Analysing Scientific Discourse from A Systemic Functional Linguistic Perspective

A Framework for Exploring Knowledge Building in Biology
1. Auflage 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8153-7499-2
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 286 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 571 g

Reihe: Routledge Studies in Linguistics

This book describes the discourse of biology from a systemic functional linguistic perspective. It offers a detailed description of resources based on text analysis. The description reveals co-textual patterns of language features, their expressions through grammatical resources, as well as their functions in the disciplinary context. The book also applies the description to analyse student texts in undergraduate biology, revealing characteristics of language and knowledge development. Although the discussion in this book focuses on the discourse of biology, both the language description and the descriptive principle can be used to inform the examination of knowledge in academic discourse in general, making this key reading for students and researchers in systemic functional linguistics, discourse analysis, English for academic purposes, applied linguistics, and science education.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hao, Jing

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Sprachwissenschaften

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Figures ix

List of Tables xi

Acknowledgements xiii

SECTION I

Motivation and Background 1

1 A Linguistic Perspective on Knowledge-Building 3

2 A Multistratal Perspective on Knowledge-Building 23

SECTION II

Describing Ideational Discourse Semantics 53

3 Entity 55

4 Dimensionality 80

5 Figure 91

6 Grammatical Metaphor 114

7 Sequence, Activity and Field 145

SECTION III

Knowledge-Building in Undergraduate Biology 163

8 A Static Perspective: Construing Taxonomy 165

9 A Dynamic Perspective: Construing Activities 194

Contents

viii Contents

SECTION IV

Conclusion 225

10 Describing Language, Describing Knowledge 227

Bibliography 241

Appendix A Data Texts and Their Subject Areas 253

Appendix B Sample Texts and Genre Analysis 255

Appendix C List of Symbols and Abbreviations 265

Appendix D Annotations 267

Index 268

Über Autor(innen)

Dr Jing Hao is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, following her previous postdoctoral position at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and her doctorate in linguistics at the University of Sydney. Her research explores knowledgebuilding through English and Mandarin Chinese and their interaction with other semiotic modes.