Evolving SFL: construing theory, enacting practice
Prof. James Martin
SFL Research Seminar, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
In this seminar we will focus on various dimensions of Systemic Functional Linguistic
theory from the perspective of discourse semantic analyses of texts. We begin with a
review of foundational theoretical concepts (axis, strata, rank and metafunction) and
consider howthese are implicated in the analysis of a small number of key texts. We then
move on to extend our analyses, taking into account the evolving dimensions of
instantiation and individuation – bringing uses and users of language more clearly into the
picture. The significance of these developments as far as Halliday’s conception of SFL as
an appliable linguistics will be illustrated from ongoing work in educational and forensic
linguistics.
Background reading:
Halliday, M A K 1985 An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Edward Arnold.
[revised 2nd edition 1994; revised 3rd edition, with C M I M Matthiessen 2004]
Martin, J R, C M I M Matthiessen & C Painter 2010 Deploying Functional Grammar.
Beijing: Commercial Press.
Martin, J R & D Rose 2003 Working with Discourse: meaning beyond the clause (2nd
Revised Edition).London: Continuum. [2nd revised edition 2007]
Martin, J R & D Rose 2008 Genre Relations: mapping culture. London: Equinox.
Martin, J R & P R R White 2005 The Language of Evaluation: appraisal in English.
London: Palgrave.
Matthiessen, C M I M & M A K Halliday 2009 Systemic Functional grammar: a first step
into the theory. Beijing: Higher Education Press.
Rose, D & J R Martin 2012 Learning to Write, Reading to Learn: genre, knowledge and
pedagogy in the Sydney School. London: Equinox. 2012.
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Multimodal discourse analysis: Interaction, focalization and evaluative stance in
animated films and movie adaptations of illustrated literary narratives.
Prof. Len Unsworth
The interpretation and creation of moving image texts are now integral aspects of
multimodal language curricula in schools - such as the new Australian national
curriculum in English (ACE)
[http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Rationale]. For example, year
seven students are expected to be “transforming familiar print narratives into short
video or film narratives (ACELT1805)”. While the ACE requires students to
discuss aspects of texts “using relevant and appropriate metalanguage (ACELT)”,
many teachers are not familiar with such a metalanguage in relation to moving
image texts. This course will show how systemic functional linguistic and related
visual semiotic descriptions of interactive meanings in images (Kress & van
Leeuwen, 2006), focalization or point of view (Painter, Martin, & Unsworth, 2013)
and the appraisal framework (Martin & White, 2005) can be used to discuss the
construction of evaluative stance in animated films and movie adaptations of
literary narratives.
This course will examine two short animated films (of approximately 20 minutes
duration each) and one regular live action movie with human actors. The first
animated film is an adaptation from a picture book entitled The Lost Thing (also
published in Spanish – La Cosa Perdida) (Ruhemann & Tan, 2010; Tan, 2000). The
second animated movie 9-11/9-11 (Chin, 2008) is based around the bombing of the
Presidential Palace in Chile in 1973, and the terrorist attack on the twin towers of
the World Trade Centre in New York exactly 28 years later, to the day, on the
eleventh of September. In 2008, the Chilean Arts and Cultural Council honored 911/9-11 with the Sienna Award - the "Oscar" of Chile - for Best Animated Short
Film. 9-11/9-11 also received awards from FeSanCor - the Santiago International
Short Film Festival, and the Southern Appalachian Film Festival. The regular live
action movie is Hugo (Scorsese, 2011)based on the Caldicott prize-winning
illustrated novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Selznick, 2007).
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'Academic literacies in English: genre, ideation, appraisal and periodicity'
Prof. Susan Hood
Course Outline:
The course will explore the nature of academic English and the challenges it
presents for students for whom English is another language and for novice writers.
We will approach the exploration from a number of perspectives.
1. How is academic knowledge different from everyday knowledge and what are
the implications for academic writing in English?
Here we will look at academic discourse from the perspective of ideation.
We will consider what is involved in

moving from more commonsense to more un-commonsense ways of
representing the world
 representing technical and abstract knowledge
 learning to use grammatical metaphor
Practical group tasks will engage students in exploring relevant texts, including
their own writing or that of their students.
2. How do we work to persuade others when we are writing academic texts?
Here we will look at the discourse from the perspective of appraisal.
We will consider what is involved in
 evaluating other knowledge and other knowers
 writing so that we can be both objective and persuasive
Practical group tasks will engage students in exploring relevant texts, including
their own writing or that of their students.
3. How do we structure or organise our academic texts so that our readers can
clearly follow what we mean?
Here we will look at the discourse from the perspective of periodicity.
We will consider what is involved in
 Organising texts as waves of information
Practical group tasks will engage students in exploring relevant texts, including
their own writing or that of their students.
4. Thinking about academic texts as genres and macro-genres;
Considering some disciplinary differences in the nature of academic English.
Pedagogies for supporting students’ academic writing