Handbook

Following an introduction to a functional approach to language, we will look at the nature of the context in which language is used and how the context helps to influence the choices we make. We look initially at the cultural context and the ways in which we use language to achieve our purposes in society: explaining, arguing, persuading, describing, recounting, and other genres. We then move on to look at the more specific context: what are the features (or ¿register¿) of the situation? And how does our language change from situation to situation? At this point, we start to explore in greater detail the kinds of choices that are available to us in the language system and the different meanings we can make. We will be considering the three major functions of language: representing our experience of the world; interacting with others; creating coherent texts.