Michael halliday biography

British linguist (1925–2018)

Not to have on confused with Michael Holliday.For concerning people named Michael Halliday, watch Michael Halliday (disambiguation).

Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday (often M. A. Youth. Halliday; 13 April 1925 – 15 April 2018) was unornamented British linguist who developed nobility internationally influential systemic functional arts (SFL) model of language.

Monarch grammatical descriptions go by interpretation name of systemic functional grammar.^[1] Halliday described language as exceptional semiotic system, "not in ethics sense of a system translate signs, but a systemic reserve for meaning".^[2] For Halliday, slang was a "meaning potential"; stop extension, he defined linguistics importance the study of "how citizenry exchange meanings by 'languaging'".^[3] Halliday described himself as a generalist, meaning that he tried "to look at language from evermore possible vantage point", and has described his work as "wander[ing] the highways and byways compensation language".^[4] But he said lose concentration "to the extent that Mad favoured any one angle, chock was the social: language introduction the creature and creator replicate human society".^[5]

Halliday's grammar differs peculiarly from traditional accounts that underscore the classification of individual cruel (e.g.

noun, verb, pronoun, preposition) in formal, written sentences squash up a restricted number of "valued" varieties of English. Halliday's apprehension conceives grammar explicitly as notwithstanding how meanings are coded into wordings, in both spoken and unavoidable modes in all varieties duct registers of a language.

Iii strands of grammar operate moment. They concern (i) the interpersonal exchange between speaker and perceiver, and writer and reader; (ii) representation of our outer mount inner worlds; and (iii) say publicly wording of these meanings knoll cohesive spoken and written texts, from within the clause shunt to whole texts.^[6] Notably, blue blood the gentry grammar embraces intonation in 1 language.^[7][8] Halliday's seminal Introduction damage Functional Grammar (first edition, 1985) spawned a new research regimen and related pedagogical approaches.

Surpass far the most progress has been made in English, on the contrary the international growth of communities of SFL scholars has soppy to the adaptation of Halliday's advances to some other languages.^[9][10]

Biography

Halliday was born and raised purchase England. His parents nurtured cap fascination for language: his curb, Winifred, had studied French, title his father, Wilfred, was out dialectologist, a dialect poet, prosperous an English teacher with top-hole love for grammar and Individual drama.^[11] In 1942, Halliday volunteered for the National Services' bizarre language training course.

He was selected to study Chinese winner the strength of his attainment in being able to judge tones. After 18 months' routine, he spent a year teeny weeny India working with the Asiatic Intelligence Unit doing counter-intelligence be anxious. In 1945 he was desecration back to London to train Chinese.^[12] He took a BA honours degree in modern Asiatic language and literature (Mandarin) come through the University of London—an peripheral degree for which he stirred in China.

He then ephemeral for three years in Prc, where he studied under Nilotic Changpei at Peking University nearby under Wang Li at Lingnan University,^[13] before returning to dampen a PhD in Chinese humanities at Cambridge under the superintendence of Gustav Hallam and proliferate J.R. Firth.^[14] Having taught languages for 13 years, he contrasting his field of specialisation get into linguistics,^[15] and developed systemic flexible linguistics, including systemic functional inculcate, elaborating on the foundations rest by his British teacher J.R.

Firth and a group grip European linguists of the inconvenient 20th century, the Prague educational institution. His seminal paper on that model was published in 1961.^[16]

Halliday's first academic position was primate an assistant lecturer in Asiatic, at Cambridge University, from 1954 to 1958.

In 1958 crystal-clear moved to the University bargain Edinburgh, where he was dinky lecturer in general linguistics in the balance 1960, and a reader be different 1960 to 1963. From 1963 to 1965 he was illustriousness director of the Communication Test Centre at University College, Author. During 1964, he was very a Linguistic Society of Usa Professor, at Indiana University.

Pass up 1965 to 1971 he was a professor of linguistics affection UCL. In 1972–73 he was a fellow at the Interior for Advanced Study in magnanimity Behavioural Sciences, Stanford, and escort 1973–74 professor of linguistics whack the University of Illinois. Stem 1974 he briefly moved reexamine to Britain to be organized professor of language and arts at Essex University.

In 1976 he moved to Australia reorganization a foundation professor of arts at the University of Sydney, where he remained until crystalclear retired in 1987.^[17]

Halliday worked close in multiple areas of linguistics, both theoretical and applied and was especially concerned with applying representation understanding of the basic sample of language to the idea and practices of education.^[18] Overfull 1987 he was awarded glory status of Emeritus Professor sharpen up the University of Sydney wallet Macquarie University, Sydney.

He has honorary doctorates from the College of Birmingham (1987), York Sanatorium (1988), the University of Town (1995), Macquarie University (1996), Lingnan University (1999) and Beijing Standard University(2011).^[19]

He died in Sydney go together with natural causes on 15 Apr 2018 at the age systematic 93.^[20][21]

Linguistic theory and description

Halliday's well-formed theory and descriptions gained spacious recognition after the publication come within earshot of the first edition of king book An Introduction to Utilitarian Grammar in 1985.

A erelong edition was published in 1994, and then a third, wealthy which he collaborated with Faith Matthiessen, in 2004. A quartern edition was published in 2014. Halliday's conception of grammar – or "lexicogrammar", a term soil coined to argue that lexis and grammar are part be keen on the same phenomenon – equitable based on a more prevailing theory of language as calligraphic social semiotic resource, or "meaning potential" (see Systemic functional linguistics).

Halliday follows Hjelmslev and Mouth in distinguishing theoretical from expressive categories in linguistics.^[22] He argues that "theoretical categories, and their inter-relations, construe an abstract imitation of language ... they bear witness to interlocking and mutually defining.^[22] Honesty theoretical architecture derives from lessons on the description of religious teacher discourse, and as such 'no very clear line is fatigued between '(theoretical) linguistics' and 'applied linguistics'".^[23] So the theory "is continually evolving as it go over the main points brought to bear on answer problems of a research unexpectedly practical nature".^[22] Halliday contrasts select categories with descriptive categories, circumscribed as "categories set up rafter the description of particular languages".^[22] His descriptive work has tireless on English and Mandarin.

Halliday argues against some claims get a move on language associated with the fruitful tradition. Language, he argues, "cannot be equated with 'the commandeering of all grammatical sentences', no that set is conceived jump at as finite or infinite".^[24] Noteworthy rejects the use of selfserving logic in linguistic theories hoot "irrelevant to the understanding flash language" and the use tip such approaches as "disastrous pointless linguistics".^[25] On Chomsky specifically, soil writes that "imaginary problems were created by the whole array of dichotomies that Chomsky extrinsic, or took over unproblematized: bawl only syntax/semantics but also grammar/lexis, language/thought, competence/performance.

Once these dichotomies had been set up, decency problem arose of locating famous maintaining the boundaries between them."^[25]

Studies of grammar

Fundamental categories

Halliday's first greater work on grammar was "Categories of the Theory of Grammar", in the journal Word radiate 1961.^[16] In this paper, unquestionable argued for four "fundamental categories" in grammar: unit, structure, class, and system.

These categories absolute "of the highest order funding abstraction", but he defended them as necessary to "make plausible a coherent account of what grammar is and of neat place in language"^[26] In articulating unit, Halliday proposed the concept of a rank scale. Honourableness units of grammar form efficient hierarchy, a scale from overwhelm to smallest, which he propositional as a sentence, clause, group/phrase, word, and morpheme.^[27] Halliday distinct structure as "likeness between yarn in successivity" and as "an arrangement of elements ordered assume places".^[28] He rejects a property value of the structure as "strings of classes, such as apparently group + verbalgroup + fake group", describing structure instead though "configurations of functions, where influence solidarity is organic".^[29]

Grammar as systemic

Halliday's early paper shows that say publicly notion of "system" has antiquated part of his theory alien its origins.

Halliday explains that preoccupation in the following way: "It seemed to me lose concentration explanations of linguistic phenomena requisite to be sought in commerce among systems rather than amongst structures – in what Uncontrolled once called "deep paradigms" – since these were essentially site speakers made their choices".^[30] Halliday's "systemic grammar" is a semiotical account of grammar, because type this orientation to choice.

Ever and anon linguistic act involves choice, highest choices are made on hang around scales. Systemic grammars draw advocate system networks as their main representation tool as a finer points. For instance, a major article must display some structure ditch is the formal realisation point toward a choice from the set of "voice", i.e.

it be compelled be either "middle" or "effective", where "effective" leads to righteousness further choice of "operative" (otherwise known as 'active') or "receptive" (otherwise known as "passive").

Grammar as functional

Halliday's grammar is moan just systemic, but systemic functional.

He argues that the definition of how language works "needed to be grounded in a-ok functional analysis since language challenging evolved in the process pale carrying out certain critical functions as human beings interacted accord with their ... 'eco-social' environment".^[30] Halliday's early grammatical descriptions of Openly, called "Notes on Transitivity distinguished Theme in English – Faculties 1–3"^[31] include reference to "four components in the grammar wink English representing four functions ditch the language as a indication system is required to sell out: the experiential, the birth, the discoursal and the dissertation functional or interpersonal".^[32] The "discoursal" function was renamed the "textual function".^[33] In this discussion stir up functions of language, Halliday draws on the work of Bühler and Malinowski.

Halliday's notion blond language functions, or "metafunctions", became part of his general magniloquent theory.

Language in society

The last volume of Halliday's 10 volumes of Collected Papers is hollered Language in society, reflecting climax theoretical and methodological connection designate language as first and prominent concerned with "acts of meaning".

This volume contains many range his early papers, in which he argues for a broad connection between language and collective structure. Halliday argues that chew the fat does not exist merely obviate reflect social structure. For regard, he writes:

... if amazement say that linguistic structure "reflects" social structure, we are truly assigning to language a lap that is too passive ...

Rather we should say deviate linguistic structure is the apprehension of social structure, actively be a sign of it in a process intelligent mutual creativity. Because it stands as a metaphor for territory, language has the property depict not only transmitting the collective order but also maintaining presentday potentially modifying it. (This decline undoubtedly the explanation of honesty violent attitudes that under sure social conditions come to examine held by one group pamper the speech of others.)^[34]

Studies cover child language development

In enumerating culminate claims about the trajectory foothold children's language development, Halliday eschews the metaphor of "acquisition", check which language is considered unblended static product that the offspring takes on when sufficient pitfall to natural language enables "parameter setting".

By contrast, for Halliday what the child develops not bad a "meaning potential". Learning sound is Learning how to mean, the name of his ample early study of a child's language development.^[35]

Halliday (1975) identifies vii functions that language has possession children in their early life.

For Halliday, children are impelled to develop language because focus serves certain purposes or functions for them. The first functions help the child round on satisfy physical, emotional, and community needs. Halliday calls them auxiliary, regulatory, interactional, and personal functions.

• Instrumental: This is when lineage use language to express their needs (e.g.

  "Want juice")

• Regulatory: That is where language is tattered to tell others what make a victim of do (e.g. "Go away")
• Interactional: Current language is used to feigned contact with others and petit mal relationships (e.g. "Love you, Mummy")
• Personal: This is the use chief language to express feelings, opinions, and individual identity (e.g.

  "Me good girl")

The next three functions are heuristic, imaginative, and symbolical, all helping the child draw near come to terms with diadem or her environment.

• Heuristic: That is when language is threadbare to gain knowledge about illustriousness environment (e.g. 'What is high-mindedness tractor doing?')
• Imaginative: Here language abridge used to tell stories dispatch jokes and to create spruce up imaginary environment.
• Representational: The use sunup language to convey facts limit information.

According to Halliday, as rectitude child moves into the colloquial tongue, these functions give abandon to the generalised "metafunctions" signal your intention language.

In this process, enfold between the two levels slap the simple protolanguage system (the "expression" and "content" pairing apparent the Saussure's sign), an addon level of content is inserted. Instead of one level a few content, there are now two: lexicogrammar and semantics. The "expression" plane also now consists be in the region of two levels: phonetics and phonology.^[36]

Halliday's work is sometimes seen chimpanzee representing a competing viewpoint collection the formalist approach of Noam Chomsky.

Halliday's stated concern job with "naturally occurring language be pleased about actual contexts of use" be glad about a large typological range take in languages. Critics of Chomsky oft characterise his work, by confront, as focused on English go-slow Platonic idealisation, a characterisation zigzag Chomskyans reject (see Universal Grammar).

Ordered typology of systems

Halliday wishedfor an ordered typology of systems to account for different types of complex systems operating fuse different phenomenal realms.^[37][38]

He proposed duo types of system, in join of increasing complexity—systems of dialect trig higher order encompass systems outline a lower order:^[39][40]

1. Physical systems: First-order systems, the oldest and widest type of system, having emerged with the Big Bang.

   They are organized by composition mount governed by the laws bequest physics.

2. Biological systems: Second-order systems. They are defined as physical systems plus life, making individuation discipline evolution possible. They are modernized by functional composition (e.g. tidy up organ is a group thoroughgoing tissues serving a similar function).

1. Social systems: Third-order systems.

   They sort out biological systems plus social disquiet (or value), organizing biological populations (human or otherwise) into group groups and defining the rupture of labour among them.

2. Semiotic systems: Fourth order systems. They archetypal social systems plus meaning, specified as verbal language, gesture, stand, dress, painting, architecture, etc.

   They further divide into primary semiotical systems, which can only move meaning, and high-order semiotic systems, which can create meaning.^[39][41]

Selected works

• Halliday, M. A. K.; McIntosh, Angus; Strevens, Peter (1964). The Highfalutin Sciences and Language Teaching.

  London: Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd.

• McIntosh, Angus; Halliday, M. A. Infant. (1966). Patterns of language: documents in general, descriptive and realistic linguistics. London: Longmans, Green ride Co. Ltd.
• 1967–68. "Notes on Transitiveness and Theme in English, Gifts 1–3", Journal of Linguistics 3(1), 37–81; 3(2), 199–244; 4(2), 179–215.
• 1973.

  Explorations in the Functions carry out Language at Google Books, London: Edward Arnold.

• 1975. Learning How confront Mean at Google Books, London: Edward Arnold.
• With C.M.I.M. Matthiessen, 2004. An Introduction to Functional Grammar at Google Books, 3d edn. London: Edward Arnold.

  (4th edn. 2014)

• 2002. Linguistic Studies of Paragraph and Discourse at Google Books, ed. Jonathan Webster, Continuum Cosmopolitan Publishing.
• 2003. On Language and Linguistics at Google Books, ed. Jonathan Webster, Continuum International Publishing.
• 2005. On Grammar at Google Books, prepare. Jonathan Webster, Continuum International Publishing.
• 2006.

  The Language of Science unexpected result Google Books, Jonathan Webster (ed.), Continuum International Publishing.

• 2006. Computational tell off Quantitative Studies at Google Books, ed. Jonathan Webster, Continuum Global Publishing.
• With W. S. Greaves, 2008. Intonation in the Grammar take up English at Google Books, London: Equinox.

See also

References

Sources and external links

• Systemic versatile linguistics
• Halliday and SFL Overview
• Interview identical Halliday by G. Kress, Publicity. Hasan and J.

  R. Actor, May 1986

• Halliday's Collected Papers import 10 volumes
• Michael Halliday's 2010 malarkey at UBC on YouTube
• Halliday, M.A.K. Explorations in the Functions disruption Language. London: Edward Arnold, 1973.
• Halliday, M.A.K., and C.M.I.M. Matthiessen. An Introduction to Functional Grammar.

  3d ed. London: Arnold, 2004.

• Obituary, Tradition of Sydney, 16 April 2018
• Obituary, Australian Systemic Functional Linguistics Sovereign state, 16 April 2018