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Description
This paper aims at enhancing teaching English as a second language; it examines the application of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to teaching academic writing for learners of English as a second language (L2), addressing limitations of traditional grammar-based pedagogies that isolate language from its context of use. Grounded in Halliday’s (1985) metafunctional framework- ideational, interpersonal, and textual - the study proposes a genre-based approach that enables learners to develop meaning-making resources appropriate to academic discourse communities. Using a qualitative methodology, the study analyzes model texts, curriculum materials, and student writing produced within SFL-informed writing programs. Instruction focuses on key linguistic features including nominalization, theme–rheme structure, cohesion, modality, and genre stagging, all of which contribute to textual coherence and academic stance. Preliminary findings suggest that this approach increases learners’ functional awareness of language and improves their ability to construct context-sensitive, disciplinary texts as one of the most necessary ways. The paper argues for embedding SFL theory and pedagogy in teacher education as a principled framework for L2 academic writing instruction.
Keywords: Systemic Functional Linguistics, academic writing, L2 English learners, genre pedagogy, theme–rheme, textual metafunction, teacher education
Biography
Ms. Gia Thi Tuyet Nhung received her MA degree in English linguistics from the University of Foreign Language Studies – Danang University. She is now a Ph.D at the University of Science and Education– Danang University. She has focused her researches on Grammatical Metaphor in SFL in English and VietNamese and how to applied linguistics advances to teaching Vietnamese learners effectively. She wrote 17 articles for prestigious journals and international conferences.
