• When people use language, their language

acts are the expression of meaning. (Bloor and

Bloor: 2003; 1)
• LANGUAGE is a strategic, meaning-making
resource. (Eggins, Suzanne: 1994; 1)
• Language use is functional, contextual and
semiotic.
 How do people use language?
• What do people do with language?
They make meanings and negotiate them in a
cultural and a social context through a
conventionalized coding system organized as a
set of choices.
 TEXT
• A text in Halliday’s terminology is a chunk of
language that is actually spoken or written for
the purposes of communication by real people
in actual circumstances. (Bloor and Bloor:
2003; 4)
• Each text has a content and a format.
Text Superstructures
 Definition
• A superstructure is a global structure that
characterizes the type of text. (Van Dijk: 1978;
141)
• A superstructure is a type of abstract scheme
that establishes the global order of a text and
it is formed by a series of categories whose
combining possibilities are based on
conventional rules (Van Dijk: 1978; 142)
• It is a kind of scheme to which the texts are
adapted.
• It exists independently of the content of the
text.
• It is important to tackle the rules in which the
superstructures are based as they belong to
our linguistic and communicative skills.
 Characteristics
The superstructure schemes are characterized as follows:
+ Conventional or arbitrary: they are agreed by the users of the
language. They are not universal or identical for all the cultures and
they need to be learned.
+ Abstract: they are mental and rethorical schemes.
+ Independent of language: they can be filled with different
codes, not necessarily linguistic.
+ Schematic: they behave as organization patterns that
establish a hierarchy between the parts. The scheme facilitates, in a
first approach to the text, to predict the type of text and the type of
act of speaking.
The superstructure can be represented in a graphic format.
 Superstructure classification
1. According to the extension or field:
+ global: represents the higher hierarchy. It affects the text as a whole.
+ local: represents lower relatioships. It affects parts of the text.

2. According to the order of distribution:

+ canonic: follows a typical or habitual order. It responds to pre-established
patters and it is conventionally recognized by a discourse community.
+ non- canonic: develops in a freer way, the order is not fixed.

3. According to the discourse level:

+ graphic: refers to the conventional forms in which the elements of the
paratext are organized. Each element constitutes a paratextual category.
+ semantic: has to do with the segments’ meanings.
Canonic Superstructures Classification
• Argumentative Superstructure
• Narrative Superstructure
• Expository Superstructure
• Instructive Superstructure
(Cubo de Severino, Liliana
et all: 2002; 78)
 ARGUMENTATIVE SUPERSTRUCTURE
• The purpose is to persuade the reader about
the truth of the writer’s position. This is done
through reasonings that support his stand.
• Examples: legal papers, political discourse,
advertising, social sciences, essays and
editorials.
• Canonic category:
opening, proposition or thesis,
demonstration, conclusion.
Mobile computers have gradually been introduced into educational
contexts over the past two decades. Mobile technology has led to
most people to carry their own individual small computers that
contain exceptional computing power, such as laptops, personal
digital assistants (PDAs), tablet personal computers (PCs), cell
phones, and e-book readers. This large amount of computing power
and portability, combined with the wireless communication and
context sensitivity tools, makes one-to-one computing a learning tool
of great potential in both traditional classrooms and outdoor
informal learning. However, the devices may not be very effectively
used for educational purposes by most of the teachers or students
but may mainly be effectively used for social purposes creating a new
type of illiteracy, the digital illiteracy.
 NARRATIVE SUPERSTRUCTURE
• The purpose of this text is to refer to human or non human
beings’ actions that arise emotion, interest or surprise.
They take place in specific space and time circumstances.
• The change in order is frequent and is done for style and
interest reasons.
• Examples: non-literary narrations (journalistic, historical,
legal); literary narrations: prose (short stories, legends,
novels), poetry (romance), drama (tragedy, comedy,
screenplays)
• Canonic category: announcement, story – episode, frame,
complication, resolution – evaluation, and epilogue.
 A Bit of History
• So how did this modern wonder come into existence? In a nutshell, the first version of the Internet was
started during the 1960s in the United States as ARPAnet, a defence deparment network. One
computer was linked to another to share information. Gradually, more computers were added, and
people began to send simple messages over the network to distant colleagues. This, at that time,
incredible communications platform added by European computer wizards, became the friendly tool
we refer to as the Internet today.
As a form of international communication, the Internet has been in constant expansion since 1973,
when the ARPAnet was first connected to the United Kingdom and Norway. Much of northern Europe
was connected to the Net in the early 1980s. Japan and Canada soon followed suit. A special link was
established between Germany and China at about the same time. And then in the late 1980s the real
growth began as Australia, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand and Puerto Rico joined the Net.
The early 1990s saw many countries in South America and Asia, as well as Eastern Europe, gain
access to the Net. The first countries connected from the African continent were Tunisia and South
Africa, but others soon followed. By 1992, even Antartica was officially online. Currently every nation
has some type of connection to the Internet, though access may be highly restricted and extremely
expensive.
Because of its origin in the United States, most of the communication via the Internet takes place
in English, in spite of, or perhaps due to, the multilingual nature of its user base. Researchers suggest
that this will change as the Internet becomes more popular, but for the moment English is the
common language. This is what makes it such a perfect tool for English language teaching
 EXPOSITORY SUPERSTRUCTURE
• The purpose is basically to inform – to give
information about events, theories, discoveries,
processes, elements, phenomena, relations,
characters, and concepts among others.
• Examples: scientific texts, manuals,
enciclopaedias, articles, research papers,
reports, reviews, abstracts, etc.
• Canonic category: introduction, development
and conclusion. The development is obligatory.
 INSTRUCTIVE SUPERSTRUCTURE
• The purpose is to guide the reader`s actions.
The texts give instructions to carry out a
definite action or obtain a product.
• Examples: usage manuals, brochures,
regulations, prospects.
• Canonic category: items, and instructions.
 Assignment
• Work in pairs. Go over the texts and analyse
the canonic categories in each superstructure.
• Work individually. Read the text 12 Wireless
Options for IoT/M2M. Identify its
superstructure and its canonic categories.
• Homework: visit different websites related to
your field of knowledge and try to identify text
superstructures and text format in different
primary or secondary sources.
 Bibliography
• Bloor, Thomas and Bloor, Meriel. The Functional Analysis of
English. Arnold. London, 2003.
• Eggins, Suzanne. An Introduction to Systemic Functional
Linguistics. Pinter Publishers Ltd. United Kingdom, 1994.
• Cubo de Severino, Liliana et all. Leo pero no comprendo.
Estrategias de comprensión lectora. Ex- Libris Editorial.
Argentina, 2002.
• Computer English. Penguin Quick Guides. Pearson Education
Limited. England, 2008.
• Van Dijk, Teun A. La ciencia del texto. Un enfoque
interdisciplinario. Barcelona, 1978.
• The Britannica Illustrated Science Library.