Entry 06: SFL- Systemic Functional Linguistics.

 STEP #1 

Systemic Functional Linguistics is:

• a social theory of language

• an approach to language that considers language as a SOCIAL (to communicate) SEMIOTIC (there's meaning behind) SYSTEM.

Language metafunctions-----> Ideational, Interpersonal, Textual.

Language is a social construction which needs to be contextualized. It is not an individual process.

Language has three different metafunctions:

1- Interpersonal: 

To enact social relationships

To cooperate form bonds

Negotiate

Ask for things

Instruct

2- Textual:

To link complex ideas together into cohesive and coherent ways of information.

3- Ideational:

To talk about experience, people and things, their actions and relationships, places, time or circumstances in which events occur.

SFL is a descriptive and interpretative framework for viewing the language as a strategic. It explores how people use language in different contexts and how language is structured as a semiotic system. SFL emphasizes the significance of CONTEXT whether it be context of CULTURE or context of SITUATION.

On one hand, context of culture (GENRES) represents all the potential ways we can use language to exchange meaning in socially recognizable ways. Culture can be defined as basically all the genres we can choose from when using language. On the other, context of situation (REGISTER) is a set of recognizable configurations of linguistic resources in context to establish meaning in an utterance. There three variables within this type of context: field, tenor and mode.

Field: It is the WHAT and it is comprised of processed, participants and circumstances. It is demonstrated when presenting one's ideas. It is established through ideational choices.

Tenor: It is the WHO and HOW participants interact. It is necessary to analyse the mood of the dialogue and the intonation of the speakers, as well as, their relationship to the audience or other participants. It is established through interpersonal choices.

Mode: It is the medium of the text; the HOW. It is how a text is structured according to its medium. The structure of a text changes whether it is written or spoken. It is established through textual choices.

STEP #2

STEP #3

After watching the videos above, complete this quiz!

STEP #4

Visible Thinking is a broad and flexible framework for enriching classroom learning in the content areas and fostering students' intellectual development at the same time.

COMPARING OLD AND NEW INFORMATION ABOUT SFL

OLD concepts: 

• SFL is a social theory of language 
• It places more stress on the functions of language.
• Register (Social Context, Cultural Context)
• “Context of culture” to describe the system of beliefs, values and attitudes that speakers bring with them into any social interaction.
• The term “context of situation” in order to have a way to describe the immediate environment in which texts are produced.
• We communicate meaning on three levels simultaneously.
• Metafunctions:  Ideational,  Interpersonal,  Textual

NEW concepts:

• SFL is a linguistic theory that sees language as a social process. It provides the tools for analysing written and spoken texts with particular attention given to the context in which they are produced.
• Context: Context of culture (genres) / Context of situation (register)
• The context of culture in SFL represents all the potential ways we can use language to exchange meaning
• Context of situation: register; has three sub variables field, tenor and mode.
• These three variables (field, tenor and mode) can be broken down into many linguistic realisations (ideational choices, interpersonal choices and textual choices)

Metacognitive Analysis

How is SFL essential for us, teachers?

SFL provides what it is called Metalanguage which is "language about language" that can help both ELL (English Language Learners) and Native English students as well as teachers. It is helpful for teachers and students to analyse texts to determine how writers or speakers make choices to produce meaning. The development of this ability may enable students to understand how to exchange ideas in different social events, to emerge in a different culture and to relate content or topics to their own lives. Meanwhile, SFL is a handy tool for teachers to organise their lessons around students' queries and to teach them how to operate in social contexts relevant to their educational, social and cultural needs. This theory applied in EFL may allow teachers to reach different types of learners and to contextualise what is being taught by exposing students to different genres, in order to they get motivated and to keep their emotional filters down.

Innovation (and being innovators) is again the central theme of this entry!. I find myself struggling with all these new apps or programs, but I have to admit that they are fantastic tools to call readers' attention and to organise ideas visually and creatively. LinoIt has even helped me to tie up loose ends and summarise all the reading material provided, as well as Google forms. Figuring them out has represented a BIG challenge, but I consider, especially Google forms, beautiful tools to assess students in a relaxed way.