Systemic Functional Linguistics Research Articles

Modalitas dalam sambutan Presiden Joko Widodo dalam peluncuran govtech Indonesia linguistik fungsional sistemik

This research examines President Joko Widodo's speech at the launch of GovTech Indonesia using the theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). This research aims to determine the use of modalities in the president's speech. The theory used in this research uses the theory of Halliday and Matthiessen (2004). The method used is a qualitative method with descriptive presentation. The findings in this research show that President Joko Widodo's welcoming text at the launch of GovTech Indonesia uses medium to high modalities, with the modalities of want, must, and also will. Overall, the choice of modality in President Joko Widodo's speech text reflects a measurable communication strategy which is the main key to making the message in the President's speech stronger and more influential. This aims to represent President Joko Widodo's ability to carry out his vision, plans and future improvements for the better welfare of the Indonesian state.

A Linguistic Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions in Town Bemba: A Systematic Functional Linguistic

Idioms, as linguistic expressions, convey meanings that go beyond the literal interpretation of words. They are deeply rooted in historical and cultural contexts and are widely utilized by language speakers to effectively communicate specific messages. These expressions have diverse origins, including historical events, folklore, mythology, and popular culture, and they form an integral part of daily communication among Bemba speakers. In recent times, urban speakers of Town Bemba have developed idioms that reflect modern life and are associated with multilingual practices and shared experiences. This study aims to examine the nature of Town Bemba idioms as spoken in the Copperbelt province in Zambia. The study is guided by aspects of the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) model and the concept of recontextualization in analyzing the nature of idiomatic expressions used in Town Bemba. The study collected idioms from 20 purposively selected speakers of Town Bemba for oral interviews. The data were descriptively examined to unpack the conveyed meanings and the nature and form of the idioms in Town Bemba. The findings suggest several linguistic processes that give rise to idiomatic expressions, including linguistic coining, blending, and recontextualization of meaning. Additionally, the study demonstrates how multilingualism is used as a resource in forming non-traditional idiomatic expressions, incorporating linguistic features from different language sources. The study further shows how socio-cultural context and shared experiences of the speakers play a key role in determining the meaning associated with idioms.

Modality in SFL Revisited: Establishing Evidentiality in the System of Modality

In systemic functional linguistics (SFL), modality is seen as an extension of the semantic space of polarity. The SFL perspective provides a unique insight into the complexity of modality. However, it has received little attention in the open literature, and the SFL categorization of modality seems out of place compared to other perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to address the potential problems with the categorization of modality in SFL and to establish evidentiality in the system. To this end, the present study reviews the development of modality in SFL and justifies the need to replace usuality with evidentiality. The results show that there are four stages in the development of modality in SFL and that usuality, as a subtype of modality, faces challenges both from the later development of modality and from studies of grammatical metaphor in SFL. The paper then argues that the categorization of modality should be made along two dimensions, namely modality force and modality locus, and that evidentiality should take the place of usuality as a category in the system. The study also shows that evidentiality can be further divided into four types, and that it has eight ways of realization.

Syntax, Technology and Politics: Analyzing Political Facebook Posts

This study used Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory to analyze syntactic complexity in digital communication. Thirty Facebook posts made between August and December 2023 by John Dramani Mahama, a Ghanaian former president, were analyzed in this study. A textual analysis was conducted on the data. The findings affirmed that grammatical categories are functional. There was a deliberate linguistic strategy marked by a prevalence of declarative sentences and a notable dominance of complex structures in this genre of digital writing. The strategic use of non-finite clauses contributes to the complexity of the discourse. The genre of writing is also characterized by information ranking and integration. The linguistic choices align with the formal expectations of political and digital communication – precision, depth, and engagement. These observations challenge and enrich existing theories of political discourse and communication strategies in the digital era. Keywords: Syntactic Complexity, Digital Communication, Facebook, Sentence Types, SFL

Examining teacher’s evaluative language in written, audio and screencast feedback on EFL learners’ writing from the appraisal framework: A linguistic perspective

Technology facilitates teacher corrective feedback on students' writing, but there is a need to examine how written, audio and screencast modes affect teacher's evaluative language of electronic (e-) feedback from linguistic approaches. By using the engagement resources of the appraisal framework within Systemic Functional Linguistics, this study examined the effect of written, audio and screencast modes on the instructor's evaluative language in his e-feedback on writing and the text revisions of 15 pairs of Saudi EFL learners. The linguistic analysis of the e-feedback revealed that the instructor's engagement resources differed across the three e-feedback modes. Specifically, the screencast and audio e-feedback modes were dominated by expanding resources (resources expanding the space for dialogue) as opposed to the prevalence of contracting resources (resources limiting/shutting down the space for dialogue) in the written feedback mode. Moreover, the audio and screencast feedback modes contained more statements and suggestions whereas the written feedback mode was dominated by commands/orders and suggested corrections. The content analysis revealed that the screencast e-feedback mode addressed a higher number of global issues in writing; however, the audio and written e-feedback modes addressed a higher number of local issues in writing. Despite the higher overall rate of successful text revisions resulting from the screencast and audio e-feedback modes, no significant differences were found except in relation to students' global text revisions. The study offers useful pedagogical implications for instructors in effectively responding to students' writing.

Polarity and Positioning in Public Facebook Comments among Filipino ESL Teachers

Research on teacher discourses is growing but only a few studies have focused on teachers’ construction of comments publicly posted on social media. Hence, this study aims at describing the polarity of comments and positioning of Filipino ESL teachers in their public Facebook comments via Systemic Functional Linguistics. A total of 281 public comments with 863 clauses publicly posted by ESL teachers on selected Facebook groups associated with ESL teaching were analyzed. Polarity (positive and negative polarity) was also analyzed and was further described via three types of positioning: Attitudinal, Dialogistic, and Intertextual. Results show that material processes heavily characterize the comments. The ESL teachers resort to the default material processes when writing comments related to ESL teaching and employment. Under polarity, positive clauses dominate over negative clauses. These comments heavily fall under Attitudinal Identities and seconded by Dialogistic and Intertextual Identities. This research hopes to contribute to the existing literature that explores the ever-changing nature of ESL teaching and employment, especially with the proliferation of public social media discourses.

References in Speech of Selena Gomez Billboard Music Award: Discourse Analysis Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze the function of references within Selena Gomez's Billboard Woman of the Year speech through a comprehensive analysis. The research employs a qualitative descriptive method, with data obtained from a YouTube video posted by the Global TV team on December 2, 2018. To analyze the data, this research utilizes discourse analysis theory from Halliday and Hasan (2013). The study focuses on identifying types of references and what grammatical cohesion is found in each type of reference within the framework of discourse analysis. The distribution of found references is as follows: 49 (35.8%) data for anaphoric reference, 16 (11.7%) for cataphoric reference, and 5 (3.6%) for exophoric reference. In terms of grammatical cohesion, the data are distributed as follows: 32 (23.4%) data for pronouns, 33 (24.1%) for lexical cohesion, and 1 (0.7%) for ellipsis. The study employs systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to delve into speech functions, emphasizing the importance of grammar and language in effective communication. By examining Selena Gomez's speech, the research aims to uncover underlying meanings and cultural influences embedded in her references. Discourse analysis, as a tool, allows for a broader understanding of language's role in society communication, particularly within the realm of celebrity culture. Keywords: Anaphoric, Cataphoric, Exophoric, Discourse Analysis, Reference, Youtube Video

Analysis of Lexical Density and Readability of Pakistani English Newspaper Dawn

This research study aimed to analyze the lexical density and readability of Pakistani English Newspaper and so, to suggest their suitability for the level of students. Eight newspapers from four genres were selected as sample. The theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics based on the theory of lexical density by Ure (1971) was applied for finding lexical density and readability indices by using content analysis design through an online text analyzer software. Readability values were compared with the FleschmReading Ease Scale. The results of this study showed that lexical density values of all genres were greater than 40% according to the Flesch Reading Ease Scale. All the texts were lexically dense having a greater number of contents carrying lexical items as compared to grammatical items. The findings of study could also be applied to academic textbooks in order to check complexity and suitability according to the level of the students.

문장의 수와 장르의 사회언어학적 관계 연구

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to compare the numbers of sentences and genre characteristics. To do so, we analyze the sociolinguistic implications of the differences in the number of occurrences of culminative suffixes in different genres. Methods Fifteen genres of texts were selected for the test, according to the type of socio-symbolic activity of systemic functional linguistics. For each of them, we counted the number of sentences with the following grammatical categories: the number of sentence types, the number of mood types, the number of stance types, the number of addressee deference types, and the number of minor sentences. To verify the results statistically, a Chi-squared Test of Independence was performed. Results The number of sentences per genre was highest in private conversations, followed by fairy tales, weather reports, and fiction texts. On the contrary, the lowest number of sentences were found in judgments. In terms of mood, five types of mood were found in private conversations and four in fairy tales, but only a single type of mood was found in other genres. The number of stance types by genre was 4 in private conversations and 3 in fairy tales, and none in elders. The number of addressee deference types by genre tended to be fixed at one type or another depending on the audience of the text. The number of minor sentences per genre was overwhelmingly high in everyday conversation, with 15. Conclusions The statistical tests of the results of the above analysis show that the grammatical categories performed by the culminative suffixes in the 15 genres have significant differences in the variance of their ratings, and that, although the culminative suffixes do not combine, minor sentences also fulfill the interpersonal functions of culminative suffixes.

THE APPRAISAL SYSTEM OF TOURISM EDITORIAL TEXTS ON SINDONEWS.COM

This research aimed to identify appraisal system in tourism editorial texts in SINDOnews.com news portal, particularly to identify attitude, graduation, and engagement as well as to know how the writer positions himself in his writing and public response on the issue. This research applied Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theories and is designed with an embedded case study. The data were taken from a tourism editorial text in SINDOnews.com with the total number of 70 out of 30 sentences. The data were then analyzed with appraisal system theory proposed by Martin & White (2005). The result shows the existence of attitude (affect positive/negative), judgement (social esteem positive/negative: normality, capacity, and tenacity; social sanctions positive/negative: veracity and propriety), appreciation (reaction, composition, and valuation positive/negative), graduation (force: Intensifier, attitudinal lexis, metaphor and focus: sharpen and soften) and engagement (monogloss and heterogloss). The data mostly found are graduation which consists of force (8 intensifiers, 6 metaphor, and 2 qttitudinal lexes) and focus (6 sharpen and 8 soften). The texts themselves emphasize values, public opinions, author’s attitude, and show the beautiful and the selling point of tourist destinations in Bali. It means that the writer shows the positive perception subjectively whereas the society shows the positive and negative perception objectively in the texts.

Nature Speaks: Agency and Environment in Ben Okri’s The Famished Road

This study explores the linguistic strategies in Ben Okri’s “The Famished Road” to construct ecological interdependencies and agency in the novel. Employing systemic functional linguistics and ecolinguistic analysis, the study examines how Okri’s linguistic strategies elevate the agency of non-human elements, representing them as vibrant and willful participants within their ecosystem. The purpose of this analysis is to understand how language in “The Famished Road” conveys agency and a symbiotic relationship between humans and non-human elements, thereby addressing broader ecological and environmental concerns. Employing an ecolinguistic analysis, the research examines linguistic portrayals that challenge anthropocentric views and emphasize respect for nature. Results show that the novel frames nature and non-human entities as vibrant, active participants, influencing ecological consciousness and fostering ethical considerations towards the environment. This study concludes that Ben Okri’s ‘The Famished Road’, through its unique linguistic strategies, reflects and advocates for a symbiotic relationship between all life forms, highlighting the potential of literary works to contribute to environmental advocacy and consciousness. This analysis adds depth to our understanding of language’s role in ecological literature and encourages further exploration into how textual practices can influence ecological and ethical perceptions.

An SFL Analysis of Dialogues in Elementary EFL Textbooks

Textbooks play a vital role in language instruction. The study aims to examine the three metafunctions of language based on the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory. As such, a descriptive qualitative approach along with content analysis is employed to examine dialogues that were selected conveniently from two elementary EFL textbooks. The findings indicate that the relational process is the most frequent process type indicating the ideational function of the two textbooks. For the sake of interpersonal function, declarative sentences are mostly utilized. Meanwhile, the textual function is mostly reflected by the T (Thing) and DT (Deictic + Thing) nominal group pattern. These findings have pedagogical implications for teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL), particularly for elementary school students; providing simple language patterns that help students build a foundational vocabulary and understanding of grammar for proficient communication. The theoretical implication of the findings is the importance of scaffolded learning that helps learners grasp basic linguistic concepts before moving on to more complex and dynamic language use

Lexicalisation of discourse strategies in the national anthems of selected African states

ABSTRACT A national anthem is an official song of a nation. Extant studies have examined national anthems from philosophical, thematic, and historical points of view with insufficient attention paid to the lexicalisation of discourse strategies in the anthems of African states. This study, therefore, investigates how lexical choices and discourse strategies are deployed in the construction of national identities and ideologies. Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics and Wodak’s Discourse-Historical Approach were adopted as framework. Data were purposively selected from ideology-laden anthems, four from each of the five African sub-regions namely: Central (Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea); East (Djibouti, Eritrea, Rwanda, and Uganda); North (Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Tunisia); Southern (Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe); and West (Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, and Gambia). The study discovers that lexicalisation of discourse strategies of construction, transformation, perpetuation, and representation reflects socio-cultural, political, and cultural experiences of African states.

Multimodal Discourse Analysis on Female Representations in Film Posters

This study aims to identify the multimodal features used in film posters of Filipino movies produced between 2010 and 2023 that are currently found on Netflix. It aims to highlight the various stereotypes of women depicted through various multimodal modes using Multimodal Discourse Analysis and anchored on Visual Grammar by Kress and Van Leeuwen and Systemic Functional Linguistics by Halliday. Moreover, through this study, the researcher examined how these representations affected female viewers’ construction of their feminine images and their overall impression on the film posters. There were 40 film posters analyzed and 11 female participants interviewed. The results revealed that the interactional (gaze, size of frame, and perspective), compositional meanings (salience and informational value) of the film posters were tools to display different female representations. Also, the representational meanings made up by vectors and different structures and process underscored different female representations. These representations were also observed in the themes that were developed from the responses of the participants, which include: women’s stereotypical image portrayal, progressive female characters, stereotype subversion, and objectification. Finally, the participants also had similar opinions regarding the influence that film posters have on them when choosing which movies to watch, and the most prominent visual elements that attract the viewers.

Scaffolding instruction in an EFL drama lesson: a systemic functional analysis

Abstract This paper presents analyses of an EFL drama lesson at a university in China from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to explore the managing of the complexity of learning tasks through scaffolding instruction. Based on pedagogic activity analysis and exchange structure analysis, we show that scaffolding is achieved through the strategic arrangement of classroom activities and the deployment of the multilingual discourse resource of knowledge and action. First, the evaluation of student acting and/or the elaboration based on it frequently serves to prepare the students for acting in the next learning cycle. Second, modelling and explaining acting are achieved through the teacher taking on the roles of secondary actor and primary knower in non-Task phases. Third, the teacher uses students’ L1 in non-Task phases either to model alternative ways of acting or to explain motivations for particular ways of acting. The observations reported in this study have potential implications for teacher education that focuses on teaching drama in EFL programmes.

A framework for teaching a moral dilemma narrative to multilingual middle school students: A genre‐based approach

AbstractIn this article, the researchers employ a linguistically informed approach to close reading that teaches a moral dilemma through an autobiographical short story. The approach, based on systemic functional linguistics, uses genre analysis that can draw students' attention to the structure, vocabulary, and grammar within literary texts, helping them better understand how meaning is constructed in the text. The authors exemplify this approach through the close reading of “Little Things Are Big” by Jesús Colón (1961) and provide implications for teaching literature about moral dilemmas and close reading to multilingual learners in a middle school ELA classroom. Through this analysis of the story, the authors demonstrate the power of close reading in a multilingual educational setting, showing how genre analysis enables a functional focus on language and meaning in literary reading.

An Ecological Discourse Analysis of Wordsworth s Nature Poetry from a Systemic Functional Linguistics Perspective -- Taking Daffodils as an Example

The English Romantic poet Wordsworth composed many nature poems. Taking the nature poem Daffodils as the research corpus, this paper aims to carry out ecolinguistic analysis from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics, mainly focusing on three dimensions: transitivity analysis, agency and causality analysis, as well as grammatical metaphors. The goal is to reveal the poet s ecological consciousness by analyzing the linguistic structure and function of the text. Through the use of non-human and materialistic process participants, special grammatical features of dynamic verbs, and nominalized grammatical metaphors, the relationship between human beings and nature is portrayed as one of harmonious coexistence and equal dialogue. The work manifests a positive ecological view of the unity of things and the self , showing that systemic functional linguistics provides theoretical support for ecological discourse analysis.

Framing negative eWOM via conjunctions: The language of customer communication in the luxury hotel sector on social media

In the digital age, social media has a significant impact on consumer perceptions. This business communication study examines the linguistic strategies used to express and repair negative electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in Hong Kong’s luxury hotel sector. The data, which were collected from travel forums, consist of 17,344 words from online hotel reviews (11,647 words) and responses (5,697 words) made by the visitors and senior hotel management of 18 five-star hotels. Using systemic functional linguistics as a framework, this study analyses the logical relations that exist between expectant and concessive conjunctions, as well as the evaluative judgment resources present in an appraisal system. The analysis focuses on the poor service standards framed in the complaints and how the hotel management responds to such situations differently, particularly with respect to repairing customer expectations. This study also examines how loyal fans and frequent travellers present their customer identity when dealing with service-related issues. By developing an understanding of how luxury hotels manage customer complaints, repair customer relationships, and protect their brand reputation through dynamic interactions, this study can provide valuable communication insights for the hotel sector.

Sistem Appraisal dalam Video Kritik terhadap Kebijakan Pemerintah Daerah

Social media has become an important means for people to express their opinions and criticisms on various issues, including issues related to local government policies. Criticism towards local governments triggers various interpretations in society. Academics in the field of linguistics should respond to such issues by conducting research, one of which is discourse analysis from the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics. The purpose of this research is to reveal how speakers express their attitudes, judgments, and emotions through the language they use to convey criticism towards local government policies. This research employs a qualitative design. The data source is derived from the social media platform, TikTok in the form of videos criticizing local government policies. The result of this research indicate that the aspect of judgment dominates in the transcripts of videos criticizing local government policies followed by appreciation in second place and affect in third place. The most frequently used judgment is personal – negative – criticizing – direct. This aligns with the main objective of the videos criticizing local government policies used as data in this research, which is to criticize or evaluate. After judgment, negative appreciation is the second most prevalent. Lastly, negative affect – direct is the least frequently found in the research data.

Deconstructing the Richness of Understanding the Nature of Language, Learning, and Social Change: A Journey Through SFL Action Research for Teachers in Pursuit of a Multilingual Equity Agenda

This essential volume, edited by Meg Gebhard, illustrates how K-12 teachers use Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and action research to support the development of disciplinary literacy among diverse learners in high-stakes school reform contexts. With contributions from teachers, teacher educators, and researchers, this book empowers teachers to be agents of change in their schools by designing and implementing of curricula, instruction, and assessment that build on students' cultural and linguistic knowledge. This book provides a framework, tools and resources for teaching and supporting multilingual students and ELLs through case studies and contexts. This book aims to improve teachers' professional practice through critical SFL pedagogy and to support teachers in combating racist and xenophobic (anti-immigrant) rhetoric by contributing to their schools' equality agenda.