Tenth International Workshop on Functional Discourse Grammar
The Interpersonal Level in Functional Discourse Grammar
Dopersduin, Schoorl, 3-4 July 2025
Organizers
- Riccardo Giomi (University of Amsterdam)
- Kees Hengeveld (University of Amsterdam)
The Tenth International Workshop on Functional Discourse Grammar (IW-FDG-2025) will be organized by the University of Amsterdam and will take place in Schoorl, The Netherlands on 3-4 July 2025. As on previous occasions, the workshop will be devoted to a specific aspect of the theory and serves two major aims: (i) the development and improvement of the theory of FDG (Hengeveld & Mackenzie 2008, Keizer 2015, Hengeveld, Keizer & Giomi in prep.) and (ii) the publication of an edited volume or special issue consisting of the papers discussed during the workshop. This year’s topic will be the Interpersonal Level. Previous workshops have all resulted in the publication of a special issue of a respected journal or an edited volume in an established journal or book series. To realize these aims, a special procedure is followed in the preparation and organization of the workshop.
Procedure and deadlines:
The topic
A distinguishing feature of Functional Discourse Grammar is the presence of an Interpersonal Level in its central architecture. The Interpersonal Level is defined in actional terms, but actional categories are represented only to the extent that they are reflected in morphosyntax or phonology, in accordance with the Principle of Formal Encoding (Keizer 2015). The overall layout of the Interpersonal Level, as originally proposed by Hengeveld & Mackenzie (2008), is presented in (1):
(1) (Π MI: [ Move
(Π Ai: [ Discourse Act
(Π FI: […] (FI): Σ (FI)) Illocution
(Π PI: […] (PI): Σ (PI))S Speaker
(Π PJ: […] (PJ): Σ (PJ))A Addressee
(Π CI: [ Communicated Content
(Π TI: […] (TI): Σ (TI))Φ Ascriptive Subact
(Π RJ: […] (RI): Σ (RI))Φ Referential Subact
] (CI): Σ (CI))Φ Communicated Content
] (AI): Σ (AI))Φ Discourse Act
] (MI): Σ (MI)) Move
Here a Move (M) contains one or more Discourse Acts (A), which are combinations of maximally four units: the Illocution (F), the speech act Participants (PI)S and (PJ)A, and the Communicated Content (C). Every unit may have its own operators (Π) and modifiers (Σ), and carry functions (Φ): pragmatic functions within the Communicated Content, participant functions within the Discourse Act, and rhetorical functions at higher layers.
A number of changes of the basic overall template of the Interpersonal Level are currently being considered. A number of these were discussed during an informal discussion meeting in Vienna in February 2023, others are explored in Hengeveld, Keizer & Giomi (in prep.), and yet others in more specific publications mentioned below. If all changes suggested were to be adopted, (1) could be replaced by (2):
(2) (S1: [ Discourse Segment
(Π M1: [ Move
(π A1: [ Discourse Act
(Π F1: … (F1): Σ (F1)) Interpersonal Property
(Π P1: … (P1): Σ (P1))S Speaker
(Π P2: … (P2): Σ (P2))A Addressee
(Π C1: [ Communicated Content
(Π R1/T1: […] (R1/T1): Σ (R1/T1))Φ Referential/Ascriptive Subact
(Π Cm1: [ Comment
(Π R1: […] (R1): Σ (R1))Φ Referential Subact
(Π T1: […] (T1): Σ (T1))Φ Ascriptive Subact
(Π C1: […] (CI): Σ (C1))Φ Communicated Content
] (Cm1): Σ (Cm1))Φ Comment
] (C1): (C1))Φ Communicated Content
] (A1): Σ (A1)) Discourse Act
] (M1): Σ (M1))Φ Move
] (S1)) Discourse Segment
The innovations in (2) concern:
For the workshop, we would like to invite contributions that apply, discuss, or challenge the above modifications or provide further evidence for or against them. Contributions dealing with other phenomena at the Interpersonal Level are equally welcome, as there remains much to be explored. Contributions may be typological or language-specific, theoretical or applied, synchronic or diachronic. The only limitation on contributions is that they, in one way or other, should contribute to a better understanding of the Interpersonal Level in FDG.
The abstract
Anyone interested in participating in the workshop is kindly requested to let us know as soon as possible (at functionaldiscoursegrammar@gmail.com), so that we know at an early stage how many participants we may expect. Extended abstracts (1500 words or four pages) on the aforementioned general topic need to be submitted by 15 November 2024 to the same email address. Please note that by sending in an abstract you express your willingness to take part not only in the workshop but also in the various preparatory activities specified above.
The workshop
During the workshop, each paper will be discussed in great detail during a number of chaired sessions. Contributors will be asked to react to the comments they have received on their paper, after which other participants can ask questions and make suggestions. The aim of this procedure is twofold: it will help to improve the final versions of the papers and it will allow us to create a unified set of papers, which will enhance the chances of publication as a special issue or a thematic volume.
Funding
We are at the moment applying for funds in order to provide some financial support for participants in the workshop. Although we are hopeful that we will be able to obtain some funding, we recommend that participants do not refrain from applying for funding from their own universities or research organizations when they see an opportunity to do so.
The programme committee
The programme committee will consist of:
- Riccardo Giomi (University of Amsterdam)
- Kees Hengeveld (University of Amsterdam)
- Evelien Keizer (University of Vienna)
The email address functionaldiscoursegrammar@gmail.com is available for all matters related to the workshop.
References
Bogoras, Waldemar (1917), Koryak texts (Publications of the American Ethnological Society V). Leyden: Brill.
Giomi, Riccardo (2021), The Place of Interpersonal Lexemes in Linguistic Theory, with Special Reference to Functional Discourse Grammar. Corpus Pragmatics 5.2, 1-36.
Hengeveld, Kees & Keizer, Evelien (forthc.), General principles of linearization in Functional Discourse Grammar. To appear in Elnora ten Wolde, Riccardo Giomi & Kees Hengeveld (eds), Linearization in Functional Discourse Grammar.
Hengeveld, Kees, Keizer, Evelien & Giomi, Riccardo (in prep.), Layering in Functional Discourse Grammar: The hierarchical structure of the language system. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hengeveld, Kees and Mackenzie, J. Lachlan (2008), Functional Discourse Grammar: A typologically-based theory of language structure. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Keizer, Evelien (2015), A Functional Discourse Grammar for English. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mackenzie, J. Lachlan (2019), The Functional Discourse Grammar approach to syntax. In A. Kertész, E. Moravcsik and Cs. Rákosi (eds), Current approaches to syntax - a comparative handbook. Berlin and New York: De Gruyter Mouton. 291-316.
Mittendorfer, Matthias (forthc.), Discourse functions, placement and prosody: an FDG analysis of left and right dislocation in British English. In Elnora Ten Wolde, Riccardo Giomi and Kees Hengeveld (eds.), Linearization in Functional Discourse Grammar.
Olbertz, Hella & Vázquez Rozas, Victoria (2022), Asymmetrical pseudoclefts in Spanish — towards an FDG account. Lecture, Seventh International Conference on Functional Discourse Grammar, Schoorl, The Netherlands.
Smit, Niels (2010), FYI: Theory and typology of information packaging. PhD Dissertation, University of Amsterdam.