Theme in selected congregation speeches of the university of education, Winneba

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 xii what appears in the initial position in a text influences the understanding of everything that comes afterwards, and this is confirmed by the study.