Textual Metafunction in Korean English Learners’ Writings

doi:10.18627/jslg.37.4.202202.525

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2022 Vol.37, Issue 4 Preview Page

Research Article

Textual Metafunction in Korean English Learners’ Writings: Woo, Sujung; Konyang University

28 February 2022. pp. 525-541

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Abstract

The current study explores the textual metafunction in Korean English learners’ writings by examining the Theme choices and the patterns of the Thematic progression in the writings in two different proficiency levels. The analysis of the Theme and Thematic progression can be a useful tool to analyze the writings in that they characterize English learners’ writings based on the linguistic choices they have made. Moreover, it is useful because the writings are examined not just on a structure of a sentence level but on the linguistic resources that writers use to communicate in a larger discourse level. As a result, the present study has found that the high and low level learners have difficulties employing nominalization and existential there in the Theme position of a clause. The utilization of the multiple Theme in both groups does not indicate a meaningful difference between the two groups. However, the employment of markedness of Theme demonstrates a slight difference between the two levels. In terms of Thematic progression, the three typical types of Thematic progression have been found in the study: linear Thematic progression, Thematic progression with constant Theme, and multiple-Rheme. Besides these patterns, some problematic patterns are found in the writings that coincide with the previous research.

Keywords

Systemic Functional Linguistics

textual metafunction

Thematic structure

Thematic progression

L2 writings

English learners

References

Arunsirot, S. 2013. An Analysis of Textual Metafunction in Thai EFL Students’ Writing. Novitas-Royal Research on Youth and Language 7, 160-174.
Belmonte, I. A. and A. McCabe-Hidalgo. 1998. Theme-Rheme Patterns in L2Writing. Didáctica 10, 13-31.
Bloor, M. and T. Bloor. 1992. Given and New Information in the Thematic Organization of Text: an Application to the Teaching of Academic Writing. Occasional Papers in Systemic Linguistics 6, 33-44.
Butt, D., R. Fahey, S. Feez, and S. Spinks. 2012. Using Functional Grammar: An Explorer’s Guide. 3^rd edition. Palgrave Macmillan.
Christie, F. 1999. Genre Theory and ESL Teaching: A Systemic Functional Perspective. TESOL Quarterly 33, 759-763. 10.2307/3587889
Christie, F. and S. Dreyfus. 2007. Letting the Secret Out: Successful Writing in Secondary English. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 30, 235-247.
Daneš, F. 1974. Functional Sentence Perspective and the Organization of the Text. In F. Daneš (Ed.), Papers on Functional Sentence Perspective. The Hague: Mouton, 106-128. 10.1515/9783111676524.106
Eggins, S. 2004. An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics. 2^nd edition. New York: Continuum.
Fries, P. H. 1995. Themes, Methods of Development, and Texts. In Hasan, R and Fries, P. H. (eds), On Subject and Theme: from the Perspective of Functions in Discourse. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 317-359. 10.1075/cilt.118.10fri
Halliday, M. A. K. 1985. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. 1^st edition. London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M.A.K. and C.M.I.M. Matthiessen. 2004. An introduction to functional grammar. 3^rd edition. London: Hodder Arnold.
Halliday, M.A.K. and C.M.I.M. Matthiessen. 2014. Halliday’s introduction to functional grammar. 4^th edition. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9780203783771
Hawes, T. and S. Thomas. 1997. Problems of Thematisation in Student Writing. RELC Journal 28, 35-55. 10.1177/003368829702800203
Ishikawa, S. 2013. The ICNALE and Sophisticated Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis of Asian Learners of English. Learner Corpus Studies in Asia and the World 1, 91-118.
Kim, M. 2004. Coherence and Cohesion in the Narratives of Korean EFL Learners. Discourse and Cognition 10, 31-56.
Lee, S. 2007. Connectors as Textual Orienting Themes in Korean and Australian Student Essay Writing. English Teaching 62, 121-147. 10.15858/engtea.62.1.200703.121
Martin, J. R., F. Christie, and J. Rothery. 1987. Social Processes in Education: A Reply to Sawyer and Watson (and others). In I. Reid (Ed.), The Place of Genre in Learning: Current Debates. Geelong, Australia: Deakin University, Centre for Studies in Literary Education, 35-45.
Matthiessen, C. M. I. M., K. Teruya, and M. Lam. 2010. Key Terms in Systemic Functional Linguistics. London and New York: Continuum.
Nation, I. S. P. and D. Beglar. 2007. A vocabulary size test. The Language Teacher 31, 9-13.
Park, K. and D. Nam. 2015. Analysis of Thematic Structure in L2 Writing: A Systemic Functional Perspective. SNU Journal of Education Research 24, 65-88.
Ping, A. L. 2007. Developing the Message: Thematic Progression and Student Writing. The Journal of Asia TEFL 4, 93-127.
Schleppegrell, M. J. 2004. The language of schooling: A functional linguistic perspective. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Schleppegrell, M. J. 2009. Grammar for Generation 1.5.: A focus on meaning. In M. Roberage, M. Siegal and L. Harklau (Eds.), Generation 1.5 in College Composition: Teaching Academic Writing to U.S.-educated Learners of ESL. New York: Routledge, 221-234.
Seo, E. 2019. Lexicogrammar as a Meaning-Making Resource: A Systemic Functional Approach to Second Language (L2) Writing in Cross-Border Education. Korean Journal of Applied Linguistics 35, 153-191. 10.17154/kjal.2019.12.35.4.153
Thompson, G. 2014. Introducing Functional Grammar. 3^rd edition. New York: Routledge. 10.4324/9780203785270
Wang, B. and Y. Ma. 2017. Textual Choices in Rabindranath Tagore’s Stray Birds and Feng Tang’s Chinese Translation. Proceedings of the Sixth Northeast Asia International Symposium on Language, Literature and Translation, 31-37.
Wang, L. 2007. Theme and Rheme in the Thematic Organization of Text: Implications for Teaching Academic Writing. Asian EFL Journal 9, 164-176.
Yunita, S. 2018. Theme and Thematic Progression in Students’ Recount Texts. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics 7, 524-530. 10.17509/ijal.v7i3.9797

Information

Publisher :The Modern Linguistic Society of Korea
Publisher(Ko) :한국현대언어학회
Journal Title :The Journal of Studies in Language
Journal Title(Ko) :언어연구
Volume : 37
No :4
Pages :525-541
DOI :https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.37.4.202202.525

[1] Arunsirot, S. 2013. An Analysis of Textual Metafunction in Thai EFL Students’ Writing. Novitas-Royal Research on Youth and Language 7, 160-174.

[2] Belmonte, I. A. and A. McCabe-Hidalgo. 1998. Theme-Rheme Patterns in L2Writing. Didáctica 10, 13-31.

[3] Bloor, M. and T. Bloor. 1992. Given and New Information in the Thematic Organization of Text: an Application to the Teaching of Academic Writing. Occasional Papers in Systemic Linguistics 6, 33-44.

[4] Butt, D., R. Fahey, S. Feez, and S. Spinks. 2012. Using Functional Grammar: An Explorer’s Guide. 3^rd edition. Palgrave Macmillan.

[5] Christie, F. 1999. Genre Theory and ESL Teaching: A Systemic Functional Perspective. TESOL Quarterly 33, 759-763. 10.2307/3587889

[6] Christie, F. and S. Dreyfus. 2007. Letting the Secret Out: Successful Writing in Secondary English. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 30, 235-247.

[7] Daneš, F. 1974. Functional Sentence Perspective and the Organization of the Text. In F. Daneš (Ed.), Papers on Functional Sentence Perspective. The Hague: Mouton, 106-128. 10.1515/9783111676524.106

[8] Eggins, S. 2004. An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics. 2^nd edition. New York: Continuum.

[9] Fries, P. H. 1995. Themes, Methods of Development, and Texts. In Hasan, R and Fries, P. H. (eds), On Subject and Theme: from the Perspective of Functions in Discourse. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 317-359. 10.1075/cilt.118.10fri

[10] Halliday, M. A. K. 1985. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. 1^st edition. London: Edward Arnold.

[11] Halliday, M.A.K. and C.M.I.M. Matthiessen. 2004. An introduction to functional grammar. 3^rd edition. London: Hodder Arnold.

[12] Halliday, M.A.K. and C.M.I.M. Matthiessen. 2014. Halliday’s introduction to functional grammar. 4^th edition. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9780203783771

[13] Hawes, T. and S. Thomas. 1997. Problems of Thematisation in Student Writing. RELC Journal 28, 35-55. 10.1177/003368829702800203

[14] Ishikawa, S. 2013. The ICNALE and Sophisticated Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis of Asian Learners of English. Learner Corpus Studies in Asia and the World 1, 91-118.

[15] Kim, M. 2004. Coherence and Cohesion in the Narratives of Korean EFL Learners. Discourse and Cognition 10, 31-56.

[16] Lee, S. 2007. Connectors as Textual Orienting Themes in Korean and Australian Student Essay Writing. English Teaching 62, 121-147. 10.15858/engtea.62.1.200703.121

[17] Martin, J. R., F. Christie, and J. Rothery. 1987. Social Processes in Education: A Reply to Sawyer and Watson (and others). In I. Reid (Ed.), The Place of Genre in Learning: Current Debates. Geelong, Australia: Deakin University, Centre for Studies in Literary Education, 35-45.

[18] Matthiessen, C. M. I. M., K. Teruya, and M. Lam. 2010. Key Terms in Systemic Functional Linguistics. London and New York: Continuum.

[19] Nation, I. S. P. and D. Beglar. 2007. A vocabulary size test. The Language Teacher 31, 9-13.

[20] Park, K. and D. Nam. 2015. Analysis of Thematic Structure in L2 Writing: A Systemic Functional Perspective. SNU Journal of Education Research 24, 65-88.

[21] Ping, A. L. 2007. Developing the Message: Thematic Progression and Student Writing. The Journal of Asia TEFL 4, 93-127.

[22] Schleppegrell, M. J. 2004. The language of schooling: A functional linguistic perspective. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

[23] Schleppegrell, M. J. 2009. Grammar for Generation 1.5.: A focus on meaning. In M. Roberage, M. Siegal and L. Harklau (Eds.), Generation 1.5 in College Composition: Teaching Academic Writing to U.S.-educated Learners of ESL. New York: Routledge, 221-234.

[24] Seo, E. 2019. Lexicogrammar as a Meaning-Making Resource: A Systemic Functional Approach to Second Language (L2) Writing in Cross-Border Education. Korean Journal of Applied Linguistics 35, 153-191. 10.17154/kjal.2019.12.35.4.153

[25] Thompson, G. 2014. Introducing Functional Grammar. 3^rd edition. New York: Routledge. 10.4324/9780203785270

[26] Wang, B. and Y. Ma. 2017. Textual Choices in Rabindranath Tagore’s Stray Birds and Feng Tang’s Chinese Translation. Proceedings of the Sixth Northeast Asia International Symposium on Language, Literature and Translation, 31-37.

[27] Wang, L. 2007. Theme and Rheme in the Thematic Organization of Text: Implications for Teaching Academic Writing. Asian EFL Journal 9, 164-176.

[28] Yunita, S. 2018. Theme and Thematic Progression in Students’ Recount Texts. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics 7, 524-530. 10.17509/ijal.v7i3.9797

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