New Books

Title Author(s) / Editor(s) Publisher Date
The Bloomsbury Companion to M. A. K. Halliday. UK: Bloomsbury Academic. [re-launched edition] Edited by Jonathan J. Webster Bloomsbury Feb 2019
The Collected Works of Ruqaiya Hasan, Vol 5: Describing Language: Form and Function. Edited by Jonathan J. Webster and Carmel Cloran Equinox Jan 2019


The Bloomsbury Companion to M. A. K. Halliday. UK: Bloomsbury Academic. [re-launched edition]


Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday (1925-2018) was an iconic figure in the field of linguistics and the pioneer responsible for the development of systemic functional linguistics (SFL). The impact of his work extends beyond linguistics, into the study of stylistics, computation linguistics, visual narrative and multimodal communication and he was a founder of the field of social semiotics. Written by leading figures in the field, The Bloomsbury Companion to M. A. K. Halliday provides readers with an authoritative overview of Halliday's early career, his most important theoretical findings and how his work influenced the development of linguistics as a discipline. This paperback edition features a new chapter exploring his theory of verbal art and verbal science and the metaphor-making potential available in language, the final contribution to the field of one of the world's leading and most influential linguists.



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The Collected Works of Ruqaiya Hasan, Vol 5: Describing Language: Form and Function.


How does one’s grammar depend on one’s conception of language? In systemic functional linguistics, language is viewed as a meaning potential, thus embracing the view, now supported by contemporary theories of the evolution of human consciousness, that language has evolved in the living of life in society. Using the theoretical framework of systemic functional linguistics, the chapters of this book explore the nature of language, the relations of meaning and society, of form and meaning, and of grammar and lexis. Halliday has referred to the level of lexicogrammar as the powerhouse of language: this is where the resource for creating linguistic meaning resides. But language as resource cannot be adequately described as a set of syntagmatic structures; instead, the primary focus must be on the paradigmatic axis, which after all furnishes the principle for the actualisation of syntagms. Accordingly, aspects of Urdu and English semantics, grammar and lexis are presented here in terms of systemic options, realised as structures.



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Applying Systemic Functional Linguistics: The State of the Art in China Today


Applying Systemic Functional Linguistics: The State of the Art in China Today showcases new work from leading scholars in China, as well as offering perspectives on this work from M.A.K. Halliday and Jim Martin. The range of topics covers graphology/phonology, lexis, group and clause, clause complex, text, typology, semiotics, multimodality, stylistics, translation, and teaching.

Not only will this book introduce the latest research into language and multimodal discourse being undertaken by scholars in China today, but also suggest the way forward in terms of where linguistics should be going if the aim is (still) to create 'the innovative producers of social semiotic theory, description and practice the world rightfully expects from the intellectual superpower China is economically positioned to become' (Jim Martin).

This book is essential reading for scholars involved with systemic functional linguistics and interested in its shifting dynamics.



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The Collected Works of Ruqaiya Hasan Vol 4, Context in the System and Process of Language


The concept context of situation introduced by Malinowski some eighty years ago has now become an essential element of the vocabulary of any linguistic theory whose aim is to reveal the nature of language. With the abandonment of the spurious distinction between competence and performance, the process of language, i.e., language use, has claimed its rightful place in the study of language. The chapters of this book focus on the relations of context and text, conceptualising the latter as language operative in some recognizable social context. It is argued that context is not simply a backdrop for the occurrence of words; rather, it is an active element which on the one hand plays a crucial role in the progression of human discourse and on the other enters into and shapes the very nature of language as process and as system, furnishing the foundation for functionality in language. Acting as the interface between language and society, context analysis reveals the power of language for creating, maintaining and changing human relationships.

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Aspects of Language and Learning


This book is based on a series of lectures, which begin with a look at the history of the language that we use in order to encode our knowledge, particularly our scientific knowledge, i.e., the history of scientific English. Prof. M.A.K. Halliday poses the question of how a growing child comes to master this kind of language and put it to his or her own use as a means of learning. In subsequent chapters, Halliday explores the relationship between language, education and culture, again taking the language of science as the focal point for the discussion; and finally he draws these various themes together to construct a linguistic interpretation of how we learn and how we learn how to learn.

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Bloomsbury Companion to M.A.K. Halliday


The Bloomsbury Companion to M. A. K. Halliday is a comprehensive and accessible reference resource to one of the world's leading and most influential linguists.

Born in 1925, Halliday is the figure most responsible for the development of systemic functional linguistics (SFL). The impact of his work extends beyond linguistics, into the study of visual and multimodal communication. He is considered the founder of the field of social semiotics. Written by leading figures in the field, the volume provides readers with an authoritative overview of his early career, his most important theoretical findings and how his work has influenced linguistics as a discipline. From the publishers of his 'Collected Works' and 'The Essential Halliday', this is another must have book underlining Halliday's impact on the field of linguistics.

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The Collected Works of Braj. B. Kachru Volumes 1 - 3


Professor Braj B. Kachru has pioneered, shaped and defined the scholarly field of World Englishes. He is the founder and co-editor of World Englishes, the associate editor of the Oxford Companion to the English Language and contributor to the Cambridge History of the English Language. His research on World Englishes, the Kashmiri language and literature, and theoretical and applied studies on language and society has resulted in more than 25 authored and edited volumes and more than 100 research papers, review articles, and reviews.

This Collected Works encompasses Kachru's early, pioneering work: Volumes 1 - 3 cover the development of World Englishes as a concept and selections of his work on sociolinguistics, multilingualism and language contact. Volume 1 covers Kachru's work from 1976 - 1990. Volume 2 covers Kachru's work from 1992 - 2001. Volume 3 details Kachru's Studies in linguistics, multilingualism and language contact.

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Text Linguistics: The How and Why of Meaning




Whether prose or poetry, how does a text come to mean what it does? A functional-semantic approach to text analysis, such as is illustrated in this book, offers a revealing look at the resources of language at work in the creation of meaning, and a unique perspective on the text as object of study. Believing the best way to learn about text linguistics is through the analysis of full texts, the authors include analyses of texts, both spoken and written, drawn from a variety of genres, including examples of religious and political discourse. In the first section, the authors provide an overview suitable to those who are new to the theory and methodology of Systemic Functional Grammar and Rhetorical Structure Theory. Building on this foundation, section two presents the findings from several case studies in text analysis, demonstrating how to conduct indepth functional-semantic analysis of selected texts. This second section will benefit both beginners and those who have already had some background in the study of linguistics. Text Linguistics is the ideal choice for those who are learning about text linguistics, and functional approaches to language study.
This book is published in December 2014 by Equinox Publishing, UK.

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Understanding Verbal Art: A Functional Linguistic Approach




This book applies linguistic analysis to the poetry of Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo, a Singaporean poet and leading figure in Commonwealth literature. The work explores how the poet combines grammar and metaphor to make meaning, making the reader aware of the linguistic resources developed by Thumboo as the basis for his unique technique. The author approaches the poems from a functional linguistic perspective, investigating the multiple layers of meaning and metaphor which go into producing these highly textured, grammatically intricate works of verbal art. The approach is based on Systematic Functional Theory, which assists with investigating how the poet uses language (grammar) to craft his text, in a playful way that reflects a love of the language. The multilingual and multicultural experiences of the poet are seen to have contributed to his uniquely creative use of language. This work demonstrates how Systematic Functional Theory, with its emphasis on exploring the semogenic (meaning-making) power of language, provides the handle we need to better understand poetic works as intentional acts of meaning. The verbal art of Edwin Thumboo illustrate Barthes' point that "Bits of code, formulae, rhythmic models, fragments of social languages, etc. pass into the text and are redistributed within it, for there is always language before and around the text." With a focus on meaning, this functional analysis of poetry offers an insightful look at the linguistic basis of Edwin Thumboo's poetic technique. The work will appeal to scholars with an interest in linguistic analysis and poetry from the Commonwealth and new literatures, and it is also well suited to support courses on literary stylistics or text linguistics.
This book is published in December 2014 by Springer Asia.

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The Collected Works of M.A.K. Halliday Volume 11: Halliday in the 21st Century




This is the eleventh volume in Professor M.A.K. Halliday's Collected Works. First published as a ten volume set from 2002 to 2007, they have shown the sizeable and growing international interest across a number of disciplines in the systemic functional linguistics framework. Halliday's powerful theoretical approach to the study of language has contributed significantly not only to advances in our knowledge of how language works but also how linguistic insights may be practically applied across a wide spectrum of social concerns.
This book is published in December 2013 by Bloomsbury Academic, UK.

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Developing Systemic Functional Linguistics: Theory and Application




The 36th International Systemic Functional Congress (ISFC) was held in July 2009 in Beijing with the theme of "Challenges to Systemic Functional Linguistics: theory and practice". This new book is under the editorship of Professor Jonathan Webster and Professor Fang Yan, Tsinghua University, and is published in December 2013 by Equinox Publishing (UK) as a collection of the selected plenary presentations of the conference. The book collects some of the biggest names in systemic functional linguistics in one volume.

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