Article In: Perspectives in Systemic Functional Linguistics: A celebration of the fiftieth international congress
Edited by Tom Bartlett
[Language, Context and Text 8:1] 2026

Information structure

Looking back, prospecting forward

 | University of Cardiff
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
In this paper I reclaim Halliday’s central place in the study of Information structure by showing how his insights provide the foundations to enable us to understand the Information Structure of spoken language. I consider the reasons why Halliday’s work has been largely neglected in the study of Information Structure, and illustrate some issues in translating the Hallidayan view into a metalanguage comprehensible to the current state of the art in Information Structure research. Finally I sketch an outline of an updated and expanded SFL flavoured theory which incorporates recent findings from within and outside linguistics. This theory is detailed in my recent monograph (. 2025. Information Structure in spoken English. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar).
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Information: The interplay of predictable and surprise
  • Theme, topic and focus and the prospection of what is yet to be said
  • Unmarked tonality?
  • Theme topic and focus in the wild
  • Prospecting forward
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
References (44)
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