LANGUAGE FUNCTION FOUND IN STUDENT’S

WRITING CONVERSATION TEXT

RESTU ANNISA DAMAYANTI
157110
CHAPTER I
A. Background of the Study
Language plays an important role as a bridge to communicate
with someone to another. By using language, people in the world can
interpret their utterances for communication. Language is very
important tool to help reader in understanding messages conveyed
by writer.
 The researcher examines the sentences in the student’s writing
using language function theory by Guy Cook (1989). The purpose of the
research is to know what the language function are found and the kinds
of language function that commonly appears that include in student’s
writing conversation text.
This research aims to analyze what the language functions are
found in student’s writing conversation text because these will show the
type of language functions which used. In this research, the researcher
describes some types of language functions in student’s writing
conversation text. This research uses descriptive qualitative analysis.
B. Statement of the Research Problems

1. What kind of the language function found in the student’s writing

conversation text on Third Grade of Miftahun Najah Islamic Junior
High School at Karanglo Mojowarno Jombang?
2. What kinds of Language Function that commonly appears in
students writing conversation text on Third Grade of Miftahun
Najah Islamic Junior High School at Karanglo Mojowarno
Jombang?
C. Objectives of the Study
1. To find the language functions used in student’s writing
conversation text on Third Grade of Miftahun Najah Islamic Junior
High School at Karanglo Mojowarno Jombang.
2. To know the language function that commonly appears in the
student’s writing conversation text on Third Grade of Miftahun
Najah Islamic Junior High School at Karanglo Mojowarno
Jombang.
E. Scope and Limitation of The Study
The scope of this research is the language functions contained
in the results of student writing which are classified into seven types
of language functions such as emotive, directive, phatic, poetic,
referential, metalinguistic, and contextual functions.
The limitation of this study is focusing on the result of
student’s writing conversation text sentences from the student’s
writing conversation text on Third Grade of Miftahun Najah Islamic
Junior High School at Karanglo Mojowarno Jombang.
CHAPTER II
A. Theoretical Background

1. Language
Pearson, Judy C, et.al, (2003:74), “Language is a system that associates sounds or
gestures with meanings in a way that uses words sentences”.
It can be concluded that language is a fundamental part of how humans interact with
each other and the environment. Language cannot be separated from the society in
communication to express their ideas through the sound, letter, and symbol.
2. Linguistic
The field of linguistics, the scientific study of human natural language and
is a growing and exciting area of study, with an important impact on field as
diverse as education, anthropology, sociology, language teaching, cognitive
psychology, philosophy, computer science, neuroscience, and artificial
intelligence, among others. Indeed, the last five fields cited, along with
linguistics, are the key components of the emerging field of cognitive science,
the study of the structure and functioning of human cognitive processes
Akmajian (2001:5).
From the explanation above, the researcher concludes that linguistic is the study
about language that communicated by people in their social life.
3. Discourse Analysis
Cook (1990:7) stated discourse is a kind of language that has been used to
communicate something and is felt to be coherent (and may or may not)
happen to correspond to a correct sentence.
In summarize, discourse analysis is the study which concerning at how
sentences are build up and as discourse analyst we can tell about contextualize
and grammatical items.
4. Language Function

According to Richards and Schmidt (2002), function is the purpose for

which an utterance or unit of language is used.
According to Guy Cook (1989: 26), the function of language divided
into seven functions, they are:
1. The Emotive Function, emotive function is communicating the
inner states and emotions of the addresser.
2. The Directive Function, directive function is seeking to affect the
behavior of the addressee.
3. The Phatic Function, opening the channel or checking that it is
working, either for social reasons.
4. The Poetic Function, in which the particular form chosen is the
essence of the message.
5. The Referential Function, the referential function is always
carrying information.
6. The Metalinguistic Function, focusing attention upon the code
itself, to clarify it or renegotiate it.
7. The Contextual Function, creating a particular kind of
communication.
C. Theoretical Framework
DISCOURSE LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE LIGUISTIC
ANALYSIS FUNCTION

Emotive Directive Phatic Poetic Referential Metalinguistic Contextual

Function Function Function Function Function Function Function

CONCEPT OF LANGUAGE
FUNCTION IN EDUCATION
CHAPTER III
A. Research Design
This research is conducted to get information about the
language function found in the students’ writing conversation text
on Third Grade of Miftahun Najah Islamic Junior High School at
Karanglo Mojowarno Jombang.
The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative
which was designed to obtain information to determine the nature
of a situation and to describe what exists in a current study
objectively.
B. Data and Source Of Data
In conducting research to find the type of language function
inside student writing, the research data use few sentences in
writing conversation texts that contain language function. The data is
taken from the individual assignments of students writing
conversation text on Third Grade of Miftahun Najah Islamic Junior
High School at Karanglo Mojowarno Jombang.
C. Research Instrument
The instrument of this research is document. Researcher used
sentences of the writing conversation text on Third Grade of
Miftahun Najah Islamic Junior High School at Karanglo Mojowarno
Jombang which has sentences and expression that has language
function element.
D. Data Collection Technique
The data were collected through asking permission to the English
teacher to ask the result document of students writing conversation texts
assignment. The researcher took the data from one class. And after that, the
researcher read the student’s conversation text assignment deeply and
analyze it and classified some sentences that might be contained language
function aspect.
After that, the researcher analyzing the sentences based on language
function theory. After knowing the language function that contained in it, the
researcher trying to find the kinds of language function that commonly
appears that include in it. And then the researcher interpret it in the easy
way to understand by making table and explanation.
E. Data Analysis
1. Identifying

E.F = Emotive Function Ref.F = Referential Function

Dr.F = Directive Function Met.F = Metalinguistic Function
Ph.F = Phatic Function Con.F = Contextual Function
Poe.F = Poetic Function
2. Classifying Language Function
No. Sentences
Table. 2.1. Table Classifying E.F Dr.F Ph.F Poe.F Ref.F Met.F Con.F

1. Oh no! √

2. Can you hear me? √

3.
This class will end at
√
11:00 a.m.

4.
This bone is known as
√
the “femur”.

5. Please help me! √

Table. 2.2. Table L.F Commonly Appears Result
N Language Function That Commonly Appears
Students
o. E.F Dr.F Ph.F Poe.F Ref.F Met.F Con.F

1. Student 01 3 1 6 0 2 2 2

2. Student 02 4 2 2 1 3 3 0

3. Student 03 0 4 2 2 2 5 1

4. Student 04 2 2 1 2 5 1 1

5. Student 05 2 2 0 0 3 1 4
Table. 2.3. Table Students’ Result
No Criteria
Students
. Good Fair Very Good

1. Student 01 √

2. Student 02 √

3. Student 03 √

4. Student 04 √

5. Student 05 √
 Criteria
Score
Language Function Content

Responds to assignments perfectly, perfect

If students are able to use six until discussions, relevant and appropriate
Very Good
Table. 2.4. seven types of language function. information, interpretations are very strong and

supportive.
Table Rubric Criteria
If students are able to use three Able to respond to the task, discussion,

Good until five out of seven types of information is generally relevant and

language function. appropriate, interpretation generally supports.

Less able to respond to the task, the discussion

is acceptable but sometimes inconsistent,

If students are able to use two out
Fair information is sometimes irrelevant / precise,
of seven types of language function.
and interpretation is sometimes inconsistent

with facts.
F. Technique of Data Verification
In this research the researcher use Source Triangulation, in
source triangulation the researcher uses many sources or
participants to get the accuracy of data. The source triangulation
used in this research are lecturer, book about theory of language
function, and previous study.