Speaking for Academic Purposes Course: An Analysis of Language Functions

I Made Suastra,Made Budiarsa,Ni Nyoman Padmadewi,Sebastianus Menggo

doi:10.24843/e-jl.2019.v13.i02.p10

Abstract

Speaking as the most demanding skill to be mastered in the ESL/EFL teaching context. This is caused by the prime priority of students who want to study English in order to be able to use English for communicative purposes. Knowledge of language functions has a vital role in supporting a speaker to be more involved in the real interaction. The aim of this study is to analyze the use of language functions in the speaking for academic purposes course. This study conducted at the English department students which altogether 33 persons in STKIP Santu Paulus Ruteng, Indonesia. Then data were collected through observation, field note and natural recorded when the respondents were doing the English speaking exercises at the speaking for academic purposes course. Data collection were done during eight meetings and only language functions utterances of those respondents were analyzed. The utterances recorded are expected to be representative of the whole the language functions. Utterances produced by respondents were recorded precisely by the researchers. The result showed that there are five types of language functions found, namely interactive function, informative function, manipulative function, motivative function and directive functions. Those functions are reciprocal. Speaking practitioners are suggested to provide the knowledge of language functions in the speaking learning process.

Highlights

Become a competent English speaker is the prime orientation for many English as a Foreign/Second Language (EFL/ESL) learners
Menggo further claimed that strong speaking ability is determined by mastery of grammar and how accurate and clear an English speaker produces the words, phrases, or sentence by sentence in the speech of information
In line with Menggo’s finding, (Imaniah & Dewi, 2017) claimed that the achievement of speaking ability is indicated by how a speaker is able to convey information or message both verbally and non-verbally to the interlocutor clearly and acceptably. They further describe that in terms of linguistic competence, a speaker is strongly advised to possess the lexicon production, morphology, syntax, semantics, the phonetics, phonology insights, and a sundry of language functions such as emotive, informative, referential, phatic, conative, and so forth in supporting the acceptableness of the utterances produced in the real communication

Summary

Introduction

Become a competent English speaker is the prime orientation for many English as a Foreign/Second Language (EFL/ESL) learners. English teachers are expected to design the speaking activities which enable learners working together to share their thoughts, questions, ideas and solutions in a number of speaking tasks and exercises Those help the learners to develop and achieve their English communication skills (Menggo, Suastra, Budiarsa & Padmadewi, 2019). In line with Menggo’s finding, (Imaniah & Dewi, 2017) claimed that the achievement of speaking ability is indicated by how a speaker is able to convey information or message both verbally and non-verbally to the interlocutor clearly and acceptably They further describe that in terms of linguistic competence, a speaker is strongly advised to possess the lexicon production, morphology, syntax, semantics, the phonetics, phonology insights, and a sundry of language functions such as emotive, informative, referential, phatic, conative, and so forth in supporting the acceptableness of the utterances produced in the real communication

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Conclusion