Qs: 'Review article' on functionalism

[Susanna Cumming]

Guy & colleagues,

I think every functionalist would make a slightly different statement
(which is why we tend to resist calling ourselves a "theory" with a catchy
acronym), but I can't resist the opportunity to mention the chapter by me
& Yoshi Ono:

Cumming, Susanna & Tsuyoshi Ono (1996). "Discourse and grammar." In Teun
A. van Dijk (ed.), Discourse: a multidisciplinary introduction, vol. 1:
Discourse as structure and process, 112-137. Beverly Hills: Sage.

I'm posting this to the list since some of you might not have run across
it & might find it useful for students or colleagues. (There are also many
other good papers in the collection.) This chapter does not, however,
compare functional & generative approaches -- it is simply an
introductory-level overview of what we take to be the major findings &
trends of discourse-functional approaches to grammar.

Susanna Cumming

On Wed, 30 Dec 1998, Guy Deutscher wrote:

> Dear funknetters,
>
> I have been asked by a palaeontologist colleague if there is a good article
> which summarises the differences between the functionalist and generativist
> approaches to language. Can anyone recommend an article (or even a book)
> which (1) would be accessible to non-linguists and (2) would give a fair
> assessment of the functionalist view of  language and its development?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Guy Deutscher
>
> =========================
> Dr Guy Deutscher
> St. John's College
> Cambridge CB2 1TP
> England
>