Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning, 2nd Edition

H

Halliday, Michael Alexander Kirkwood

b. 1925, Leeds, UK

The founder of systemic-functional linguistics, Michael Halliday pioneered the analysis of language in its social context. He convincingly re-estabilished the centrality of meaning in understanding how language functions after the domination of linguistic research by Chomsky’s generative grammar model.

After studying Chinese language and literature at London University, he studied linguistics in China and completed his doctorate at Cambridge University. He taught at Universities in the UK and the USA before being appointed foundation Professor of Linguistics at Sydney University, Australia, (1973–87). His huge publication output of over 170 books and articles and his many keynote addresses ...