This study formulated and applied a Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) based pedagogy which is culturally appropriate for Saudi students in King Saud University for improving the reading, analysis and interpretation of poetry in English. Ian Haneur affirms the necessity of the implementation of cultural knowledge for the reading of poetry; he states that cultural knowledge is “important in that it provides a basis through which understanding is achieved.”(2001: 4).This approach is concerned with linguistic applications which aim to improve analytical powers, in particular, the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) (Halliday, 2004; Thompson, 2004). This pedagogy gives Saudi students a tool for reading poetic texts in English and critically analyzes them independently. An attempt which has not been approached much due to concerns of Arab educators about the values of English and American literature and its effects upon readers and a concern over the confrontation of the various moral, social, religious, national, political, historical, and even geographical contexts in the foreign texts (G.Rababah, 1983;M. Obeidat, 1996; Zughoul, 1987; and Asfour andDahiyat, 1983). Furthermore, in this dissertation, I also attempted to address the impact that social, cultural, religious and linguistic differences have on the students' reading and interpretation of poems in English by exploring the perceptions of Saudi students regarding these issues. In my case study, a preliminary questionnaire with closed and open ended questions, class practice answers, post teaching interviews and observation notes were examined using selective coding to interpret the collected data. Analysis of student perceptions in relation to the social, cultural, religious and linguistic differences and the influence they had on their reading of poetry in English revealed meaningful high percentages of agreement which prove that Saudi students were facing problems in all these areas. The analysis of the application of SFL based pedagogy for the Saudi students provided significant evidence that SFL was a useful theory of language which played a purposeful role in showing the architecture of the English language and provided the students with a decoding tool for interpretation.

Thesis (MLitt)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Linguistic scholars have been exploring an effective, contextual and multidisciplinary approach to language education, following the global increase in multilingual societies. This study aims to explore properties of writing related to genre-based literacy in Siswati as a first language for learners in South Africa in a multilingual context. The research is concerned with the properties of writing in Siswati at the high school level and the instruction associated with it. In reality, the educational context of the learners entails that English is the language of instruction or an educational lingua franca in all subjects in schools with learners who have an African language as home language, although English is a second language (L2) for most learners. Therefore, the learners’ first language (L1) is only taught as a subject. In this situation, learners and teachers are faced with problems of language (L2) proficiency. According to the South African language policy, all national languages spoken in South Africa should be prioritized in education. This study advances a proposal for a multilingual approach in education through genre-based teaching. Hence, this study presents an investigation of the implementation of genre in the home language classroom context in respect to the textlinguistic features of agricultural sciences genres. The genre-based theoretical framework and related methodology is explored and elaborated in this study with regards to how Siswati first language learners can be taught linguistic skills acquired in their mother tongue Siswati to writing in content subjects, e.g. biology. The methodology of this study involves the translation of six agricultural science texts for Grade 12 which are then analysed according to systemic functional linguistic (SFL) grammar. The study also investigates issues and challenges in multilingualism and Education policy. The findings of this study present support of the view of the transfer of genre-based skills in texts across the curriculum. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Taalkundiges het oor die afgelope jare ‘n doeltreffende, kontekstuele, multidissiplinêre benadering ondersoek tot taalonderwys, gegee die wêreldwye toename in meertalige gemeenskappe. Die studie het die doelwit om die eienskappe van skryf te ondersoek soos wat dit verband hou met genre-gebaseerde geletterdheid in Siswati, as ‘n eerste (huis) taal vir leerders in Suid-Afrika in ‘n meertalige konteks. Die navorsing hou verband met die eienskappe van skryf in Siswati op hoërskoolvlak en die onderrig daarmee geassosieer. In die werklikheid van die onderrig is Engels oorwegend die medium van onderrig in vakke in skole waar die leerlinge hoofsaaklik ‘n Afrikataal soos siSwati as eerste (of huis) taal het, alhoewel Engels ‘n tweede (of addisionele) taal is van die leerders. Gevolglik word leerders slegs in hulle eerste taal onderrig in die taalvak (van die spesifieke Afrikataal) self. In hierdie medium van onderrig situasie (waar leerders se tweede/ addisionele taal gebruik word vir die onderrig van inhoudsvakke) word sowel leerders as onderwysers gekonfronteer met die probleem van onvoldoende tweede taal (Engels) vaardigheid. Volgens die nasionale taalbeleid in Suid-Afrika, behoort alle nasionale tale in Suid-Afrika voorrang te geniet in onderwys. Hierdie studie betoog vir ‘n meertalige benadering in onderwys deur gebruik van die genre-gebaseerde benadering. Aldus, bied hierdie studie ‘n ondersoek van die implementering van teksgenres in die huistaal-klas konteks ten opsigte van die teks-linguistiese kenmerke van verskillende genres in landbouwetenskappe. Die genre-gebaseerde teoretiese raamwerk en verbandhoudende navorsingsmetodologie word ingespan in hierdie studie met betrekking tot hoe die tekslinguistiese vaardighede, onderrig aan siSwati eerstetaalleerders soos opgedoen in die onderrig van hulle huis (of eerste) taal, uitgebrei kan word na inhoudsvakke soos landbouwetenskappe. Die metodologie gebruik in hierdie studie behels die vertaling in Siswati (vanuit Engels) van ses landbouwetenskaptekste vir Graad 12, wat dan ontleed word volgens die sistemiese funksionele linguistiek (SFL) model wat onderliggend is aan die genre-gebaseerde benadering. Die studie ondersoek voorts vraagstukke en uitdagings rakende taalbeleid en –beplanning in onderwys. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie bied ondersteuning van die standpunt van die oordrag van genre-gebaseerde vaardighede in tekste oor die kurrikulum heen. / SiSWATI ABSTRACT: Bongcongcoshe betilimi bebasolo baphenya indlela yefufundzisa lulwimi lesebenta kahle, lohambelana nesimo, nalosebenta etifundvweni tonkhe letiniketwa esikolweni, kulandzela kutsi emhlabeni wonkhe jikelele sibalo semimmango lecuketse tive letehlukene netilimi letehlukene siya ngekukhula. Lombhalo uhlose kucwaninga timphawu letihambelana nelwati kutemfundvo eluhlangotsini lwekubhala ngekusebentisa tinhlobo temibhalo elulwimini lweSiswati, lolululwimi lwemdzabu/lwekucala kulabanye bafundzi eNingizimu neAfrika esimeni lesinetilimi letinyenti. Lombhalo lona ukhatsatwe yindzaba yekubhala kubafundzi belibanga lelisetulu, libanga lelishumi nakubili nendlela lebafundziswa ngayo. Ecinisweni, bafundzi basesimeni lapho khona Singisi sisetjentiswa njengelulwimi lwekufundzisa tonkhe tifundvo letinemtsamo noma ke lulwimi lolusetjentiswa esikolweni etifundvweni tonkhe kantsi phela Singisi akusilo lulwimi lebalumunya ebeleni labafundzi. Ngaleso sizatfu, lulwimi lwemdzabu lwalabafundzi lufundziswa kwangatsi lusifundvo phaca njenge lwati lwendalo yonkhana, isayensi. Esimeni lesinjengalesi bafundzi nabothishela bahlangabetana nebulukhuni ekucudzelaneni nalabanye babe basebentisa Singisi. Ngekubeka kwemitsetfo yetemfundvo eNingizimu neAfrika, tonkhe tilimi letisemtsetfweni letifaka ekhatsi tembuso wase Ningizimu neAfrika, tebachamuki, temdzabu, naletihlanganisa emave ngemave tinelilungelo leliphelele lekusetjentiswa esikolweni. Loku kusetfulo sendlela yekufundzisa leshwambakanya tilimi letinyenti, lesolo ingakacali kusetjentiswa. Kungako lombhalo uhlolisisa kutsi ingasetjentiswa njani indlela yekufundzisa ngetinhlobo temibhalo endlini yekufundzisa. Luhlaka lwemdvwebo wekufundzisa ngetinhlobo temibhalo kanye nendlela lekufundziswa ngayo kunconywe ngu (Christie na Derewianka (2008), (Knapp na Watkins (2005), (Martin na Rose (2008), (Rose na Martin (2012), na (Feez na Joyce (1998). Loluhlaka lubuke kutsi simo sivuma kanganani kutsi bafundzi labaceceshwe eSiswatini basebentise emakhono elulwimi lwemdzabu ekubhaleni etifundvweni letinemtsamo, njenge bhayoloji. . Indlela lelandzelwe ekusebenteni lombhalo ifaka ekhatsi kuhunyushwa kwetinhlobo temibhalo letisitfupha letitsetfwe encwadzini yelwati lwendalo kutekulima yelibanga lelishumi nakubili.Lemibhalo iyahlatiywe ngenhloso yekutfola emasu latfolakala elulwimini lweSiswati labhekene nekusebenta kwelulwimi nakukhulunywa ngekwakhiwa kwemisho, tinhlobo temisho, nekuhlanganiswa kwemisho; emasu lasetjentiswa ekwendluliseni tinkhulumo kubalaleli betigaba letehlukene, kanye nemasu ekuhlanganisa emagama kuze akhe umbhalo lonemcondvo lophelele nalovakalako. Ngetulu kwaloko, lombhalo lona uhlolisisa indzaba yekufundzisa leyengamela tilimi letehlukene kanye nemtsetfo wetemfundvo. Lombhalo wetfula indlela yekucecesha bafundzi ekubekeni imibono nemicabango yabo ephepheni, lekuyindlela lesebenta etifundvweni tonkhe letinemtsamo, letifundziswa etikolweni.Lombhalo futsi uphenculula luphikiswano netinsayeya letihambelana nekusetjentiswa kwendlela yekufundzisa lefaka ekhatsi tilimi letehlukene nemtsetfo wetemfundvo. Imiphumela yaloluphenyo kulesifundvo iniketa siciniseko sebukhona nekusebenta kwemasu lahambelana nendlela yekufundzisa ngekusebentisa tinhlobo temibhalo kulo lonkhe luhlelo lwetifundvo. Loku kugcwalisa inhloso yalombhalo lona.

Nesta pesquisa, investigamos como atividades de letramento mediadas por gênero podem ser desenvolvidas numa turma considerada defasada pelo fato dos alunos terem dificuldades de leitura e escrita. A pesquisa-ação é realizada numa escola da rede pública municipal de Marabá, em uma turma de 6º ano (5ª série) do Ensino Fundamental. Pretendemos ainda investigar como essas atividades podem ajudar no desenvolvimento das práticas de leitura, produção textual e de análise linguística desses alunos com dificuldades de aprendizagem. Para intervenção em sala de aula, elaboramos uma unidade didática composta por planos de aula orientados pela proposta pedagógica do Circuito Curricular Mediado por Gênero (CCMG). Com essas atividades, observamos o desenvolvimento, o envolvimento e a participação dos alunos nas aulas propostas. Experimentamos e avaliamos a metodologia de ensino orientada pelo CCMG em cada etapa do circuito, respondendo, assim, a pergunta principal da pesquisa-ação: como as atividades de leitura e de análise linguísticas mediadas pelo CCMG podem provocar mudanças no ensino e aprendizagem da disciplina Língua Portuguesa? Caracterizamos este trabalho como uma pesquisa-ação, pois não se trata de simples levantamento de dados ou de relatórios a serem arquivados, desse modo, pretendemos desempenhar um papel ativo na própria realidade dos fatos observados. Esta pesquisa também é caracterizada como um estudo de caso, pois investiga e explora exaustivamente a Unidade Didática aplicada na intervenção pedagógica. Para subsidiar a intervenção proposta, revisaremos alguns estudos aplicados a respeito dos gêneros textuais, estudos do letramento; ensino de língua materna e abordagem sistêmico-funcional da linguagem. Os resultados mostraram que a Unidade Didática implementada durante a intervenção pedagógica desenvolveu-se como um processo reorientador da prática pedagógica e promotor de aprendizagem. Considerando as reflexões apresentadas, destacamos a necessidade do desenvolvimento de pesquisas aplicadas sobre as práticas pedagógicas, envolvendo professores no local de trabalho. Devido à natureza multifacetada da problemática focalizada, concluímos que a superação dos desafios enfrentados depende de ações conjuntas no âmbito da escola, o da universidade e das políticas públicas. / In this research we investigated how literacy activities mediated by genre can be developed in a class considered outdated because the students have difficulties in reading and writing. The action research is carried out in an Elementary Public School of Maraba, in a class of 6th year (5th grade) of the Elementary School. We also intend to investigate how these activities can help in the development of reading practices, textual production and linguistic analysis of these students with learning difficulties. In planning for intervention in the classroom, we developed a teaching unit which consists of lesson plans guided by pedagogical proposal called Curriculum Circuit Mediated by Genre (CCMG). We intend to observe the development of these activities, the involvement and participation of students in the proposed classes, we still want to experience and evaluate the methodology at each step of the CCMG and then answering the main question of this action research: how the activities of reading and linguistic analysis mediated by CCMG can cause changes in the teaching and learning of Portuguese language? We characterize this work as an action research because it is not simple data collection or reports to be filed, thus, we intend to play an active role in the reality of the observed facts. This research is also characterized as a case study because it investigate and thoroughly explore the teaching unit applied in pedagogical intervention. To support the proposed intervention we review some applied studies regarding to genres, literacy studies; as well as Applied Linguistics and Systemic Functional Linguistics. The results showed that the Teaching Unit implemented during the educational intervention was developed as a process of reorienting teaching practice and learning promoter. The results showed that the Teaching Unit implemented during the educational intervention was developed as a process of reorienting teaching practice and learning promoter. Considering the presented reflections, we highlight the need to develop applied research on pedagogical practices, involving teachers in service. Due to the multifaceted nature of the problem, we find that the overshoot depends on joint actions within the school scope, academic scope and in the public policy.

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education. / The Thai government has proposed education reform programs to be competitive with its neighbours and globally. One major policy is to improve competency in English. Thailand has a long history of importing approaches for teaching English from western countries. For a complex variety of reasons the structural-based approaches have been the most influential ones on both teachers and bureaucrats. While these approaches enable Thais to communicate at the basic level, emphasising spoken language, they do not provide systematic guidance to write extended texts effectively. Thai educators have tended to import approaches literally without adequately researching the practicality and suitability of them. This thesis is an attempt to explore whether it is possible to adapt a recently evolved, western 'genre-based' approach to the teaching of English in Thailand. The research focuses on factual English writing because it is highly valued in government, commerce and industry. English and Thai rhetorical patterns differ significantly so students need to write their texts to meet English readers' expectations. To achieve this, students need to be taught to write explicitly. Soundly based in Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, the genre-based approach teaches writing at whole text, paragraph and clause levels. It is concerned with realising appropriate generic structure for the different social communication tasks. This approach has the potential to improve Thai students' writing ability. The research project was primarily an ethnographic-case study that was carried out with the co-operation of 45 third year English major students for 14 weeks (from October, 1997 to February, 1998) at the Department of Foreign Languages, Khon Kaen University in northeast Thailand. It is centred on the Exposition genre because some Thai educators had noted that it was one of the most neglected in the Thai educational system, but one of the most valuable genres in western culture. The research outcomes showed that the genre-based approach had a significant positive impact on students' factual writing, showing gains in the control of generic structure and language features of the Exposition. Nevertheless, the research suggests that for the genre-based approach to be successfully implemented in a foreign language context such as Thai, a number of modifications are necessary. The genre-based approach provides students with insights into cultural expectations of writing in English and has the potential to contribute to the policy goals of the Thai government for the upgrading of English teaching and also contribute to its wish of achieving the education refonn agenda.

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education. / The Thai government has proposed education reform programs to be competitive with its neighbours and globally. One major policy is to improve competency in English. Thailand has a long history of importing approaches for teaching English from western countries. For a complex variety of reasons the structural-based approaches have been the most influential ones on both teachers and bureaucrats. While these approaches enable Thais to communicate at the basic level, emphasising spoken language, they do not provide systematic guidance to write extended texts effectively. Thai educators have tended to import approaches literally without adequately researching the practicality and suitability of them. This thesis is an attempt to explore whether it is possible to adapt a recently evolved, western 'genre-based' approach to the teaching of English in Thailand. The research focuses on factual English writing because it is highly valued in government, commerce and industry. English and Thai rhetorical patterns differ significantly so students need to write their texts to meet English readers' expectations. To achieve this, students need to be taught to write explicitly. Soundly based in Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, the genre-based approach teaches writing at whole text, paragraph and clause levels. It is concerned with realising appropriate generic structure for the different social communication tasks. This approach has the potential to improve Thai students' writing ability. The research project was primarily an ethnographic-case study that was carried out with the co-operation of 45 third year English major students for 14 weeks (from October, 1997 to February, 1998) at the Department of Foreign Languages, Khon Kaen University in northeast Thailand. It is centred on the Exposition genre because some Thai educators had noted that it was one of the most neglected in the Thai educational system, but one of the most valuable genres in western culture. The research outcomes showed that the genre-based approach had a significant positive impact on students' factual writing, showing gains in the control of generic structure and language features of the Exposition. Nevertheless, the research suggests that for the genre-based approach to be successfully implemented in a foreign language context such as Thai, a number of modifications are necessary. The genre-based approach provides students with insights into cultural expectations of writing in English and has the potential to contribute to the policy goals of the Thai government for the upgrading of English teaching and also contribute to its wish of achieving the education refonn agenda.

Uma das instâncias de representação do mundo é a linguagem. Por meio da língua representamos dados de nossa experiência física e psíquica, ou seja, representamos a realidade que nos cerca. Investigar como o homem representa essa realidade é uma questão inesgotável. Desse modo, é necessário selecionar um aspecto dessa realidade, i.e., fazer um recorte. Para tratar de como o homem representa o mundo, foi escolhido como objeto de pesquisa uma das mais recorrentes representações feitas pela humanidade, a saber, deus. Os questionamentos em torno do personagem deus podem ser considerados uma das questões ontológicas do homem. No âmbito dos estudos da linguagem, a Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional mostra-se como suporte teórico ideal, pois entende que a linguagem possui a habilidade de representar a realidade. O propósito da linguagem de representar ideias e expressar experiências remete à Metafunção Ideacional que tem como ferramenta de análise o Sistema de Transitividade. Sendo assim, nosso objetivo é investigar, por meio do Sistema de Transitividade da LSF, que representações de deus José Saramago nos mostra em seu último romance, Caim, e responder às seguintes perguntas: Qual a representação do personagem Deus em Caim a partir da investigação dos enunciados do narrador, do personagem Caim e do próprio personagem Deus? A análise linguística corrobora ou não o posicionamento de Saramago expresso por meio de um narrador que se coloca contra Deus? Como a análise linguística pode corroborar e sustentar uma análise literária? O conceito de religião e a relação homem-deus têm uma presença constante na obra de Saramago e, em Caim, o autor desconstrói uma tradição judaico-cristã, através das próprias narrativas bíblicas do Velho Testamento. Por meio dos processos analisados é possível observar que o divino, na obra em questão, é revestido de características humanas, é vingativo, rancoroso e demonstra pouquíssima compaixão por suas criaturas. Para Saramago, o Deus cristão faz dos seres humanos suas marionetes, por exemplo, quando induz Caim ao primeiro homicídio da historia cristã. Desse modo, o autor desconstrói a concepção judaico-cristã do Deus justo, onipotente, onisciente e bondoso. Para o autor, Deus é egoísta, vingativo e se deixa levar pela ira / One of the instances of the worlds representation is language. Through language we represent our physical and psychic experience, i.e., we represent the reality that surrounds us. To investigate how man represents this reality is an endless question. Thus, it is necessary to select an aspect of reality, i.e., choose a side view. To deal with how man represents the world, the research object chosen is one of the most frequent representations made by mankind, that is, god. The questions surrounding god as a character can be considered one of man's most important ontological questions. Within languages studies, Systemic Functional Linguistics presents as with an ideal theoretical support, since it believes that language has the ability to represent reality. This purpose of language to represent ideas and express experiences is studied under the Ideational Metafunction. Our goal is to investigate, through the Transitivity System of SFL, which representations of God José Saramago shows us in his latest novel, Caim, and answer the following questions: What is the representation of the character God in Caim seen by means of the narrators statements, of the character Caims statments and of the character Gods statements? The linguistic analysis supports or not Saramago's positioning expressed by a narrator who stands against God? How can the linguistic analysis confirm and support a literary analysis? The concept of religion and the relationship between man and God have a constant presence in the work of Saramago, and, in the novel Caim, the author deconstructs a jewish-christian tradition, through the biblical narratives themselves of the Old Testament. By means of the processes analyzed, we could observe that the divine, in Caim, is coated with human characteristics, is vindictive, spiteful and shows no compassion for his creatures. According to Saramago, the Christian God makes humans their puppets, for example, when Caim is induced to the first homicide of Christian history. Therefore, the author deconstructs the jewish-christian conception that God is fair, omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent. For the author, God is selfish, vindictive and gets carried away by anger

Uma das instâncias de representação do mundo é a linguagem. Por meio da língua representamos dados de nossa experiência física e psíquica, ou seja, representamos a realidade que nos cerca. Investigar como o homem representa essa realidade é uma questão inesgotável. Desse modo, é necessário selecionar um aspecto dessa realidade, i.e., fazer um recorte. Para tratar de como o homem representa o mundo, foi escolhido como objeto de pesquisa uma das mais recorrentes representações feitas pela humanidade, a saber, deus. Os questionamentos em torno do personagem deus podem ser considerados uma das questões ontológicas do homem. No âmbito dos estudos da linguagem, a Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional mostra-se como suporte teórico ideal, pois entende que a linguagem possui a habilidade de representar a realidade. O propósito da linguagem de representar ideias e expressar experiências remete à Metafunção Ideacional que tem como ferramenta de análise o Sistema de Transitividade. Sendo assim, nosso objetivo é investigar, por meio do Sistema de Transitividade da LSF, que representações de deus José Saramago nos mostra em seu último romance, Caim, e responder às seguintes perguntas: Qual a representação do personagem Deus em Caim a partir da investigação dos enunciados do narrador, do personagem Caim e do próprio personagem Deus? A análise linguística corrobora ou não o posicionamento de Saramago expresso por meio de um narrador que se coloca contra Deus? Como a análise linguística pode corroborar e sustentar uma análise literária? O conceito de religião e a relação homem-deus têm uma presença constante na obra de Saramago e, em Caim, o autor desconstrói uma tradição judaico-cristã, através das próprias narrativas bíblicas do Velho Testamento. Por meio dos processos analisados é possível observar que o divino, na obra em questão, é revestido de características humanas, é vingativo, rancoroso e demonstra pouquíssima compaixão por suas criaturas. Para Saramago, o Deus cristão faz dos seres humanos suas marionetes, por exemplo, quando induz Caim ao primeiro homicídio da historia cristã. Desse modo, o autor desconstrói a concepção judaico-cristã do Deus justo, onipotente, onisciente e bondoso. Para o autor, Deus é egoísta, vingativo e se deixa levar pela ira / One of the instances of the worlds representation is language. Through language we represent our physical and psychic experience, i.e., we represent the reality that surrounds us. To investigate how man represents this reality is an endless question. Thus, it is necessary to select an aspect of reality, i.e., choose a side view. To deal with how man represents the world, the research object chosen is one of the most frequent representations made by mankind, that is, god. The questions surrounding god as a character can be considered one of man's most important ontological questions. Within languages studies, Systemic Functional Linguistics presents as with an ideal theoretical support, since it believes that language has the ability to represent reality. This purpose of language to represent ideas and express experiences is studied under the Ideational Metafunction. Our goal is to investigate, through the Transitivity System of SFL, which representations of God José Saramago shows us in his latest novel, Caim, and answer the following questions: What is the representation of the character God in Caim seen by means of the narrators statements, of the character Caims statments and of the character Gods statements? The linguistic analysis supports or not Saramago's positioning expressed by a narrator who stands against God? How can the linguistic analysis confirm and support a literary analysis? The concept of religion and the relationship between man and God have a constant presence in the work of Saramago, and, in the novel Caim, the author deconstructs a jewish-christian tradition, through the biblical narratives themselves of the Old Testament. By means of the processes analyzed, we could observe that the divine, in Caim, is coated with human characteristics, is vindictive, spiteful and shows no compassion for his creatures. According to Saramago, the Christian God makes humans their puppets, for example, when Caim is induced to the first homicide of Christian history. Therefore, the author deconstructs the jewish-christian conception that God is fair, omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent. For the author, God is selfish, vindictive and gets carried away by anger

Yes / This chapter encapsulates the multi-disciplinary nature that facilitates NLP in AI and reports on a linguistically orientated conversational software agent (CSA) (Panesar 2017) framework sensitive to natural language processing (NLP), language in the agent environment. We present a novel computational approach of using the functional linguistic theory of Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) as the linguistic engine. Viewing language as action, utterances change the state of the world, and hence speakers and hearer’s mental state change as a result of these utterances. The plan-based method of discourse management (DM) using the BDI model architecture is deployed, to support a greater complexity of conversation. This CSA investigates the integration, intersection and interface of the language, knowledge, speech act constructions (SAC) as a grammatical object, and the sub-model of BDI and DM for NLP. We present an investigation into the intersection and interface between our linguistic and knowledge (belief base) models for both dialogue management and planning. The architecture has three-phase models: (1) a linguistic model based on RRG; (2) Agent Cognitive Model (ACM) with (a) knowledge representation model employing conceptual graphs (CGs) serialised to Resource Description Framework (RDF); (b) a planning model underpinned by BDI concepts and intentionality and rational interaction; and (3) a dialogue model employing common ground. Use of RRG as a linguistic engine for the CSA was successful. We identify the complexity of the semantic gap of internal representations with details of a conceptual bridging solution.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:22:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Joao Paulo Soares.pdf: 2436912 bytes, checksum: 3fa52232b3fe79d86116f6a56da444e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-09 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / As part of the context of the research project Design e Desenvolvimento de Material Instrucional para Contexto Presencial e Digital (PUC-SP/LAEL), this thesis aims at describing the generic structure of oral communication in Portuguese in congresses of Applied Linguistics area; identifying the similarities and differences between novice and expert researchers oral communications; analyzing lexicogrammar elements that signal stages change; and identifying how researchers call themselves and the audience through personal pronouns. It uses the Systemic-Functional Linguistic (HALLIDAY, 1985, 1994) as framework and his followers (EGGINS; SLADE, 1997; MARTIN; ROSE, 2008), which has a focus on language in use that allows analyzing the lexicogrammar choices made by the users in written and spoken texts based on the contexts of situation and culture realized. The conference section paper analysis model in English by Ventola et. al. (2002) is used as reference. Results show that the analyzed oral communications have nine stages, six obligatory and three optional, and thirty four phases, being that the novice researchers transgress the genre more than twice in relation to the expert researchers with respect to the absence of obligatory stages in their communication. The lexicogrammar elements analyzed that signal stages changes are: discursive markers, typical in oral language that work sometimes as a pause for researchers to organize their thoughts and sometimes as a cohesive element to give logical sequence (temporal or not) in the change of a stage, besides rhetorical questions. The usage of personal pronouns is used to create interaction between the researchers and the audience and provide the engagement of the audience in the process of argumentation. I hope this thesis contributes to the didactic material elaboration for the teaching and learning of oral genre in the academic context / Como parte do contexto do projeto de pesquisa Design e Desenvolvimento de Material Instrucional para Contexto Presencial e Digital (PUC-SP/LAEL), esta tese tem como objetivo descrever a estrutura genérica de comunicações orais em língua portuguesa em congressos da área de Linguística Aplicada; identificar as semelhanças e diferenças entre as comunicações orais apresentadas por pesquisadores novatos e experientes; analisar elementos léxico-gramaticais que sinalizam mudanças de etapas; e identificar como os pesquisadores nomeiam a si mesmos e a audiência por meio de pronomes pessoais. Para tanto, utiliza-se da Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional (HALLIDAY, 1985, 1994) como arcabouço teórico e seus seguidores (EGGINS; SLADE, 1997; MARTIN; ROSE, 2008), que tem como foco a língua em uso, que permite analisar as escolhas léxico-gramaticais feitas pelos usuários em textos escritos e falados com base nos contextos de situação e cultura em que se realizam. O modelo de análise da estrutura genérica de sessões de comunicação oral em conferências em inglês de Ventola et. al. (2002) é utilizado como referência. A pesquisa analisa trinta pesquisadores em quatro congressos de Linguística Aplicada (CBLA e InPLA), sendo transcritas e analisadas manualmente, exceto pela análise dos elementos léxico-gramaticais que é feita quantitativamente por meio do programa computacional Wordsmith Tools (SCOTT, 2010). Os resultados mostram que as comunicações orais analisadas possuem nove etapas, sendo seis obrigatórias e três opcionais e trinta e quatro fases, sendo que os pesquisadores novatos transgridem o gênero mais que o dobro de vezes em relação aos pesquisadores experientes no que tange à ausência de etapas obrigatórias em suas comunicações. Os elementos léxico-gramaticais analisados que sinalizam mudanças de etapas são: marcadores discursivos, característicos de linguagem oral que funcionam ora como pausa para pesquisadores organizarem seus pensamentos ora como elemento coesivo para dar sequência lógica (temporal ou não) na mudança de uma etapa, assim como perguntas retóricas. O uso de pronomes pessoais é utilizado para criar interação entre pesquisadores e audiência e proporciona o engajamento da audiência no processo de argumentação. Espera-se que esta tese contribua para a elaboração de material didático para o ensino-aprendizagem de gênero oral no ensino superior

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo geral analisar a progressão textual e a estrutura temática em resenhas produzidas por alunos no Ensino Superior, a partir dos pressupostos teórico da Linguística Sistêmico-funcional (HALLIDAY, 1978; HALLIDAY e MATTHIESSEN, 2004, 2014; MARTIN e ROSE, 2007; ROSE e MARTIN, 2012) aliados à Linguística Textual, a partir dos estudos de referenciação, numa perspectiva sociointeracionista (MONDADA, 2001; MONDADA e DUBOIS, 2003; MARCUSCHI, 1983 e 2008; KOCH et al.,2005; KOCH e ELIAS, 2010; KOCH, 2014; CAVALCANTE, 2011, 2012 e 2013; CAVALCANTE et al., 2014; e CIULLA, 2008). O que motivou este estudo foram as dificuldades enfrentadas por alunos, ao produzirem textos que exijam um rigor acadêmico, e o interesse por entender como o estudo dos processos de organização temática e referencial podem subsidiar o trabalho com a escrita acadêmica. Para tanto, os dados foram analisados a partir da metafunção textual, considerando os quatro estratos contextuais que envolvem o texto: o contexto de cultura e sua realização em gêneros, o contexto de situação por meio das variáveis de registro de campo, relações e modo, o estrato semântico-discursivo por meio da análise dos sistemas discursivos de identificação e periodicidade, e dos processos de referenciação, a fim de observar como os alunos constroem a progressão textual e as funções textual-discursivas mais recorrentes na composição do gênero resenha; e por fim, o estrato lexicogramatical analisado por meio da identificação da estrutura temática e estrutura da informação. Trata-se de um estudo de cunho qualitativo-interpretativo Os sujeitos de pesquisa foram alunos da Universidade Estadual do Rio grande do Sul (UERGS), frequentando o primeiro semestre em nível de graduação. O corpus é constituído por 10 (dez) textos do gênero resenha. Os resultados mostram que os padrões de estrutura temática estão diretamente relacionados à composição dos gêneros e ao conhecimento que os alunos possuem em relação à lexicogramática, aos aspectos semântico-discursivos e estruturais do texto. A análise do estrato discursivo-semântico permitiu olhar para a metafunção textual e entender como se dá o processo de progressão textual, a partir dos processos de progressão temática e progressão referencial. Pelos tipos de referências e estrutura temática presentes nos textos, pode-se concluir que os alunos têm conhecimento destas estratégias de construção textual, no entanto é evidente a necessidade de tornar este conhecimento explícito, de modo que suas produções evoluam em termos de qualidades discursivas. Por fim, como contribuição desta tese, espera-se despertar o interesse para a temática abordada, bem como oferecer subsídios teóricos e práticos para o planejamento de propostas de intervenção no contexto acadêmico, constituindo-se em uma importante ferramenta para o trabalho com a escrita e análise textual/discursiva no Ensino Superior. / The present thesis has as a general objective analyze the textual progression and thematic structure in reviews produced by students in Higher Education, based on the theoretical assumptions of Systemic Functional Linguistics (HALLIDAY, 1978; HALLIDAY and MATTHIESSEN, 2004, 2014; MARTIN and ROSE , 2007; ROSE and MARTIN, 2012) allied to Textual Linguistics, supported by the referential studies, in a socio-interactionist perspective. (MONDADA, 2001; MONDADA and DUBOIS, 2003; MARCUSCHI, 1983 and 2008; KOCH et al.,2005; KOCH and ELIAS, 2010; KOCH, 2014; CAVALCANTE, 2011, 2012 and 2013; CAVALCANTE et al., 2014; and CIULLA, 2008). What motivated this study were the difficulties faced by students, when they produced texts with academic rigor demand, and the interest to understand how the study of the processes of referential and thematic organization and can support the work with academic writing. For this, the data were analyzed from the textual metafunction, considering four contextual strata that involve the text: the context of culture and its realization in genres, the context of situation across the variables of field, tenor and mode, the semantic-discursive stratum through the analysis of the discursive systems of identification and periodicity, and of the processes of reference, in order to observe how the students build textual progression the textual discourse functions, which are more used in the composition of review genre; and finally, the lexicogrammatical stratum analyzed through the identification of the thematic structure and information structure. This is a qualitative-interpretative study The investigation subjects were students of the Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul (UERGS), attending the first semester at undergraduate level. The corpus is constituted by 10 (ten) texts of the review genre. The results show that the patterns of thematic structure are directly related to the composition of the genres and to the knowledge that the students have in relation to the lexicogrammar, to the semantic-discursive and structural aspects of the text. The analysis of the discursive-semantic stratum allowed us to look at the textual metafunction and to understand how the process of textual progression occurs, from the processes of thematic progression and referential progression. For the types of references and thematic structure present in the texts, it can be concluded that the students are aware of these strategies of textual construction, however it is evident the necessity to become this knowledge explicit, in such a way that their productions develop in terms of discursive qualities. In conclusion, as a contribution of this thesis, it is hoped to awaken the interest for the approached topic, as well as to offer theoretical and practical subsidies for the planning of intervention proposals in the academic context, constituting an important tool for working with writing and textual/discursive analysis in Higher Education.