Contrastive Analysis of Between Mekongga and English Syntax

Abstract

The contrastive analysis is usually used in a foreign language acquisition research. The contrastive analysis is also used in linguistics level, for instance in morphology, syntax, and semantics. This research was conducted to provide useful information which was expected to give contribution in teaching of English especially at SMAN 1 Wundulako. The result of the research is expected to be useful to improve the teaching of English and to develop teachers’ professionalism itself. Other reason for this research is to give benefit for the next researcher. Based on the above statements, the researcher is interested in analyzing the patterns and types of Mekongga language sentences compared to English language sentences; moreover, to overcome problems which was found by the native speakers of Mekongga in studying English language. The design of study was a qualitative descriptive research. The data of Mekongga language sentences were obtained from free stories, linguistic books, informants, and from the researcher itself. The data concerning difficulties which might be faced by the native speakers of Mekongga in studying English language sentences were obtained by carrying out a translation test from Mekongga to English language. Mekongga sentences consist of two types of model, namely kernel sentences and derived or transform sentences. The result showed that the pattern of Mekongga kernel sentences is the same as the English’s; however, the patterns of Mekongga derived sentences are different from English sentences. Besides, the use of verbs, auxiliary verbs, article, determiner, noun phrase formulation, possessive pronoun formulation, the using of negative marker, and question words were also become distinctive features for both languages. Those differences become problems faced by the native speakers of Mekongga in studying English language sentences. Based on that, a teacher, particularly English language teacher in Kolaka district, need to improve his/her ability to overcome students’ difficulties in studying English, for instance by emphasizing in the presentation at difficult part of the subject matter and on the exercises which was prepared for the students.