This paper is an account of an attempt to raise awareness of the experiential function of grammar amongst first year students at a highly reputed British university, and to promote an approach that highlights meaning in grammar rather than form.  An explanation is offered of the Hallidayan meta-functions ‘experiential’, ‘interpersonal’ and ‘textual’ in general, and of the components (processes, participants, circumstances) of the ‘experiential’ in particular.  The study is couched in pedagogical terms as a report of the success of an actual programme.  Success is shown by an analysis of student scores in a task of process analysis, which indicates in general terms that the content of the programme appealed to a large group of students with mixed A level backgrounds and mixed academic ambitions.

Bloor, T & Bloor, M (1995) The Functional Analysis of English London: Arnold
Crystal, D (1996) Rediscover Grammar rev ed Harlow: Longman
Carter, R & McCarthy, M (1997) Exploring Spoken English. Cambridge: CUP
Carter, R & McCarthy, M (1999) ‘The English get-passive in spoken discourse: description and implications for an interpersonal grammar’, English Language and Linguistics 3/1:41-58
Dirven, R & Verspoor, M (eds) (1998) Cognitive Exploration of Language and Linguistics. Amsterdam: John Benjamins
Eggins, S (1994) An Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics London: Pinter
Gronemeyer, C (1999) ‘On deriving complex polysemy: the grammaticalization of get’, English Language & Linguistics 3/1:1-39
Halliday, M A K (1985/1994) An Introduction to Functional Grammar London: Arnold
Hudson, R (2001) ‘Grammar teaching: why, when, how and what?’, Subject Centre Grammar Supplement, Liaison 3. Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies Subject Centre
Jackson, H (1990) Grammar and Meaning London: Longman
Jespersen, O (1909-49). A modern English grammar on historical principles.
Heidelberg/Copenhagen: Carl Winters Universitätsbuchhandlung/EnjarMunksgaard.
Reprinted London:1961
Leech, G & Svartvik, J (1994) A Communicative Grammar or English 2nd ed Harlow: Longman
Lock G (1996) Functional English Grammar Cambridge: CUP
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (1987) London: Longman
Martin, J R, Matthienssen, C M I M & Painter, C (1996) Working with Functional Grammar London: Arnold
Tench P (2001) ‘What Grammar is actually for’, Subject Centre Grammar Supplement, Liaison 3. Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies Subject Centre
Thompson, G (1996) Introducing Functional Grammar London: Arnold