Functional grammar and genre analysis : a description of the language of learned and popular articles
There has been a growing interest in the form and function of academic English, especially among teachers of English as a Foreign Language. 'Academic' English, however, covers a variety of genres, including specialist and non-specialist writings across a range of disciplines. Little is known about the linguistic similarities and differences among these genres. This thesis aims to add to the study of academic English by investigating learned and popular articles in the fields of biology, computing and history. The descriptive framework is based mainly on Halliday's functional grammar, although reference is made to other linguistic theories, such as Winter's clause relations. Eighteen articles from the three fields were selected, nine learned articles and nine corresponding popular articles. Extracts from these articles form the small corpus analysed. After an introductory chapter, the second chapter reviews the nature of theme in English, and performs a thematic analysis on the corpus. The third chapter reviews the ideational function of language, and investigates how the language of the corpus articles represents reality. The fourth chapter reviews the interpersonal function of language and investigates this
Corbett, John B.
PR English literature
Functional grammar and genre analysis : a description of the language of learned and popular articles. There has been a growing interest in the form and function of academic English, especially among teachers of English as a Foreign Language. 'Academic' English, however, covers a variety of genres, including specialist and non-specialist writings across a range of disciplines. Little is known about the linguistic similarities and differences among these genres. This thesis aims to add to the study of academic English by investigating learned and popular articles in the fields of biology, computing and history. The descriptive framework is based mainly on Halliday's functional grammar, although reference is made to other linguistic theories, such as Winter's clause relations. Eighteen articles from the three fields were selected, nine learned articles and nine corresponding popular articles. Extracts from these articles form the small corpus analysed. After an introductory chapter, the second chapter reviews the nature of theme in English, and performs a thematic analysis on the corpus. The third chapter reviews the ideational function of language, and investigates how the language of the corpus articles represents reality. The fourth chapter reviews the interpersonal function of language and investigates this
functional grammar genre analysis description language_learn popular article grow_interest form_function academic_english especially among teacher english_foreign language academic_english however cover variety genre include specialist non specialist writing across range discipline little_know linguistic similarity_difference among genre aim add study academic_english investigating learn popular article field biology compute history descriptive framework base mainly halliday functional grammar although reference_make linguistic_theory winter clause relation eighteen article field select learn article correspond popular article article form small corpus analyse introductory second review nature theme english perform thematic_analysis corpus third review function_language investigate language corpus article represent reality fourth review interpersonal function_language investigates