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Dr Alice Caffarel

PhD (University of Sydney), BA Honours (University of Sydney), D.E.U.G Anglais-Portugais (Université de Bordeaux III)
Senior Lecturer

A18 - Brennan MacCallum Building
The University of Sydney

Telephone +61 2 9351 3378

Biographical details

Alice Caffarel-Cayron has been teaching French and Linguistics in the Department of French Studies since 1996. Her main research interests are the grammar and semantics of French, Discourse analysis, stylistics and language typology. She has developed a systemic functional description of the grammar of French that she has applied to the teaching of French, linguistics, discourse analysis and stylistics in the Department of French Studies. Her Systemic Functional Interpretation of French Grammar was first published by Continuum in 2006 and republished as paperback in 2008. She is currently conducting research on the language of Simone de Beauvoir and the impact her writings had on readers.

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Research interests

  • Systemic functional linguistics
  • French grammar and semantics
  • Discourse analysis
  • Register variation and semantic variation
  • Stylistics
  • Language Typology
  • The role and use of functional grammar in the teaching of French

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Teaching and supervision

Teaching

  • French language, Functional linguistics, stylistics and discourse analysis

Supervision

  • Systemic Functional Linguistics, Language Typology, Discourse analysis, Stylistics, First and Second language development (from a functional perspective)

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Current projects

1. The transcendental power of Simone de Beauvoir’s language

Alice Caffarel-Cayron is currently developing the first comprehensive account of the language of the influential French writer and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. This projects aims to elucidate Beauvoir’s use of language as a mode of action and tool for change by analyzing recurrent linguistic choices that are significant to her philosophy and to the communicative force of her writings. It explores the aspects of Beauvoir’s language that, on the one hand, contribute a particular vision of the world that promotes freedom and change, and, on the other hand, extend agency and transcendence to her readers. In addition, to illustrate the linguistic argumentation, this project documents the impact of Beauvoir’s writings by compiling comments and reactions from the numerous letters sent to Beauvoir by readers, which are in the Beauvoir archives of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF), including letters from Alice Caffarel-Cayron’s mother, Claire Cayron, whose correspondence with Beauvoir spanned two decades (1964-1984).

2. Translating second-order meanings

Alice Caffarel-Cayron is also conducting research on the translatability of second-order meanings such as ideological, social and philosophical meanings. She is currently writing a paper that contrasts the two English translations of Camus’s L’Étranger and the original with the aim of unraveling how second-order meanings, e.g. Camus’ philosophy of the absurd, are rendered in translation when some of the linguistic resources essential to their realization in French are not available in English.

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Selected publications

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Books

  • Caffarel, A. (2006). A Systemic Functional Grammar of French: From Grammar to Discourse. London: Continuum.

Edited Books

  • Caffarel, A., Martin, J., Matthiessen, C. (2004). Language Typology: A functional perspective. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Book Chapters

  • Caffarel, A. (2010). Systemic functional grammar and the study of meaning. In Heiko Narrog, Bernd Heine (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis, (pp. 797-825). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Caffarel, A. (2009). La representation grammaticale de l'experience: transitivite et agence. In Ormrod, Janet~Eason, Simon~, Banks, , David~ (Eds.), La linguistique systmique fonctionnelle et la langue franaise, (pp. 67-88). France: L'Harmattan.
  • Caffarel, A., Rechniewski, E. (2008). When is a Handover not a Handover? A case study of the ideologically opposed French news stories. In Thompson, Elizabeth A. and White, P.R.R. (Eds.), Communicating Conflict: Multilingual Case Studies of the News Media, (pp. 25-49). London and New York: Continuum.
  • Teruya, K., Akerejola, E., Andersen, T., Caffarel, A., Lavid, J., Matthiessen, C., Petersen, U., Patpong, P., Smedegaard, F. (2007). Typology of MOOD: a text-based and system-based functional view. In Ruqaiya Hasan, Christian Matthiessen and Jonathan Webster (Eds.), Continuing Discourse on Language: A functional perspective, (pp. 859-920). London, UK: Equinox Publishing.
  • Caffarel, A. (2006). Chapter 10: Learning advanced French through SF: learning SFL in French. In Heidi Byrnes (Eds.), Advanced Language Learning: The Contribution of Halliday and Vygotsky, (pp. 204-224). London, New York: Continuum.
  • Caffarel, A., Martin, J., Matthiessen, C. (2004). Introduction : systemic functional typology. In Alice Caffarel, J.R. Martin, Christian M.I.M. Matthiessen (Eds.), Language typology : a functional perspective, (pp. 1-76). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Caffarel, A. (2004). Metafunctional Profile Of The Grammar Of French. In A Caffarel, J R Martin & C M I M Matthiessen (Eds.), Language Typology: A functional perspective, (pp. 77-137). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Caffarel, A. (2004). The Construal Of A Second-Order Semiosis In Camus' L'Etranger. In David Banks (Eds.), Text and texture: systemic functional viewpoints on the nature and structure of text, (pp. 537-570). Paris: L'Harmattan.

Journals

  • Caffarel, A., Rechniewski, E. (2009). A systemic functional approach to analysing and interpreting ideology: an illustration from French editorials. Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses, 22, 27-43.

Conferences

  • Caffarel, A., Rechniewski, E. (2010). A methodological approach for analysing and interpreting ideology. 35th International Systemic Functional Congress ISFC 2008, Australia: Macquarie University.
  • Caffarel, A., Rechniewski, E. (2005). Voices of Fear When is a handover not a handover. 32nd International Systemic Functional Congress ISFC 2005, Australia.

2010

  • Caffarel, A., Rechniewski, E. (2010). A methodological approach for analysing and interpreting ideology. 35th International Systemic Functional Congress ISFC 2008, Australia: Macquarie University.
  • Caffarel, A. (2010). Systemic functional grammar and the study of meaning. In Heiko Narrog, Bernd Heine (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis, (pp. 797-825). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2009

  • Caffarel, A., Rechniewski, E. (2009). A systemic functional approach to analysing and interpreting ideology: an illustration from French editorials. Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses, 22, 27-43.
  • Caffarel, A. (2009). La representation grammaticale de l'experience: transitivite et agence. In Ormrod, Janet~Eason, Simon~, Banks, , David~ (Eds.), La linguistique systmique fonctionnelle et la langue franaise, (pp. 67-88). France: L'Harmattan.

2008

  • Caffarel, A., Rechniewski, E. (2008). When is a Handover not a Handover? A case study of the ideologically opposed French news stories. In Thompson, Elizabeth A. and White, P.R.R. (Eds.), Communicating Conflict: Multilingual Case Studies of the News Media, (pp. 25-49). London and New York: Continuum.

2007

  • Teruya, K., Akerejola, E., Andersen, T., Caffarel, A., Lavid, J., Matthiessen, C., Petersen, U., Patpong, P., Smedegaard, F. (2007). Typology of MOOD: a text-based and system-based functional view. In Ruqaiya Hasan, Christian Matthiessen and Jonathan Webster (Eds.), Continuing Discourse on Language: A functional perspective, (pp. 859-920). London, UK: Equinox Publishing.

2006

  • Caffarel, A. (2006). A Systemic Functional Grammar of French: From Grammar to Discourse. London: Continuum.
  • Caffarel, A. (2006). Chapter 10: Learning advanced French through SF: learning SFL in French. In Heidi Byrnes (Eds.), Advanced Language Learning: The Contribution of Halliday and Vygotsky, (pp. 204-224). London, New York: Continuum.

2005

  • Caffarel, A., Rechniewski, E. (2005). Voices of Fear When is a handover not a handover. 32nd International Systemic Functional Congress ISFC 2005, Australia.

2004

  • Caffarel, A., Martin, J., Matthiessen, C. (2004). Introduction : systemic functional typology. In Alice Caffarel, J.R. Martin, Christian M.I.M. Matthiessen (Eds.), Language typology : a functional perspective, (pp. 1-76). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Caffarel, A., Martin, J., Matthiessen, C. (2004). Language Typology: A functional perspective. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Caffarel, A. (2004). Metafunctional Profile Of The Grammar Of French. In A Caffarel, J R Martin & C M I M Matthiessen (Eds.), Language Typology: A functional perspective, (pp. 77-137). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Caffarel, A. (2004). The Construal Of A Second-Order Semiosis In Camus' L'Etranger. In David Banks (Eds.), Text and texture: systemic functional viewpoints on the nature and structure of text, (pp. 537-570). Paris: L'Harmattan.
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