Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T02:28:58.075Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

5 - A Functional Approach to Context

from Part II - Philosophical, Semantic, and Grammatical Approaches to Context

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 November 2023

Jesús Romero-Trillo
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Get access

Summary

This chapter presents a view on context as understood within functional models of language, specifically the theoretical framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Amongst the functional approaches to language, SFL is recognized as a framework which has maintained an account of context that has prioritized its relationship with lexicogrammar, allowing it to make a causal connection between culture and language. The aim of this chapter is to highlight and explain the principal ways in which context works within the SFL framework and explore the main themes and parameters which situate context within an integrated theory of language as a semiotic resource. As no theory emerges in a vacuum, the first part of the chapter will consider the historical development of context as a concept within SFL theory with reference to how context is situated in other related functional grammars. Following this, we examine two areas of challenge related to the approach to context outlined in the chapter. Finally, the chapter concludes with closing remarks and key directions for future research in this area.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bartlett, T. (2016). Phasal dynamism and the unfolding of meaning as text. English Text Construction, 9(1), 143164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartlett, T. (2017). Context in systemic functional linguistics: Towards scalar supervenience? In Bartlett, T. and O’Grady, G. (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 375390). London/New York: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bateman, J. (2019). Transmediality and the end of disembodied semiotics. International Journal of Semiotics and Visual Rhetoric, 3(2), 123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bateman, J., McDonald, D., Hiippala, T., Couto-Vale, D., and Costetchi, E. (2019). Systemic functional linguistics and computation. In G. Thompson, W. Bowcher, L., Fontaine, L., and Schonthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 561586). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bateman, J. A., Wildfeuer, J., and Hiippala, T. (2020). A question of definitions: Foundations for multimodality. A response to Charles Forceville’s review. Visual Communication, 19, 317320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernstein, B. (1971). Class, Codes, and Control, Vol. I: Theoretical Studies Towards a Sociology of Language. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Berry, M. (2016a). Dynamism in exchange structure. English Text Construction, 9(1), 3355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, M. (2016b). On describing contexts of situation. In Society in Language, Language in society (pp. 184205). London: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, M. (2017). Stratum, delicacy, realisation and rank. In Bartlett, T. and O’Grady, G. (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 4255). London/New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Berry, M. (2019). The clause: An overview of the lexicogrammar. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W., Fontaine, L., and Schönthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 92117). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowcher, W. (1999). Investigating institutionalization in context. In Ghadessy, M. (ed.), Text and Context in Functional Linguistics (pp. 141176). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowcher, W. (2017). Field, tenor and mode. In Bartlett, T. and O’Grady, G. (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 391403). London/New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Bowcher., W. (2018). The semiotic sense of context vs the material sense of context. Functional Linguistics, 5(5), 119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler, C. (2003). Structure and Function: A Guide to Three Major Structural-Functional Theories, Part I: Approaches to the Simplex Clause (Studies in Language Companion Series 63). Philadelphia, PA/Amsterdam: John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Butler, C. (2004). Corpus studies and functional linguistic theories. Functions of Language, 11(2), 147186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler, C., and Gonzálvez-García, F. (2014). Exploring Functional-Cognitive Space. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butt, D. (1999/2004). Parameters of Context. Mimeo Sydney: Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University.Google Scholar
Butt, D., and Wegener, R. (2008). The work of concepts: Context and metafunction in the systemic functional model. In Hasan, R., Matthiessen, C. M. I. M., and Webster, J. (eds.), Continuing Discourse on Language, Vol. II: A Functional Perspective (pp. 589618). London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Byrnes, H. (2019). Applying SFL for understanding and fostering instructed second language development. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W. L., Fontaine, L., and Schonthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 512536). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassens, J. and Wegener, R. (2008). Making use of abstract concepts: Systemic functional linguistics and ambient intelligence. In M. Bramer (ed.), Artificial Intelligence in Theory and Practice II, IFIP 20th World Computer Congress, IFIP AI Stream, vol. 276 of IFIP (pp. 205214). Milan: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, B. P. (2013). The differential patterned occurrence of ellipsis in texts varied for contextual mode: Some support for the “mode of discourse-textual metafunction” hook-up? In O’Grady, G., Bartlett, T., and Fontaine, L. (eds.), Choice in Language: Applications in Text Analysis (pp. 269297). Sheffield: Equinox.Google Scholar
Daneš, F. (1987). On Prague school functionalism in linguistics. In Dirven, R. and Fried, V. (eds.), Functionalism in Linguistics (pp. 338). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dirven, R., and Fried, V. (1987). Functionalism in Linguistics. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, J. (1966). On contextual meaning. In Bazell, C. E., Catford, J. C., Halliday, M. A. K., and Robins, R. H. (eds.), In Memory of Firth (pp. 7995). London: Longman.Google Scholar
Fawcett, R. (1980). Cognitive Linguistics and Social Interaction: Towards an Integrated Model of a Systemic Functional Grammar and the Other Components of an Interacting Mind. Heidelberg: Julius Groos.Google Scholar
Fawcett, R. (1990). The COMMUNAL project: Two years old and going well. Network: News, Views and Reviews in Systemic Linguistics and Related Areas, 13, 3539.Google Scholar
Fawcett, R. (2000). A Theory of Syntax for Systemic Functional Linguistics. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fawcett, R. (2015). System networks, codes, and knowledge of the universe. In Fawcett, R., Halliday, M., Lamb, S., and Makkai, A. (eds.), Semiotics of Culture and Language, Vol. II: Language and Other Semiotic Systems of Culture (Linguistics: Bloomsbury Academic Collections) (pp. 135180). London: Bloomsbury Academic.Google Scholar
Fontaine, L., Bartlett, T., and O’Grady, G. (2013). Systemic Functional Linguistics: Exploring Choice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fontaine, L., and Schönthal, D. (2019). The rooms of the house: Grammar at group rank. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W., Fontaine, L., and Schönthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 118141). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
François, J. (2018). The stance of Systemic Functional Linguistics amongst functional(ist) theories of language and its “systemic” purpose. In Sellami-Baklouti, A. and Fontaine, L. (eds.), Perspectives from Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 625). London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frazer, J. G. (1922). The Golden Bough. New York: Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gleason, H. A. (1965). Linguistics and English Grammar. New York: Holt, Reinhart and Winston.Google Scholar
Gregory, M., and Carroll, S. (1978). Language and Situation: Language Varieties and Their Social Contexts. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Grimshaw, A., ed. (1994). What’s Going On Here? Complementary Studies of Professional Talk (Advances in Discourse Processes, Vol. 43). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1973). Language in a Social Perspective: Explorations in the Functions of Language. London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1974). Interview with M. A. K. Halliday. In Parret, H. (ed.), Discussing Language (pp. 81120). The Hague: Mouton.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1978). Language as Social Semiotic: The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning. London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1979/2002). Modes of meaning and modes of expression: Types of grammatical structure and their determination by different semantic functions. In Webster, Jonathan (ed.), The Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, Vol. I: On Grammar (pp. 196218). London/New York: Continuum.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1981/2002). Text semantics and clause grammar: How is a text like a clause? In Webster, Jonathan (ed.), The Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, Vol. I: On Grammar (pp. 219260). London/New York: Continuum.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1991). Corpus linguistics and probabilistic grammar. In Aijmer, K. and Altenberg, B. (eds.), English Corpus Linguistics: Studies in Honour of Jan Svartvik. (pp. 3044). New York/London: Longman.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1991/2007). The notion of “context” in language education. In Webster, Jonathan (ed.), The Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, Vol. IX: Language and Education (pp. 269290). London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1992). New ways of meaning: The challenge to applied linguistics. In Putz, M. (ed.), Thirty Years of Linguistic Evolution (pp. 5997). Philadelphia/Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1994/2002a). So you say “pass” … thank you three muchly. In Jonathan Webster (ed.), The Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, Vol. II: Linguistic Studies of Text and Discourse (pp. 228254). London: Continuum.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1994/2002b). How do you mean? In Webster, Jonathan (ed.), The Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, Vol. I: On Grammar (pp. 352368). London/New York: Continuum.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1995). On language in relation to the evolution of human consciousness. In Allen, S. (ed.), Of Thoughts and Words: Proceedings of Nobel Symposium 92: “The Relation between Language and Mind” (pp. 4584). London: Imperial College Press.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (1997/2002). Text as semantic choice in social contexts (1977). In Webster, Jonathan (ed.), The Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, Vol. II: Linguistic Studies of Text and Discourse (pp. 2384). London: Continuum.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (2002). Introduction: A Personal Perspective. In Webster, J. (ed.), The Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, Vol. I: On Grammar (pp. 116). London/New York: Continuum.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. 2003. On Language and Linguistics, Vol. III, The Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday, ed. Webster, J.. Continuum: London.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. (2013). Meaning as choice. In Fontaine, L., Bartlett, T., and O’Grady, G. (eds.), Systemic Functional Linguistics: Exploring Choice (pp. 1536). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. and Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2004/2014). An Introduction to Functional Grammar, 3rd ed. London: Edward Arnold.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hasan, R. (1978). Text in the systemic functional model. In Dressler, W. (ed.), Current Trends in Text Linguistics (pp. 228246). Berlin: Walter Gruyter.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hasan, R. (1980). What’s going on: A dynamic view of context. In The Seventh LACUS Forum (pp. 106121). Columbia, SC: Hornbeam Press.Google Scholar
Hasan, R. (1984). What kind of resource is language? Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 7(1), 5785.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hasan, R. (1995). The conception of context in text. In Fries, P. H. and Gregory, M. (eds.), Discourse in Society: Systemic Functional Perspectives. Meaning and Choice in Language: Studies for Michael Halliday (pp. 183283). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.Google Scholar
Hasan, R. (1999). Speaking with reference to context. In Ghadessy, M. (ed.), Text and Context in Functional Linguistics: Systemic Perspectives (pp. 219328). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hasan, R. (2004). Analysing discursive variation. In Young, L. and Harrison, C. (eds.), Systemic Functional Linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis: Studies in Social Change (pp. 1552). London: Continuum.Google Scholar
Hasan, R. (2010). The meaning of “not” is not in “not.” In Mahboob, A. and Knight, N. (eds.), Appliable Linguistics (pp. 267306). London/New York: Continuum.Google Scholar
Hasan, R. (2014). Towards a paradigmatic description of context: Systems, metafunctions, and semantics. Functional Linguistics, 1(9), 154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langacker, R. (2019). Construal. In Dąbrowska, E. and Divjak, D. (eds.), Cognitive Linguistics: Foundations of Language (pp. 140–166). Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter Mouton.Google Scholar
Lukin, A. (2017). Ideology and the text-in-context relation. Functional Linguistics, 4(16), 117. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40554-017-0050-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lukin, A., Moore, A., Herke, M., Wegener, R., and Wu, C. (2011). Halliday’s model of register revisited and explored. Linguistics and the Human Sciences, 187213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maiorani, A. (2017). Making meaning through movement: A functional grammar of dance. In Sindoni, M. G., Wildfeuer, J., and O’Halloran, K. L. (eds.), Mapping Multimodal Performance Studies (pp. 3960). London/New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Martin, J. (1985). Process and text: Two aspects of human semiosis. In Benson, J. D., and Greaves, W. S. (eds.), Systemic Perspectives on Discourse, Vol. I (pp. 248274). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.Google Scholar
Martin, J. (1992). English Text: System and Structure. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, J. (1993). A contextual theory of language. In Cope, W. and Kalantzis, M. (eds.), The Powers of Literacy: A Genre Approach to Teaching Literacy (Critical Perspectives on Literacy and Education) (pp. 116136). London: Falmer.Google Scholar
Martin, J. (1997). Analysing genre: Functional parameters. In Christie, F. and Martin, J. (eds.), Genre and Institutions: Social Processes in the Workplace and School (pp. 339). London: Cassell.Google Scholar
Martin, J. (2019). Discourse semantics. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W. L., Fontaine, L., and Schonthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 358381). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matthiessen, C. M. (2015). Register in the round: Registerial cartography. Functional Linguist, 2(9), 148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matthiessen, C. Wang, B., and Ma, Y. (2019). Expounding register and registerial cartography in systemic functional linguistics: An interview with Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen, WORD, 65(2), 93106. https://doi.org/10.1080/00437956.2019.1599544.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mickan, P. (2019). Language and education. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W. L., Fontaine, L., and Schonthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 537560). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, T. F. (1957/1975). The language of buying and selling in Cyrenaica: A situational statement. In Mitchell, T. F. (ed.), Principles of Firthian Linguistics (pp. 141). London: Longman.Google Scholar
Moore, A. (2019). Language and medicine. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W. L., Fontaine, L., and Schönthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 651695). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, A. R. (2020). Progress and tensions in modelling register as a semantic configuration. Language, Context and Text: The Social Semiotics Forum, 2(1), 2258.Google Scholar
Nerlich, B. (1990). Change in Language: Whitney, Breal and Wegener. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Nerlich, B., and Clarke, D. (1996). Language, Action and Context: The Early History of Pragmatics in Europe and America. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newmeyer, F. (2001). The Prague School and North American functionalist approaches to syntax. Journal of Linguistics, 37(1), 101126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Donnell, M. (1999). Context in dynamic modelling. In Ghadessy, M. (ed.), Text and Context in Functional Linguistics (pp. 6399). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Donnell, M. (2020). On the abstractness of levels of description in Systemic Functional Linguistics. In Tucker, G., Huang, G., Fontaine, L., and McDonald, E. (eds.), Approaches to Systemic Functional Grammar: Convergence and Divergence (pp. 5775). London: Equinox.Google Scholar
O’Donnell, M. (2021). Dynamic modelling of context: Field, tenor and mode revisited. Lingua, 261, 102952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2020.102952.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Halloran, K. L., Tan, S., and Wignell, P. (2019). SFL and multimodal discourse analysis. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W. L., Fontaine, L., and Schonthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 433461). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Polguère, A. (2015). Lexical contextualism: The Abélard Syndrome. In Gala, N., Rapp, R., and Bel-Enguix, G. (eds.), Language Production, Cognition, and the Lexicon, 48 (pp. 5373). London: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rebori, V. (2002). The legacy of J. R. Firth: A report on recent research. Historiographia Linguistica, 29(1/2), 165190.Google Scholar
Stöckl, H. (2019). Linguistic multimodality – multimodal linguistics: A state-of-the-art sketch. In Wildfeuer, J., Pflaeging, J., Bateman, J., Seizoy, O., and Tseng, C.-I. (eds.), Multimodality: Disciplinary Thoughts and the Challenge of Diversity (pp. 4168). Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tam, K. (2017). Context and meaning in the Sydney architecture of systemic functional linguistics? In Bartlett, T. and O’Grady, G. (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 438456). London/New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Taverniers, M. (2011). The syntax–semantics interface in Systemic Functional Grammar: Halliday’s interpretation of the Hjelmslevian model of stratification. Journal of Pragmatics, 43(4), 11001126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taverniers, M. (2019). Semantics. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W., Fontaine, L., and Schönthal, D., D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 5591). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, G. (1999). Acting the part: Lexico-grammatical choices and contextual factors. In Ghadessy, M. (ed.), Text and Context in Functional Linguistics (pp. 101124). Philadelphia, PA/Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ure, J. (1969). Practical register: Parts I and II. English Language Teaching, 23(1/2).Google Scholar
van Dijk, T. (2005). Contextual knowledge management in discourse production. A CDA perspective. In Wodak, R. and Chilton, P. (eds.), A New Agenda in (Critical) Discourse Analysis. (pp. 71100) Amsterdam: John Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Dijk, T. (2006). Discourse, context and cognition. Discourse Studies, 8(1), 159177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ventola, E. (1983). Contrasting schematic structures in service encounter. Applied Linguistics, 4, 242258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wegener, R. (2011). Parameters of context: From theory to model and application. Ph.D. thesis, Macquarie University, Sydney.Google Scholar
Wegener, R. (2016). Studying language in society and society through language: Context and multimodal communication. In Bowcher, W. and Liang, J. (eds.), Society in Language, Language in Society: Essays in Honour of Ruqaiya Hasan (pp. 227248). London: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wegener, R., and Cassens, J. (2019). Blending SFL and Activity Theory to model communication and artefact use: Examples from human–computer interaction. In Kaltenbacher, M. and Stöckl, H. (eds.), Analyzing the Media: A Systemic Functional Approach (pp. 167188). London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Wegener, R., Cassens, J., and Butt, D. (2008). Start making sense: Systemic-functional linguistics and ambient intelligence. Revue d’Intelligence Artificielle 22(5), 629645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, J., Russell, N., and Irwin, D. (2017). On the notion of abstraction in systemic functional linguistics. Functional Linguistics, 4(13). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40554-017-0047-3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zappavigna, M. 2019. Language and social media. In Thompson, G., Bowcher, W., Fontaine, L., and Schonthal, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 715738). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×