Across-Disciplinary Variations: A Systemic Functional Perspective

In view of a growing awareness of the importance of meeting specific needs of learners, the emphasis is increasingly placed on achieving the best use of English in any given context. This book offers a glimpse inside a unique learning environment within the English department of a major university in Syria where a marriage between the English language and its literature has, for so many years, been deemed unbreakable. Using a model of analysis derived from Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG), a careful textual (Thematic) analysis is applied to students' exam essays across two disciplines: language and literature. Taking into account the potentially crucial role of broader contextual factors such as essay questions, textbooks, and teacher's perceptions, the analysis is aimed at exploring differences/similarities in the language choices made by students in their attempt to meet the relevant disciplinary requirements. One of the key implications relates to a strong and decisive influence attributed to disguised systems of employing and wielding interpersonal meaning...