Functional grammar and teaching of reading—a pedagogy based on graded teaching of college English in China

Abstract

This article discusses the importance of functional grammar and demonstrates its application to the teaching of reading among graded college students. Functional grammar holds that a discourse is composed of two levels: the interior level and the exterior level. Therefore, reading activities involve both linguistic elements and contexts. Implications of functional-grammatical view of reading are discussed, with techniques suggested for teaching of reading to English learners in the beginning and advanced proficiency levels.