ENGL5011 Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers Midterm Assignment – Essay

1. Written discourse may be commonly understood as more complex than spoken discourse. However, as
Halliday points out that they are both complex and they both can be regarded as a process and as a product.
Two sample texts will be analyzed in this essay in terms of their register and cohesion to highlight the
complexity of each.

Register
First, we shall consider the register of Text 1 ‘What network neutrality is, and why it matters’, a written text
with mode of communication as magazine article, an internet technology news report that is written to be
read (Eggins, 2004). Its relation between writer and readers situated somewhere between letters and books
(Martin, 2008) and the text is produced to be read silently (Figueiredo, 2010). Delayed feedback is possible
and often through the Letters and Correspondence section in the magazine.

Then, from an interpersonal perspective, the writer displays arguments for and against internet-neutrality
controversy. The tenor is realized through the intended readership between magazine editorial staff and
readers, which is unseen and unknown with maximum social distance (Figueiredo, 2010).

In terms of field, we can see that the genre readily sets parameters for the lexical choices in such a medium.
The situation is largely technical with assumed knowledge (Eggins, 2004) of computer networking and data
transmission, which is much more specific than everyday internet users’ scope of technology. Even though
the article does not contain too many detailed sub-classification or deep taxonomies (Eggins) of networking
term, the key term ‘network neutrality’ can be construed as experiential lexical choice (Martin, 2001). Other
examples of lexical choices also illustrate that the text is technical specialized: internet-policy issues,
reclassifying internet access, deep packet inspection (DPI), and the FCC, where the reporter assumes readers
are familiar with current issues on internet policies, internet access classifications, and what the role of
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is as a regulatory body; DPI can be regarded as highly
technical, since a brief description is provided even for readers who have been following the case.

The second text ‘Skiing Holiday’ is a spoken discourse mainly between two friends, which carries many
features of an informal conversation such as hesitations, repetitions, interruptions, overlap, and unfinished
utterances (Eggins & Slade, 1997).

When considering the mode as one of the register variables in this casual conversation, it is carried out very
likely through an interactive face-to-face channel (between W and J) with immediate feedback (Eggins,
2004), both from the counterpart and from an audience (ALL) with laughter. One interesting note is that the
conversation, based on the cue given in the transcript, could also be captured from a recorded TV situation
comedy, where two actors are to recreate a real-life conversation and a live audience (instructed) to give
feedback. On another note, the experiential distance continuum within this conversation resembles a sport
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event commentary with the role of language as a kind of action (Eggins), that is, describing the incident of
an amateur skier facing a ski jump.

Based on the situation of the mode discussed above, therefore, the tenor of this chat is between two
acquaintances, likely to be equal power in role but also possibly unequal as in a boss/employee situation
since Person W is dominating the story-telling anecdote, from orientation through coda. Person J is passing
comments mostly on own experience, receiving virtually no acknowledgement from Person W the
storyteller. Thus, the affective involvement in this text is somehow lower than what we would expect from
two close friends (Eggins, 2004).

Moving on to its field, the casual conversation is more on the everyday situation side - an anecdote of an
skiing incident. Although it is about a winter sport, according to Eggins (2004), it does not involve complex
taxonomy nor any further sub-classification of skiing, thus its language serves as identifying rather than
attributing a process. For example, some layman’s lexical features included: ‘start down a slope’, ‘your
backside or on your skis’, ‘coming down this track’, ‘a ski jump’, etc. Even though one may not go on a ski
trip on a regular basis, the conversation is mainly built on commonsense with little assumed knowledge
(Eggins, 2004) and has ideational or experiential realization,

e.g.:
J: Eh, I went down there once. I froze all the time. I said never again.
W: He he’d lost one ski at the top and eh apparently he was flying through the air with one leg up in the air
with a ski on it…

One note to add, though the chat is mostly commonsense experience, the name of the ski resorts mentioned,
that is, Guthega, Smiggins, and Perisher, are geographic references where people from outside of (the east
coast of) Australia, or even those who live outside of the state of New South Wales, may experience
incoherence from the discourse. Yet, this does not hinder the overall coherence of this piece of spoken text.

Cohesion
According to Slade and Thornbury (forthcoming) the building of cohesion in spoken discourse included
frequent sequences of clauses joined by and, so, but etc. The use of these additive and causal conjunctions
(Halliday & Hasan, 1976) is prominent in the ‘Skiing Holiday’ conversation: ‘He was coming down this this
track and he’s been a few times so he’s got some idea of it um so he said that he he saw this slight rise, so he
said he headed up the rise and he found out it was a ski jump.’

Besides conjunctions, other features of grammatical cohesion according to Halliday & Hasan (1976) are also
found in this spoken text. These examples highlight those features:

The use of Reference is common:

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J: He can have that for me
This is demonstrative/anaphoric reference refers to a skiing holiday from which W’s son has come back.

W: but I haven’t been down there

This is demonstrative/exophoric reference in a sense that it refers to assumed shared knowledge of a ski
resort somewhere. Also a cataphoric reference, as a couple of ski resort names are mentioned later on in the
text.

W: so he’s got some idea of it um

This is personal/anaphoric reference which refers to ‘coming down this track’ introduced formerly in the
conversation. Another example of this type:
W: and he found out it was a ski jump (refers to the slight rise mentioned just now)

Examples of Ellipsis are ample:

J: I said [to myself I will] never [go down there] again.

W: and he’s been [coming down this track] a few times
W: His mate [who was] with him, he hit a tree on the way down
W: [It was his] first time going over this jump.

Now referring to the network neutrality article again, its cohesion comprises various grammatical and lexical
cohesion (Halliday & Hasan, 1976) devices to form a text that is grammatically complex in its sentence
structure with information more densely packed (Slade & Thornbury, forthcoming):

Substitution:
‘…one of the most controversial of internet-policy issues, but …it will be a difficult one to sort out.’ (This is
a nominal substitution referring to a controversial internet-policy issue.)
‘…cannot agree on the exceptions to the rule. Network-neutrality purists insist that there should be none.’
(Another nominal substitution referring to exceptions to the rule.)
‘…as technology and digital markets change, so will the definition of neutrality.’ (clausal)

Reference:
‘…the network has been neutral by default, thanks to its technical rules…’ (anaphoric)
‘…network operators could not play favorites among the packets of data…startups didn’t have to ask them
for permission…’ (anaphoric)
‘telecoms firms…charge the likes of Netflix to use them. (cataphoric)

Reiteration:
‘Netflix…now accounts for a third of peak traffic… To handle this data flood…’ (synonyms)

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‘Given this cacophony…’ (a general word referring to the arguments for and against stricter network-
neutrality rules between digital content producers and libertarians in previous paragraph)

Collocation:
Examples of vocabulary items in the article that have a tendency to co-occur (Platridge, 2006) are as follows:
network, internet, access, technical rules, data, network operators, telecom firms, bandwidth-hungry, digital
content, wares, digital markets, technology, broadband access providers, AT&T, Verizon, etc.

To sum up, analyzing spoken and written texts benefits language learning in many ways. As Figueiredo
(2010) points out, first the appropriateness of linguistic form help achieve specific communicative purposes
– students will be able to observe the language patterns and comprehend authentic spoken texts, more
effective than learning from the conventional textbook situational dialogues; second from a functional
perspective it helps students build systematic links between contextual and linguistic parameters – students
may be able to understand grammar rule by a bottom-up approach, noticing before memorizing it ; third the
notion of register and genre raises the awareness of the sociocultural features of the target language, which
in turn provides a reason and a framework for observing such rules; last by exploring text from a systemic
functional linguistics perspective, teachers can identify and focus on learners’ needs – it helps prepare
scaffolding for reading to understand and writing to express ideas. In a more practical sense, teachers can
design appropriate lessons around a spoken or written text, pinpointing a certain grammar item, for example,
personal reference to explain pronouns, verbal substitution to examine sentence structures, conjunctions to
make sense of coherence, and collocations to realize the field of the text, etc.

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2. Transitivity analysis
Possessive Relational

The regime has a history of reckless aggression in the Middle East.

Possessor Process Possession circumstance

Possessive Relational

It has a deep hatred of America and our friends.

Possessor Process Possession

Material

And it has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of al Qaeda.
Actor Process Goal

Material

Many Iraqis can hear me tonight in a translated radio broadcast,

Actor Process Goal Circumstance

Possessive Relational

and I have a message for them.

Possessor Process Possession Circumstance

Verbal

If we must begin a military campaign,

Sayer Process Receiver

Material

it will be directed against the lawless men who rule your country.
Actor Process Circumstance Goal

Material

We will tear down the apparatus of terror

Actor Process Goal

Material

And we will help you to build

Actor Process Goal Dependent clause

Attributive Relatonal

a new Iraq that is prosperous and free

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Carrier Process Attribute

Attributive Relational

In a free Iraq, there will be no more wars of aggression against your neighbors,
no more poison factories, no more executions of
dissidents, no more torture chambers and rape
rooms.

Circumstance Carrier Process Attribute

Attributive Relational

The day of your liberation is near.

Carrier Process Attribute

In the first paragraph, the main participants are ‘the (Iraqi) regime’. The regime is the actor, possessor of all
these evil things:

 a history of reckless aggression

 a deep hatred of America
 has aided, trained and harbored terrorists

In the second paragraph, the main participants are ‘the Iraqis’, I (G.W. Bush), and We (the USA regime).
This time, this regime is doing all good things:

 begin a military campaign against the lawless men

 tear down the apparatus of terror
 help you (Iraqi) to build a new Iraq

It then goes on to project the ideals:

 a new Iraq that is prosperous and free

 there will be no more wars of aggression…no more poison factories, no more executions…no more
torture chambers…
 The day of your (Iraqi’s) liberation is near

The speech is trying to distinguish the Iraqi evil regime from general Iraqi people, so that the war (military
campaign) on Iraq will be justified, even for the Iraqi civilians because it will bring them a bright future.

By analyzing the process type of texts, it highlights the progression of the text and identifies the purpose of
the text. It also helps explain to intermediate learners the possibility of mixed tenses within a text. In general,
transitivity analysis supports grammar learning in context by presenting ready-made authentic texts
piecemeal to learners, thus increases practicality and effectiveness of classroom learning.