This book showcases research on theoretical, descriptive, and methodological innovations for understanding language patterns grounded in a Systemic Functional Linguistic perspective, providing a foundation for practice and further research for scholars working in this area.

Table of contents

1. Describing languages, understanding language: Systemic Functional theory and description

Y.J. Doran and J.R. Martin

Part I: Understanding grammar

2. Axial argumentation below the clause: The verbal group in Khorchin Mongolian

Dongbing Zhang

3. Axial argumentation and cryptogrammar in interpersonal grammar: A case study of Classical Tibetan mood

Pin Wang

4. Experiential cryptotypes: reasoning about process type

Beatriz Quiroz

5. Axial argumentation and cryptogrammar in textual grammar: theme in Brazilian Portuguese

Giacomo Figueredo

6. Arguments for seeing Theme-Rheme and Topic-Comment as separate functional structures

Randy J. LaPolla

Part II: Contextualising grammar

7. Functional language typology: A discourse semantic perspective

J.R. Martin and Beatriz Quiroz

8. Construing relations between scientific activities through Mandarin Chinese

Jing Hao

9. The Baboon and the Bee: Exploring register patterns across languages

David Rose

10. Language shift: Bilingual exchange structure in classroom interactions

Harni Kartika Ningsih

11. Academic formalisms: Toward a semiotic typology

Y.J. Doran

J.R. Martin is Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Sydney, Australia, where he is also Deputy Director of the LCT Centre for Knowledge-Building.

Y.J. Doran is Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and Research Fellow at the LCT Centre for Knowledge-Building at the University of Sydney, Australia.

Giacomo Figueredo is a Researcher and Senior Adjunct Professor of Linguistics at the Federal University of Ouro Preto, Brazil.