Social Semiotics

In 1961, M.A.K. Halliday published a seminal paper, outlining his model of systemic functional linguistics. His work has been hugely influential in linguistics and beyond. This is a collection of interviews with the generation of social semioticians who have taken Halliday’s concept of social semiotics and developed it further in various directions, making their own original contributions to theory and practice. This book highlights their main lines of thought and considers how they relate to both the original concept of social semiotics and to each other. Key themes include:

• Linguistic studies, multilinguality and evolution of language;
• Text, discourse and classroom studies;
• Digital texts, computer communication and science teaching;
• Multimodal text- and discourse analysis;
• Education and literacy;
• Media work and visual and audio modes;
• Critical Discourse Analysis.

Featuring interviews with leading figures from linguistics, education and communication studies: Gunther Kress, Theo van Leeuwen, Jay Lemke, James R. Martin and Christian M.I.M. Matthiessen, this indispensable overview of the field of social semiotics shows the development of thinking and practice since Halliday’s early work. With a framing introduction and concluding chapter summing up commonalities and differences, connections and conflicts and examining key themes, this is essential reading for any scholar or student working in the area of social semiotics and systemic functional linguistics. Additional video resources with transcripts are available on the Routledge website.