Systemic-functional Grammar And Its Application In Discourse Analysis

Systemic functional grammar is founded in the late1950s by the British linguistHalliday. As one of the most influential linguistic theories in the history of linguistics, ithas been widely used in various types of discourse analysis. According to the theory ofHalliday’s systemic functional grammar, language is composed of three meta-function:concept function, interpersonal function and textual function. In systemic functionalgrammar analysis of scholars studied in many respects, but so far, its application in thelinguistic practice is still a hotpot, especially in the formal and informal occasions islittle research on the public speaking, is a relatively new field. Therefore, this articleattempts to from the perspective of systemic functional grammar to informal and formaloccasions film award speech occasion Barack Obama’s inaugural address to thediscourse analysis. Through the contrast research, found that in practice, the applicationof systemic functional grammar so as to better guide our life.In order to illustrate these problems more objectively, this article’s research objectis the two winners of the prize-winning film speech, and President Obama’s inauguraladdress. In this paper, based on systemic functional grammar as the theoretical basis,the research adopts the method of case analysis.Research results show that:1. Through the analysis of the interpersonal function of public speaking, we caneasily found, the declarative sentences are frequently used whether in acceptancespeeches or in inaugural speech, in order to relieve one’s tension, to reduce the distanceof the speaker and the audience, so that make it easier to let the audience accept theinformation the speaker wants to convey.2. The formal inauguration speech used much more modal verbs, while in informaloccasion of the acceptance speech which had no necessary to the modal analysis of thesystem. The use of modal word can deliver the audience a firm belief and determination,can strengthen the persuasion of the speech. And informal occasion award-winningspeech is more casual, just to express self feelings.3. In formal speech, the material process and the relational process accounted for alarge proportion, and the psychological process covered relatively less. Comparativelyspeaking, the psychological process occupied the same proportion as the material process in the informal acceptance speech. Speaker through the three processes canachieve the purpose of the different functions: the expression of the material processmake the grounds of the argument vivid, relational process can reflect the speaker’sconfidence, psychological process can reflect speaker’s inner monologue, deliver muchstronger true feelings to the audience.4. Public speech, the use of different personal pronouns can reflect differentpurpose of different speakers, the use of the first person can make closer distancebetween the speaker and the audience; the second personal pronoun highlights theimportance of the audience, can enhance the effect of interaction;through the use ofthird person pronouns speakers want to separate self with these people, so as to makethe speech ground more serious, then contribute to present the argument.Analysis tells us the intention of the speaker can be expressed through tone,modality, and the physical properties and cohesion. This paper is to put the theory ofsystemic functional grammar boldly applied to practical life, through informal andformal occasions these different cases of in-depth study of public speaking, fully provedthat Halliday’s systemic functional grammar in language practice ability is indispensable,for the analysis of linguistic research field both at home and abroad have a veryimportant application. So we should attach importance to the education of systemicfunctional grammar in language teaching and learning.