The Intersection of Psycholinguistics and Systemic Functional Linguistics in Textbooks

Abstract

Purpose. Textbooks have an important role in learning foreign languages, especially in shaping students' linguistic competencies. This study analyzes elementary school English textbooks with psycholinguistics theory and Functional Systemic Linguistics (SFL) approaches to assess their suitability with students' cognitive development and language acquisition. Method. Using a qualitative content analysis method, this study examines the language structure, text type, and cognitive aspects in the selected textbooks. Results. The results showed that although textbooks use a simple and repetitive structure to facilitate understanding, some materials are still too complex for elementary school students. Visual illustrations help with understanding, but phonological exercises and opportunities for oral interaction are still limited. From the perspective of SFL, textbooks are dominated by existential processes, declarative sentences, and modal verbs, but lack the exploration of the variety of language modes as well as interactive elements. Conclusion. The study emphasizes the need for textbook design that is more balanced between cognitive and linguistic aspects, by adding phonological exercises, simplifying sentence structure, and more interactive content.