Translation, Systemic Functional Linguistics, and Connection between the Two

Language is a fundamental means for people to communicate and interact with one another. It encompasses individuals' essential skills to build relationships and is a key component of social life. Additionally, language is closely connected with various other disciplines. Aminudin and Hidayati (2021) noted that language differences create a need for translation, as individuals often rely on diverse languages to communicate or convey meaning. This highlights the critical importance of translators and the translation process (Sholihah et al., 2018). The role of translators is to convert text from a foreign language into a person's native or target language.

Translation, often perceived as a mere retelling of meaning, is a complex and intellectually challenging activity. It requires a deep understanding of both the foreign language and the first language culture, not just in lexical or grammatical form, but also in the construction of ideas and authors' points of view. The goal is to produce a translation that is so well-crafted that readers are unaware they are reading a translated text. Translators navigate from concrete to abstract meanings, such as context, culture, and ideology, adding layers of complexity to their task. 

Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday first proposed Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), commonly called M.A.K Halliday. SFL is a language theory highlighting the relationship between language, text, and context (Halliday & Hasan, 1989). SFL is a functional theory of language, which describes how people use language to make meanings in context (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2004). Systemic means meaning-making or sense-making in context. Functional means a description of language functions. This approach tends to find ways of using language by human beings, which are arranged into different contexts (context of culture and situation). 

Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) is not just a theoretical framework, but a powerful tool that enhances our understanding of language and context. By emphasizing the role of language in creating meaning and constructing context, SFL provides a comprehensive view of linguistics. It tackles the specific challenges that translators face, linking meaning and context in a way that enriches our understanding of both.

Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) examines language as a sign that can be analyzed based on its structure and use. The way language is used is closely linked to the reasons behind its use. SFL considers a range of linguistic choices and the potential for meaning, allowing for diverse meanings and impacts. These language choices and potentials are based on three core strands of meaning, known as meta-functions: the ideational function (Field-Experience), the interpersonal function (Interaction/Engagement), and the textual function (Organization of Discourse) (Hodgson-Drysdale, 2014).

An English linguist, P. Fawcett, argued that a translator operates with incomplete tools without a strong engagement with linguistics (Fawcett, 1997). This underscores the choice of functional grammar as a framework for analyzing the text. Regardless of proficiency in a foreign or native language, translators must possess extensive knowledge and mastery of specific subjects relevant to the translated text. A text reflects the culture that produces it (Miller, 2005). Halliday and Hasan defined text as a unit of language in use (1976, p. 1).

Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) is not just a theory of language, but a theory of culture. It explores how language operates, how it is constructed, and its role in society. This cultural perspective is crucial in the field of translation, where understanding the socio-cultural context is key to conveying meaning accurately. A translator must be sensitive to the social contexts and cultures relevant to the source text, and skilled in conveying the meaning within a different cultural environment for the target text. This underscores the importance of cultural sensitivity in translation, and the need for respect and understanding in the translator's work.

While the primary challenges in translation might revolve around choosing the right words and phrases, translation issues extend beyond mere vocabulary selection; grammar also plays a vital role. Functional grammar often emphasizes the concept of lexical grammar, which encompasses both proper grammar and vocabulary (Halliday, 1978, p. 39). Translators also often have difficulty recognizing a culture's privilege, so the translator must find the right way to deliver that privilege to the target audience. As a result, an approach centered on the language attached to the context is believed to prove that such an approach is a significant aid in translating.

The writer will present you with an example. An excerpt from BBC official website (2025) titled 'Maybe you'll realise what you have is good enough': Why influencers are facing a pushback:

In 2019, Diana Wiebe was deep in a social media scroll when she came across an influencer promoting heatless curling rods. "They were rods you could sleep in overnight, and the promise was to wake up with beautiful curls," she tells the BBC. 

It was one of many products she was influenced to buy from TikTok, but like several of the others, including skin creams and facial scrubs, she quickly realised she didn't need them. "Honestly, the curlers really disrupted my sleep, and I didn't make it past night one," she says, adding "my hair is naturally wavy, so I think the curler actually did too much".

The writer will translate the paragraph using the framework model of Bell (2016) in which an analysis of the clause in the source text is "Changed" first into a "language-free semantic representation," which will be used as the foundation of its translation into other languages. First, we will analyze the paragraphs by their register. First, we will explore the field. From the text, we can gather that it used prior happening based on the usage of "In 2019", the subject of the text is "Diana Wiebe," who was being interviewed by BBC, and the objects being talked about are products bought from TikTok. Second, the Tenor of the text. It has subjective orientation based on the usage of "so I think" in the passage, median on the value degree with the use of "really" and "I think," and negative polarity with "she didn't need them." Lastly, Mode of the text. It is a written text and part of news reporting. From the analysis, the writer can deduce that the text is in a casual tone, using internet language, written by a woman, and trying to inform other women as the reader. 

With those in mind, the writer translated the paragraphs into:
Pada 2019, Diana Wiebe sedang asyik menelusuri media sosial ketika dia menemukan seorang influencer yang mempromosikan alat pengeriting rambut tanpa hawa panas. "Itu adalah alat yang bisa Kamu gunakan sambil tidur semalaman, dan mereka menjanjikan Kamu akan bangun dengan ikal yang indah," ungkapnya kepada BBC.

Itu adalah salah satu dari sekian banyak produk yang berhasil mempengaruhi dirinya untuk membeli setelah melihatnya di TikTok, tetapi sama seperti beberapa produk lainnya, termasuk krim kulit dan lulur wajah, dia segera menyadari bahwa ia tidak membutuhkannya. "Jujur saja, penjepit rambut itu sangat mengganggu tidur saya, dan saya tidak tahan menggunakannya hanya dalam satu malam," katanya dengan menambahkan "rambut saya aslinya bergelombang, jadi menurut saya pengeriting itu tidak berguna".

In conclusion, SFL promoted by linguist Halliday is linked and can be applied in translation. SFL can be applied in translation and has a role in developing translation theory. By understanding SFL, a translator will have greater ease in doing their jobs accurately and with ease.

References

Aminudin, M. F., & Hidayati, A. N. (2021). Investigating translation technique: A result of the students' work on subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing. Language Circle: Journal of Language and Literature, 16(1), 100--109. https://doi.org/10.15294/lc.v16i1.31134

Bell, R. T. (2016). Translation and translating. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315846705

Francoeur, A. (1999). Fawcett, Peter (1997): Translation and Language. Linguistic Theories Explained, coll. Translation Theories Explained, Manchester (UK), St. Jerome Publishing, 160 p. Meta: Journal Des Traducteurs, 44(3), 514. https://doi.org/10.7202/002768ar

Halliday, M. A. K. (1978). Language as social semiotic: The social interpretation of language and meaning. Hodder Education.

Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1985). Language, context, and text: Aspects of language in a social-semiotic perspective. Deakin University Press.

Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2013). Halliday's introduction to functional grammar. Routledge.

Hodgson-Drysdale, T. (2014). Concepts and language: Developing knowledge in science. Linguistics and Education, 27, 54--67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2014.07.004

Lawton, M. (2025, January 8). "Maybe you'll realise what you have is good enough": Why influencers are facing a pushback. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250107-why-the-pushback-against-influencers-is-growing

Miller, D., Maiorani, A., & Turci, M. (2005). Language as purposeful: Functional varieties of text.

Sholihah, H. I., Santosa, R., & Djatmika, D. (2018). ANALISIS SIRKUMSTAN PADA BUKU CERITA ANAK THE 7 HABBITS OF HAPPY KIDS KARYA SEAN COVEY DAN TERJEMAHANNYA  (Kajian Terjemahan dengan Pendekatan Systemic Functional Linguistics). LINGUA: Journal of Language, Literature and Teaching, 15(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.30957/lingua.v15i1.428