student interaction are discussed.

Conveying the Meaning through Experiential Metafunction on Song Lyrics: A Case on Ideational Metafunction

This research explores the song "Better Man" by Westlife to uncover its experiential meaning and how it impacts the audience. Using the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) framework, the study analyzes the song's meaning by examining the processes, participants, and circumstances in the lyrics. Qualitative content analysis is employed to identify various emotional experiences expressed through language. The study involves deconstructing each sentence to understand how participants, processes, and circumstances are used in the song. The primary data source is the authentic lyrics from reliable sources like official songbooks and verified lyric websites to ensure accuracy. The SFL theory helps examine experiential meta function and its components in the lyrics, considering the entire complexity of language in social contexts. The analysis reveals that "Better Man" predominantly employs mental processes, reflecting the singer's personal thoughts and perspectives. The use of verbs like "love," "say," and "hidden" effectively conveys emotions and interactions between individuals. The song's participants, such as "better man" and "her," create emotional connections with listeners. The findings emphasize the importance of language as an expressive tool in art and music, guiding songwriters in effectively communicating deeper messages and meanings. Song lyrics, with their emotional storytelling, establish powerful connections with the audience. While this study offers valuable insights into "Better Man," there is potential for further research. Analyzing more songs and genres can deepen the understanding of how language conveys experiences and emotions in music's broader context.
 Keywords: Experiential Metafunction, Systemic Functional Linguistics, Ideational Metafunction

Identifying artificial intelligence–generated content in online Q&A communities through interpretable machine learning

This study aims to construct a comprehensive feature system for identifying artificial intelligence–generated content (AIGC) in online Q&A communities, thus uncovering the key factors and mechanisms influencing the identification of AIGC. First, based on the theory of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and information quality (IQ), this article extracts vocabulary, content, structure, and emotional features from the text, and identifies the AIGC through nine mainstream machine learning algorithms. Subsequently, three widely used resampling strategies are exploited to address the category imbalance problem. The grid search optimisation algorithm fine-tunes different combinations of parameters to improve the performance of the identification classifier. Finally, SHAP values are introduced to evaluate and elucidate the global feature importance and feature influence mechanism. A Chinese corpus from the Zhihu Q&A community is constructed to verify the validity of these methods. The experimental results show that the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model optimised with hybrid sampling and grid search parameters exhibits excellent performance in identifying AI-generated text, which achieves an F1-score of 0.9935, an improvement of 0.11 percentage points over the original model. In addition, all four dimensions of features constructed in this article contribute to AI-generated text identification, and the results of feature interpretability analysis show the greatest impact of features that focus on content readability. The study facilitates the identification and labelling of AIGC in online Q&A communities, thereby enhancing transparency and accountability of information shared online.

Analyzing Process Types in Nigerian Newspapers Political Headlines Using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) Transitivity Approach

Purpose: This study aims to examine the use of process types in Nigerian political headlines using the transitivity approach within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). The purpose of the research is to understand how language is used to construct political narratives in Nigerian newspapers, focusing on the different process types—material, mental, relational, verbal, behavioral, and existential—that shape public perception of political events and actors. Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative method, analyzing 50 political headlines from five major Nigerian newspapers: Vanguard, Leadership News, Punch, Daily Trust, and The Guardian Nigeria. The headlines, selected from articles published between January 2024 and September 2024, are categorized and analyzed based on Halliday's transitivity framework. Findings: The findings reveal that material processes are the most frequently used, representing 48% of the headlines, followed by mental (32%), verbal (20%), and relational processes (10%). Existential and behavioral processes were minimally represented. These results suggest that political discourse in Nigeria is predominantly action- and belief-oriented, with a focus on tangible actions and the intentions of political figures. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study makes a unique contribution to theory by applying the SFL transitivity framework to Nigerian political headlines, expanding the understanding of how process types reflect political actions, intentions, and relationships. The findings have practical implications for media practitioners and politicians in crafting messages that effectively engage the public, emphasizing actions and beliefs to influence perception. From a policy perspective, the study suggests the need for greater media literacy to enable the public to critically assess political communication and its impact on public discourse.

Analysis of the Interpersonal Meaning in the Teacher Discourse in Competition Videos

This study, grounded in Systemic Functional Linguistics, examines the form and distribution of mood and modality in English classroom discourse by the winner of the Special Prize at the 12th "Foreign Language Teaching Society Cup" National College Foreign Language Teaching Competition (English Major Group). It reveals how interpersonal meaning is realized in the teacher's discourse and explores teacher-student relationships. The analysis shows a predominant use of the declarative mood, followed by interrogative and imperative moods. This balance reflects the teacher's dual role as both knowledge disseminator and facilitator of student participation, steering away from a wholly authoritative position. Minimal use of the imperative mood suggests discussions are mainly informational, reducing student pressure and promoting an equal and harmonious classroom atmosphere. Declarative moods serve multiple functions, whereas interrogatives stimulate student engagement. Modal preferences indicate a balance between directive and facilitative communication, emphasizing low modal values to foster respect and a student-centered approach. This strategy illustrates the teacher's respect for students, embracing roles such as guide and observer, and offers insights for creating inclusive and effective university English classrooms.

A comparative of theosophical sufism in Syarah al-Hikam by Sholeh Darat and ‘Abdullah Gangohi

This study elaborated on the explanation of theosophical Sufism in the book of al-Hikam by two well-known Islamic academics, Kyai Sholeh Darat (Indonesia) and Shaykh ‘Abdullah Gangohi (India). The data in this study are the text of Syarah al-Hikam, written by Kyai Sholeh Darat and the text of Syarah Al-Hikam in the perspective of Shaykh ‘Abdullah Gangohi. This qualitative research study used a Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) approach from M.A.K. Halliday. Data analysis in this research applied the Spradley model, namely: (1) domain analysis, (2) taxonomy analysis, (3) componential analysis and (4) analysis of cultural themes. The domain analysis tried to map the information structure in the explanation of al-Hikam based on the theory of SFL. This information structure is the basis for the genre analysis as a semiotic representation of social society. Meanwhile, the taxonomic analysis tried to elaborate on the Sufism thoughts of both the thinkers based on the Syarah al-Hikam text. Componential analysis synergised the results of the information structure and the theosophical Sufism thought in al-Hikam. Finally, the analysis of cultural themes endeavoured to elaborate on the theosophical Sufism thoughts of the two Sufism thinkers and to draw the relationships and the contributions to the universal Sufism. The conditions of theosophical Sufism can be elaborated based on the information structure. The limitation of this study is the lack of researcher’s efforts to investigate the substance of theosophical Sufism, because this research is only limited to the outer layer of language.Contribution: This article shows that the thought of theosophical Sufism showed that Islam in Southeast Asia is Islam that carries the spirit of Islam Rahmatan lil-alamin. In addition, the thought of theosophical Sufism in Syarah al-Hikam has had an impact on the socio-cultural transformation, especially on the Sufism movement [thariqah] spread across Indonesia and India.

Mood Analysis of COVID-19 Messages: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach to Understanding Public Health Communication

Purpose: This study examines how Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), particularly through mood analysis, can enhance understanding of public health communication related to COVID-19. The aim is to explore the use of mood types in health messages to convey risk, provide instructions, and manage public vulnerability during the pandemic. Methodology: Utilizing a qualitative and quantitative approach, this study analyzed 100 COVID-19 health messages sourced from government websites, social media, and public health announcements. The messages were categorized according to their mood type imperative (commands) and declarative (statements) to assess their functional roles in conveying public health information. Data were tabulated to illustrate the frequency of each mood type and their implications for public health communication. Findings: The analysis revealed that 70% of the messages were in the imperative mood, highlighting the urgency of issuing clear directives to the public. In contrast, 30% of the messages were in the declarative mood, providing essential information and reassurance. This distribution indicates a strategic use of language in public health messaging to promote compliance while fostering public trust. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of SFL mood analysis in public health communication by illustrating how mood types influence public perception and behavior during a crisis. The findings offer practical insights for health authorities to enhance communication strategies, ensuring that messages are both directive and informative. Additionally, this research informs policymakers about effective messaging practices to improve health outcomes during future public health crises.

A Study of Chinese Translation of The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language from the Perspective of Grammatical Metaphor

In Systemic Functional Linguistics, grammatical metaphor is categorized into ideational and interpersonal types. Translation, as a process of code-switching, involves choosing between congruent and metaphorical forms, each serving different communicative purposes. Distinguishing these forms clarifies their distinct functions. This paper explores the use and importance of grammatical metaphors in translating The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language based on the author’s independent translation practice. Given this, the study achieves three objectives through quantitative and qualitative analysis: (1) examining the distribution of grammatical metaphors in the translation of The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language; (2) exploring the reasons behind their emergence; and (3) analyzing the role these metaphors play in the translation. Translation strategies were classified into two types based on the retention of grammatical metaphors: congruent translation, which simplifies the text and reduces metaphors, and metaphorical translation, which sustains a formal, academic, and concise style. The study reveals that the same translation techniques can be applied across various word, sentence, and text types, with different contexts requiring different methods even for identical grammatical and semantic units. Regardless of whether metaphors are retained, it is essential to ensure faithfulness, fluency, and aesthetics of the translation. Translators should avoid rigid application and decide on metaphor preservation based on the specific context and text type to best convey the original meaning.

Revisiting the Structure and Rhetoric of the Christ Hymn in Colossians 1:15–20: A Thematic Analysis Based on Systemic Functional Linguistics

Abstract Although there have been several studies on the linguistic features of the Christ Hymn in Col 1:15–20, they rarely start with the “clauses” or investigate how messages are conveyed in the clauses in this hymn. This article will adopt Michael A. K. Halliday’s systemic functional system of theme and rheme, particularly his perception of the clause as message, to gain insights into the ways in which information is managed into categories of given and new at the clause level, and thereby accomplishing rhetorical purposes in the Christ Hymn. This article will seek to demonstrate how Paul intimates point of view by employing the linguistic device of “thematization” to foreground “the Son” to be the chief topic of the Christ Hymn and thereby underline his universal Lordship. The result of this thematic analysis will underline the textual cohesion of the Christ Hymn and lend support to the view that this hymn comprises the two stanzas in vv. 15–18a and vv. 18b–20.

Anthropocentrism in Contemporary Chinese Dictionary: A Synergic Perspective of Critical Lexicographical Discourse Studies and Systemic Functional Linguistics

Abstract Critical Lexicographical Discourse Studies (CLDS) view the dictionary as a discourse and emphasize an ideological, ethico-political dimension to the lexicographical process. Combining CLDS with Systemic Functional Linguistics, this paper looks into how anthropocentrism is manifested linguistically in Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Seventh Edition), the most influential authoritative general-purpose Chinese dictionary, by examining the transitivity and appraisal patterns in the definition texts concerning animals and plants. The analysis shows that animals and plants are seldom assigned agency in their own right and that the animals and plants are evaluated either positively or negatively according to whether they are useful to the human beings while their intrinsic value is ignored. In particular, animals are highlighted for their agricultural and medicinal use and plants for their medicinal and ornamental value. However, compared with its previous editions, the dictionary has shown an enhanced awareness of environmental protection by deleting the encyclopaedic information that describes the use of some rare animals’ meat, bones and fur. It is argued that, although modern general-purpose dictionaries are increasingly corpus-based and descriptive, their role in shaping social values and stances cannot be disregarded. Dictionary makers need to balance what words mean with what they can be said to mean or be allowed to mean (Moon, 2014). The study contributes to unmasking and denaturalizing the hidden ideology in colony texts such as the dictionary, enhances a critical use of dictionaries and helps develop the theory of critical lexicography and emerging ecolexicography.

국어의 조사를 대체하는 다단어 표현 연구: 체계기능언어학의 경험적 은유의 관점

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to explain the relationship between experiential metaphors and multiword expressions that substitute for postpositional markers in Korean from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics. Methods grammatical metaphor, a concept introduced in Halliday (1985), operates in the opposite direction of metaphor to lexical metaphor. Whereas lexical metaphor starts at the lexical-grammatical level and realizes ‘alternative meanings’ at the discourse-semantic level, grammatical metaphor starts at the discourse-semantic level and realizes ‘alternative forms’ at the lexical-grammatical level. More specifically, circumstantial(or postpositional) metaphor is a phenomenon in which a multiword expression, such as phrase or clause, metaphorizes the meaning of a particular adverbial postposition, and has various lexicogrammatical alternative realizations. Here, the former circumstantial metaphoric expressions are called incongruent, and the latter adverbial postpositions are called congruent. Results The results of this study show that multiword expressions in Korean three different kinds: verbatim type, experiential metaphor type (Type I), experiential idiomatic type (Type II). Among these, the verbatim is only recognized as an entry stage for multiword expressions. After reviewing in detail the lists of previous studies (postpostion equivalents, postpostional collocation, periphrastic construction, grammaticalization, etc.), this paper applies the criteria of non-congruent, congruent, and postpositional meanings to them, and finally selects 34 experiential metaphors that substitute for postpositional markers and 13 idiomatic forms that replace postpositional markers. Conclusions Although we have limited our discussion to grammatical metaphors as substitution for postpositional markers, the scope of application of grammatical metaphors is very broad, and future research efforts need to continue to expand the scope.

Promoting a sense of belonging in university online learning: How and why initial teacher education students experience an increased sense of belonging

Despite evidence of practices that support online students in university learning, promoting engagement and building a student sense of belonging continue to be a challenge. To enhance student engagement, a suite of evidence-based learning design strategies was incorporated across online units of study in initial teacher education programmes at a regional Australian university. To determine the impact of these strategies or elements, students were surveyed regarding their perspectives on how the elements had positively impacted their sense of belonging within the online university community. The systemic functional linguistics Appraisal framework was used to analyse qualitative survey data, which reported students experienced an increased sense of belonging expressed as positive judgements of their own mental capacities. Students also expressed feeling cared for, valued and supported by academics and experienced enjoyment in their learning and reduced levels of stress. All elements were positively evaluated; however, unit coordinator behaviour, especially social capacity, was unexpectedly important in increasing student sense of belonging. Whilst ongoing incorporation of design elements to enhance engagement is important, the behaviours of unit coordinators actioned through these elements were paramount in promoting student belonging. Implications for practice or policy: Increasing levels of student belonging may be improved by including learning experiences that promote feelings of success and relationships with others. Unit coordinators can enhance online student belonging by using online learning design elements to demonstrate approachability, understanding, supportiveness, availability, presence, care and patience. Universities should consider adopting organisation-wide initiatives that promote consistent and visible learning design features and staff presence, with the aim of addressing attrition and retention challenges.

Textual Metafunction in The Choir Traditional Spiritual Song “Elijah Rock” By Moses Hogan

This research explores the textual metafunction of the choir song "Elijah Rock" by Moses Hogan through the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), employing Suzanne Eggins' model of analysis. By examining the song's lyrical structure, the study aims to uncover how thematic organization, cohesion, and information flow contribute to the overall meaning and emotional impact of the piece. The analysis identifies key thematic elements, such as the recurring motif of "Elijah," as topical theme; the use of other topical themes such as: “come on”, “tell”, “comin’ up”, “Satan”; “He”; and “I”; the use of textual theme “if” and “Oh” highlights the extensive use of repetition and parallelism, which enhance textual coherence. Through a qualitative content analysis, the research demonstrates how linguistic features not only create a unified text but also resonate with the cultural and historical significance of African American spirituals. The findings reveal that the interplay between textual structure and musical expression plays a vital role in conveying the song's message and engaging audiences. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the intersection of linguistics and music, offering valuable insights for future research in both fields.

"Each person's experience, each person's needs": How therapists open space for multiple perspectives during reflecting team family therapy supervision.

Tom Andersen's reflecting team approach invited family members to hear the dialogues between professionals in response to their stories. This study aimed to explore intersubjective reflexivity during reflecting team group supervision, by observing resonances between group members. Twelve hours of reflecting team group supervision was transcribed and analyzed using Systemic Functional Linguistics. Hallidayan transitivity analysis of selected sections of interaction focused on mental processes, and Martin and White's appraisal framework was used to explore the "engagement" between different voices at play in the conversations. We found the use of physical metaphor to express reflective experiences, multi-voiced expressions to expand perspectives and possibilities, and dialogical patterns of relating between group therapy participants. Understanding dialogism from a linguistic perspective may offer insights into how reflective dialogues work and support understanding of fidelity for approaches which engage reflecting teams.

Countering Gender Stereotypes: The Power of the Main Female Character in Thor: Ragnarok Movie (2017)

Gender stereotypes constructed by society are detrimental for women. Women were seen as weak and underestimated by society (the PEW Research Center’s survey in 2017). This study aims to discover how a film entitled Thor: Ragnarok (2017) countered gender stereotypes through the portrayal of the main female character, Hela, and to reveal the reason behind such portrayal of Hela. This study is a qualitative study because the data are qualitative data. The data of this study are clauses collected from the movie subtitles, containing Hela’s power to counter gender stereotypes. This study applied Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (three-dimensional framework), supported by Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), which focused on the transitivity system for the first-dimension analysis. After doing the three-dimensional analysis, it is found that Hela’s character in the movie is portrayed as opposing gender stereotypes. Hela is represented as strong, brave, and feared. These traits are against the stereotype of women described as weak, fearful, and underestimated. The reason behind the portrayal of Hela as a strong woman is to promote the feminism spirit to the people in that women should be empowered, in line with the goal of the United Nations (UN) Women and the UN Foundation that protect women's rights and supports women in achieving gender equality.

Stance-taking through APPRAISAL in L1 and L2 English argumentative essays: insights from Vietnamese L2 English

Abstract Stance-taking in academic writing is now a well-established topic of interest in English language research, with explorations across a range of theoretical frameworks including metadiscourse and systemic functional linguistics (SFL). This includes studies investigating second language (L2) stance-taking, particularly those comparing stance features deployed by L1 and L2 English writers. However, studies investigating stance-taking using the APPRAISAL framework for evaluative discursive language across L1 and L2 production are relatively rare. Incorporating the APPRAISAL framework into research on stance-taking enhances our comprehension of evaluative language in academic writing, especially when it comes to cross-linguistic contexts. It also provides useful advantages for language assessment and instruction. In this learner corpus-assisted discourse study, APPRAISAL was used to determine how L1 English speakers and L2 English learners from L1 Vietnamese backgrounds expressed attitudes through their written texts. We also investigate the relationship between use of APPRAISAL resources and expert raters’ perceptions of written stance via a stance rubric. Findings show L2 English students are more explicit in argumentative writing than L1 English writers, despite fewer APPRAISAL choices in L2 texts. Besides, while high-rated texts were associated with more judgemental evaluation and invocation, more personal feelings were expressed in low-rated texts. These findings have implications for the instruction of L2 writers in conveying attitudinal meanings in text, as well as for raters tasked with assessing L2 academic essays for stance.

A typology of the Arabic system of mood

Abstract This article is about the interpersonal side of the clause in Arabic. It more specifically studies all the different speech functions inherent in the exchange of meanings: offer, command (viz. proposals), statement, and question (viz. propositions). The main question that this article seeks to answer is how Arabic realizes these different speech functions through variations in mood choices. The purpose of the article is to fill a gap in the literature. In fact, there have not been many major attempts to describe the Arabic system of mood in the reference grammars of Arabic. Although this article defines the delimitation of the system of mood in Arabic from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics, it also draws from the work of earlier Arab grammarians which has been either ignored or misinterpreted for centuries. For the purpose of this study, dialogic texts from various sources have been analysed including scenes from movies, plays, novels, and The Noble Quran. The findings show that the system of mood in Arabic is different from its English counterpart and from that of other languages.