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About the Talk
Most human cultures – perhaps all – have construed human experience in terms of some fundamental duality, with paired concepts such as body and soul, matter and mind, physical and mental, material and ideal. Today such dualities are often found to be constraining; but all of them seem to refer in some way to the two phenomenal realms which human beings inhabit, the realm of matter and the realm of meaning. These two realms interpenetrate in various ways to form what we recognize as "systems"; physical systems lie towards one end of the spectrum, while at the other end are semiotic systems, with human language as prototype. Our understanding of semiotic systems has lagged far behind our understanding of physical systems; but this is now needing to change, with the increased importance of meaning in setting the parameters of human existence. A major task for universities is to bring the study of these two realms, the material and the semiotic, into a coherent transdisciplinary world view – one in which all our culturally diverse forms of knowledge can find a place.
About the Speaker
Professor Michael Halliday was born and grew up in England; he took his B.A. Honours degree in Modern Chinese Language and Literature at the University of London, then studied for three years in China (Peking University and Lingnan University), returning to take his Ph.D. in Chinese Linguistics at Cambridge. Having taught Chinese for a number of years he changed his field of specialization to linguistics, becoming Professor of Linguistics at London University in 1965. In 1976 he moved to Australia as Foundation Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sydney, where he remained until he retired. He has worked in various regions of language study, both theoretical and applied, and has been especially concerned with applying the understanding of the basic principles of language to the theory and practices of education. He is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong.
For media enquiries, please contact Faculty of Education at 2859 2781.
Emeritus Professor of Linguistics from the University of Sydney to deliver Lecture at HKU
07 Oct 2003
Professor Michael Halliday, Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Education in the University of Hong Kong, is to deliver a Public Lecture, entitled Matter and Meaning: Why Language Should be at the Heart of University Studies at 5:15pm on Tuesday, 21 October 2003 in Rayson Huang Theatre at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Interested public are cordially invited to attend.
About the Talk
Most human cultures – perhaps all – have construed human experience in terms of some fundamental duality, with paired concepts such as body and soul, matter and mind, physical and mental, material and ideal. Today such dualities are often found to be constraining; but all of them seem to refer in some way to the two phenomenal realms which human beings inhabit, the realm of matter and the realm of meaning. These two realms interpenetrate in various ways to form what we recognize as "systems"; physical systems lie towards one end of the spectrum, while at the other end are semiotic systems, with human language as prototype. Our understanding of semiotic systems has lagged far behind our understanding of physical systems; but this is now needing to change, with the increased importance of meaning in setting the parameters of human existence. A major task for universities is to bring the study of these two realms, the material and the semiotic, into a coherent transdisciplinary world view – one in which all our culturally diverse forms of knowledge can find a place.
About the Speaker
Professor Michael Halliday was born and grew up in England; he took his B.A. Honours degree in Modern Chinese Language and Literature at the University of London, then studied for three years in China (Peking University and Lingnan University), returning to take his Ph.D. in Chinese Linguistics at Cambridge. Having taught Chinese for a number of years he changed his field of specialization to linguistics, becoming Professor of Linguistics at London University in 1965. In 1976 he moved to Australia as Foundation Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sydney, where he remained until he retired. He has worked in various regions of language study, both theoretical and applied, and has been especially concerned with applying the understanding of the basic principles of language to the theory and practices of education. He is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong.
For media enquiries, please contact Faculty of Education at 2859 2781.
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