Abstract:
The study examines the use of language in institutional discourse by discussing the
types of Theme used in three selected Congregation speeches of the University of
Education, Winneba, the experiential functions Theme manifests as well as the
communicative roles it establishes. Using the concept of the clause as message in the
Systemic Functional Grammar theory by Halliday and Matthiessen (2014) the
findings of the study indicate that the most frequent types of Theme are the Topical
Themes which present the core content of the message by indicating participants in
the process (action), circumstantial factors in the process as well as the process itself.
The results of the study indicate that knowing the direction/angle from which a
speaker makes the focus/core of a message is of importance in the understanding of
the message through Theme. Theme also facilitates cohesion and coherence in texts.
As indicated by Brown &Yule (1983), thematic development is important because
University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh
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what appears in the initial position in a text influences the understanding of
everything that comes afterwards, and this is confirmed by the study.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION, FACULTY OF
FOREIGN LANGUAGES EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION, SUBMITTED TO
THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION,
WINNEBA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
AWARD OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY (ENGLISH LANGUAGE) DEGREE.
OCTOBER, 2017