STRATEGIES OF REQUEST IN MOI – YAN HAK – KA LANGUAGE.

STRATEGIES OF REQUEST

IN MOI-YAN HAK-KA LANGUAGE

A Thesis

Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Program in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Magister in Humaniora

By:

YUSNI HATI

Registration Number: 8106111043

ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTIC STUDY PROGRAM

POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL

STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN

MEDAN

ABSTRACT

Hati, Yusni. Strategies of Request in Moi – Yan Hak – Ka Language. A Thesis. English Applied Linguistics Study Program. The State University of Medan. 2015.

ABSTRAK

Hati, Yusni. Strategi Meminta Dalam Bahasa Moi – Yan Hakka. Sebuah Thesis. Sekolah Pascasarjana. Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris. Universitas Negeri Medan. 2015.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Namo Buddhaya... Om Sai Ram...

The writer’s endless gratitude to almighty God for His blessing and mercy in accomplishing this thesis that concerned to strategies of request in Moi – Yan Hakka language which is submitted to Postgraduate School of State University of Medan in partial of fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Magister Humaniora.

This thesis can not be finished without some suggestions, comments, guidance, and support from some people who had contributed sincerely. Hence, the writer would like to highly appreciate all the people mentioned bellow:

 Prof. Dr. Sumarsih, M.Pd., the writer’s first adviser. Her encouragement

and guidance have provided a good basis for this study.

 Dr. Sri Minda Murni, M.S., the writer’s second adviser. Her suggestions

and corrections have made this thesis was possible to be accomplished.  Prof. Dr. Busmin Ginting, M.Pd., the head of English Applied Linguistics

Study Program, his support and encouragement were so precious in completing this study.

 The board of examiners, Dr. Zainuddin, M.Hum., Dr. Siti Aisyah Ginting,

M.Pd., and Dr. Anni Holila Pulungan, M.Hum., who have given their valuable suggestions and comments to improve this study.

 All the lecturers at the English Applied Linguistics Study Program who

 The writer’s family who had given so precious encouragement,

understanding, and endless love in accomplishing this study. They are; the writer’s husband, Amin, S.E., the writer’s father, Bustari, the writer’s mother, Tati Ningsih (+), and the writer’s parents in-law; Gao Zai Yen and Hellen, and also the writer’s brothers and sisters, brothers in-law and sisters in-law.

 Ir Lindawaty Roesli, M.Pd., the Director of Nanyang Zhi Hui School, who had given a support, understanding and encouragement to the writer during accomplishing this study.

 The writer’s colleagues in Nanyang Zhi Hui School, Ir. Lily Adriany,

M.Sc., Jenny, S.Kom. BA., Ita Ramli, S.Kom., Edi, S.Kom, MKM., John Septa Ingeten Barus, S.Pd., M.Pd., Ronauly Silitonga, SKM., and all colleagues who those can not be mentioned one by one.

 The writer’s colleagues in LTBI; Lylies, Rahma Tirta, Putri Ramadhani

and the others who those can not be mentioned one by one.

 All the Hakkanese family in Medan for their kindness during the data

collection of this study.

Finally, the writer must admit that the content of this thesis still not being perfect, but the writer warmly welcome for all constructive ideas, suggestions that will improve this thesis.

Medan, June 2015 The Writer,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2.4 Characteristics of Polite in Request Strategies... 16

2.5 Request Strategies in Moi-yan Hak-kâ-fa ... 17

2.5.2 Conventionally Indirect Request... 24

2.5.3 Non-conventionally Indirect Request... 25

2.6 Politeness ... 27

2.7 Type of Politeness Strategies... 30

Consideration for Politeness in Moi – Yan Hakkanese... 67

4.1.3.1 Relative Power... 68

4.1.3.2 Social Distance... 69

4.1.3.3 Rank of Imposition... 70

4.1.4 The reason of the Types of Strategies Considered as Politeby Moi – Yan Hakkanese... 71

4.2 Findings... 73

4.3 Discussion... 76

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 5.1 Conclusions... 78

5.2 Suggestions... 79

REFERENCES... 81

LIST OF TABLES

Pages

Table 4.1 The Recapitulation of the Types Strategies of Request

Used By Moi-Yan Hakkanese... 63 Table 4.2 The Percentage of Strategies of Request Used By

LIST OF FIGURES

Pages

LIST OF APPENDICES

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1The Background of the Study

Language is a tool of communication which can deliver some information between the speaker and the hearer. There is a rule should be followed in doing communication between the speaker and the hearer so that harmonization and understanding can be created in one environment. It is called politeness. Politeness is a very important norm or rule in communicating between the speaker and the hearer. Succesful communication requires knowledge of grammar and text organization as well as pragmatic aspects of the target language.

The explanation above shows how important is the politeness in communication between the speaker and the hearer which can create an appreciation or respect between each other. It makes a comfortable and interesting communication.

The politeness in communication, particularly in requesting can be found in Moi – Yan Hakka language which can be used differently based on social factors such as social distance, relative power and ranking of imposition. For example between seller and buyer (social distance factor), “ngi em moi hak hi, man man khon ngai ten e tung si” (Don’t be shy (no need in a hurry) take a look

Other example is between the manager and the employee (relative power factor), “sung chi ka fo hi hak cai e wuk ten ha” (send our product to customer’s house later). In this case, the manager gives direct instruction to the employee. The example for ranking of imposition between friends can be seen as follow, “khoi chung mun iha” (open the window). Therefore among friends it is fine to use direct request.

In the case of the hearer has an intention to do the request some request strategies is needed.

Blum-Kulka and Olshtain (1984) proposes a classification of request strategies i.e. direct strategies, conventionally indirect strategies, and non-conventionally indirect strategies. Direct strategies marked explicitly as a request, such as imperatives, for example clean up the kitchen. Conventionally indirect strategies is referring to contextual preconditions necessary for its performance as conventionalized in the language, for example could you clean up the kitchen, please? Non-conventionally indirect strategies (hints) is partially referring to the

object depending on contextual clues, for example you have left the kitchen in a right mess, this sentence is requesting for the cleaning of the kitchen. These three

levels major of request strategies are classified into nine distinct sub-levels which are meant to yield the relative degree of directness preferred in making requests in any given language, as compared to another in the same situation.

Request was described as potentially Face-Threatening Acts (FTAs) in Brown and Levinson (1987), since a speaker was imposing her/his will on the hearer. For the above reason some strategies is needed to minimize some threatening acts in the interaction between the speaker and the hearer. Brown and Levinson (1987) formulated four types of politeness strategies, namely bald on- record, positive politeness, negative politeness and off-record.

Rue and Zhang (2008) defines request as asking someone to do / not to do something or to express the need or desire for something.

Zhao (2009) who used the theory of Blum-Kulka and Olshtain in “Do the Modern Chinese Request Strategies Fit into CCSARP (Cross-Cultural Speech Act

Realization Patterns)?” found that most frequently used strategies were direct strategies, in particular mood derivable. The second, the direct and politeness were not totally antonyms. The most direct strategies are not impolite because it employs a large number of mitigation devices. Most of the modern chinese used

“mìng ling” (order), “rang” (let), “jiào” (call), “yāo qíu” (ask), “qǐng qíu” (beg) in requesting as a politeness. Hakkanese in Mandarin language is known as 客家

人 Kèjiā ren, “family guest” in English, Hak-kâ-nyin in Hakka language and Khek chinese in Indonesian language which is a part of Han tribe (Han Chinese)

which spread in Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi province in China.

Hakka which is one of the dialects of northeast Guangdong in China, which has been taken as the standard of hakka language.

There are some lexical terms in Moi – yan hakka language that used in this writing. Moi – yan hakka fa means moi – yan hakka language, in hakka language ‘fa’ means ‘language’. Moi – yan hakka nyin means moi – yan hakka person. ‘nyin’ in hakka language means person.

The Hakka people have a long history of migration. Hakka history states that their ancestors were originated from Shāndōng (山东) or Shānxī (山西) provinces in Northern China. They began their first wave of migration between the 4th and 9th centuries, traveling from Hénán (河南) and the adjoining Northern

provinces into Ānhuī (安徽) and its vicinity.

A second wave of migration took place between the 9th and 12th centuries, when the Hakka migrated along the mountains and foothills of Eastern Jiāngxī (江西) into south Jiāngxī and inland Fùjiàn (福建).

A final wave of migration took place between the 12th and 17th centuries, as Hakka moved into northeast Guăngdōng (广东) province.

something without giving the first priority. Normally, son should be in priority for everything than daughter such as formal education, new clothes, comfortable bed room, and delicious food, but it is not allowed in Hakkanese culture, everyone should get equal right and everyone should do their duty well. Eventhough they have equal right they should be polite (li mao) in daily interaction to others; to the elders, to friends and to the youngers in every situation. For example when an elder brother wants to borrow his young sister’s toy, he should ask her politely, ”kho yi cia ngi e kau phin mo?” (can I borrow your toy?). Then if the younger asks something to the elder, the younger should ask it more polite, such as; “ma fan ngi iha, ngai hen cia ngi e cha mo?”(Do you mind if I borrow your car?).

From those two sentences we can know that the speaker talks to the hearer by using direct request.

like this, “pa, lim ciu siau co fai chi ka e sen thi, em moi lim thek ko fun siau mo, Pa?” (Father, drink too much beer is bad for our health, could you not drink too

much?).

Regarding to the above explanation the writer wants to investigate the strategies of request in Chinese especially in moi-yan hak-ka-fa (moi-yan Hakka language). The aim of this investigation is to find which type of strategies of request is used and considered as polite in moi-yan Hakka whether direct, conventionally indirect or non-conventionally indirect. The factors are then used as the main consideration for politeness in moi-yan Hakka language, and to find the reason why that type of strategies of request is considered as polite in moi-yan Hakka language.

1.2 The Problems of the study

The problems of the study are formulated as the following.

1. What types of strategies of request are used by moi-yan Hakkanese?

2. Which type of strategies of request is considered as polite by moi-yan Hakkanese?

3. What social factors are used as the main consideration for politeness in moi-yan Hakkanese?

4. Why is the type of strategies considered as polite by moi-yan Hakkanese?

1.3 The Objectives of the Study

study:

1. To describe strategies of request used by moi-yan Hakkanese.

2. To explain the type of strategies of request which considered as polite by moi-yan Hakkanese.

3. To explain the social factors that are used as the main consideration for politeness in moi-yan Hakkanese

4. To explain the reason why that type of strategies were considered as polite by moi-yan Hakkanese.

1.4 The Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is to investigate the strategies of request used by Hakkanese in the moi-yan hak-kâ-fa (moi-yan Hakka language) when they express their speech acts of request in daily life context of situation whether they tend to use direct strategies, the conventionally indirect strategies, or non-conventionally indirect strategies. Then the social factors that are used as the main consideration for politeness in moi-yan Hakka language, and the reason why that type of strategies of request is considered as polite in moi-yan Hakka language.

1.5 The Significance of the Study

The writer assumes that the research findings of the study will be useful theoretically and practically.

certain community, mainly the Hakkanese society. This study is considered to be useful initially to provide the information of what strategies of request used by Hakkanese native speakers when they express the speech acts of request in everyday context of situation. Consequently, it will give better understanding and new insight on how strategies of request is related to the aspect of pragmatic study. This contribution will in turn give tentative framework for a comprehensive analysis of politeness.

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Conclusions

This study concerned on the strategies of request in Moi-Yan Hakka

language. Based on the analysis, the conclusions were stated as follows:

1. Not all the strategies of request were used by Moi-Yan Hakkanese. The

strategies used were direct request, particularly in mood derivable, hedge

performatives, obligation statement and want statement. Conventionally

indirect request in suggestory formulae and query preparatory, and the last

types was non-conventionally indirect request in strong hints and mild

hints.

2. Moi-Yan Hakkanese used direct request in mood derivable and

conventionally indirect request in query preparatory. When the speaker

used those types, some polite words needed such as “pong mong” (help)

“khiu” (beg), “ma fan ngi” (sorry to bother you) and kinship form “aku”

(aunty, aunt), “shi jie” (sister), “aci” (sister), “moy” (daughter), “asuk”

(uncle), and “ko” (brother), etc.Therefore it could save the hearer’s face.

3. The speaker considered some social factors in doing request to the hearer.

The factors were relative power, social distance and rank of imposition. By

awaring these factors, the speaker can safe the hearer’s face and the

speaker could apply the polite utterance and strategies when doing request

4. The reason why direct request in mood derivable and conventionally

indirect request in query preparatory considered as polite was because in

mood derivable the speaker requested directly, clearly on the hearer.

Eventhough it was direct, the speaker always used some polite words, i.e.

“pong mong”, “khiu”, ”ma fan ngi” and kinship form in the utterances

that the speaker used, so it could be safe the hearer’s face. Whereas in

query preparatory which considered as polite because in this type, the

speaker used the positive interrogative as agreement on the hearer for the

request by asking the hearer’s ability to do something by using tag “siau

mo”, “nen keu mo”,”kho yi mo” (could you.., can you) and the adding of

polite word “pong mong” (help), a kinship form in the utterances. So, the

hearer could not feel an imposing from the speaker

5.2 Suggestions

Related to the findings of the research, suggestions are offered as follows:

1. It is suggested that Hakka language can be applied as a subject in schools

and universities. Because the young generation can learn a life lesson from

its history about survive to live, team work, family and unity.

2. It is suggested to the parents to educate the children in early age to be

polite and used polite utterances in their daily interaction. Also introduce

to the children about norm and social factors.

3. It is suggested to the lectures of sociolinguistics to dig deeply about Hakka

4. It is suggested to the young generation of Hakka to learn more about

Hakka language and culture.

5. It is suggested to the Hakkanese researchers should be more concerned

with the research of Hakka since it is still very rarely conducted.

6. It is suggested to the experts of the Hakkanese to write more books or

REFERENCES

Ary, D.J & Raazarveich, H. 1979. Oxford Text Books in Linguistics: Semantic

Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Austin, J.L. 1962. How to Do Things with Words. New York: Oxford

University Press.

Blum-Kulka, S. & Olsthtain, E. 1984. Requests and Apologies: A Cross-

Cultural Study of Speech act Realization Patterns (CCSARP). Journal of

Applied Linguistics. 5(3), 196-213.

Blum-Kulka, S, House, Juliane (1989). Cross-Cultural and Situational

Variation in Requesting Behaviour. In: Norwood, NJ, pp. 123-154.

Bogdan, R.C & S.K. Biklen. 1982. Qualitative Research for Education.

Syracuse University. United State of America. Allyn and Bacon.

Brown, Penelope & S.C. Levinson. 1987. Politeness: Universal in Language

Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Byon, A.S. 2004. Sociopragmatic Analysis of Korean Request: Pedagogical

Setting. Journal of Pragmatics.36(3), 1673-1704.

Chen, W.1989. Functional Uncertainty and Topicalization. National Tsing

Hua University.

Creswell, J. W. 1994. Research Design: Qualitative & Quantitative

Approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage

Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. 1994. Handbook of Qualitative Research.

Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Fandy Zulmi. 2014. Request Strategies on Barrack Obama’s Speech . Thesis:

Sekolah Pasca Sarjana Universitas Negeri Medan.

Gao, H. 1999. Features of Request Strategies in Chinese. Lund University.

Goffman. 1967. Interaction Ritual: Essays in Face-to-Face Behavior.

Chicago: Aldine.

Gu, Yeguo. 1990. Politeness Phenomenon in Modern Chinese, Journal of

Pragmatic,14, 237-257

Hashimoto, M. J. 1973. The Hakka Dialect: a Linguistics Study of Its

Hashimoto, M.J. 2010. The Hakka Dialect: A Linguistic Study of Its

Phonology, Syntax and Lexicon. Journal of Chinese Linguistics .

5(2), 612-615.

Heidi, I.H.Y. 2004. The Use of Request Strategies in Pre-School Children. Dissertation: The University of Hong Kong.

Ho, D.Y.F. 1976. On the Concept of Face. American. Journal of Sociology

81(4), 867-884.

Hong, W. 1996. Speech Act of Request and Chinese Language Teaching.

Journal of World Chinese Language Teaching. 2(36), 90-95.

Hu, H.C. 1994. The Chinese Concepts of “Face”. Journal of American

Anthropologist. 46(1), 45-64.

Huang, M. 1996. A Contrastive Study of American and Chinese Request. Ph.D

Dissertation. University of Illinois.

Hwang, K.K. 1987. Face and Favor: The Chinese Power Game. American

Journal of Sociology. 92(4), 944-974.

Kess, J. 1992. Psycholinguistics and Study of Natural Language. Amsterdam:

Benyamin Publishing Press.

Koike, D.A. 1989. Pragmatic Competence and Adult L2 Acquisition: Speech

Acts in Interlanguage. The Modern Language Journal. 73(3), 279-

289.

Lakoff & Ide. 2005. Broadening the Horizon of Linguistics Politeness, USA:

John Benjamins.

Leech, Geoffry. 1983. Principles of Pragmatics. London: Longman.

Levinson, S.C. 1983. Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lincoln, Y.S. & Guba, E.G. 1985. Naturalistic Inquiry. California: Sage

Publication, Inc.

Liu, S. 2006. “What is Pragmatics?”

Accessed on 2nd _{August 2014 from http// www.Pragmatics.co.id}

Luo, M. 1998. The Continuity and Variation of Hakka Language and Culture

in Taiwan. Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on

Mao, L. 1994. Beyond Politeness Theory: “Face” Revised and Renewed.

Journal of Pragmatics. 21(4), 451-486.

Miles & Huberman. 1984. Qualitative Data analysis. California: Sage

Publication, Inc.

Nicole, C. 1996. Guest People, Hakka Identity in China and Abroad.

Washington: University of Washington Press.

Parinaz, M. 2012. The Use of Request Strategies in English by Iranian Graduate Students: A Case Study. Thesis: Eastern Mediterranean University. North Cyprus.

Searle, J.R. 1975. Expression and Meaning: Studies in the Theory of Speech

Acts. Cambridge University Press.

Sembiring, Puan Sari. 2009. Politeness Strategies in Javanese. Thesis:

Sekolah Pasca Sarjana Universitas Negeri Medan.

Skewis, M. 2003. Mitigated Directness in MENG Hong-lou: Directive Speech

Acts and Politeness in Eighteenth Century Chinese. Journal of

Pragmatics, 35, 161-189.

Spradley, J.P. 1980. Participant Observation. New York: Holt.

Sperber, D. & Wilson, D. 1986. Relevance, Communication and Cognition.

(2nd Ed). Oxford : Basil Blackwell.

Song, Mei Lee-Wong. 1994. Imperatives in Request: Direct or Impolite -

Observation from Chinese. Journal of Pragmatics. 4(4), 491-515.

Sun, X. & Zhang, D. 2008. American College Students’ Requesting

Competence in Chinese as A Foreign Language.Journal of World

Chinese Teaching. 3(2), 105-113.

Wilt, L.I. 2014. Chinese Studies in the Netherlands: Past, Present, and Future. Leiden: Brill

Yong, L.H. 2008. Politeness Principle in Cross-Culture Communication.

Journal of English Language Teaching. 1(1).

Rue, Young-Ju & Zhang, Grace Qiau. 2008. Request Strategies: A

Comparative Study in Mandarin Chinese and Korean. Philadelphia:

JohnBenjamins.

Beijing: Yuwen Chubanshe.

Yum, June-Ock. 1988. The Impact of Confucianism on Interpersonal

Relationship and Communication Patterns in East Asia. Journal of

Communication Monograph. 55 (4), 374-388.

Yule, G. 1996. The Study of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press.

Yule, G. 2006. Pragmatics. Oxford : University Press.

Zhang, S. & Wang, X. 1997. A Comparative Study of the Speech Act of

Requests. Journal of Modern Foreign Language. 3, 63-72.

Zhang, X. & Zhang, D. 2008. A study of the Speech Act of Requests by

American Students Learning Chinese. Journal of World Chinese

Teaching. 3, 105-113.

Zhao, N. 2009. Do the modern Chinese request strategies fit into CCSARP?

An analysis of the novel Red Poppy. Journal of US-China Foreign

Language. 7(3), 14-21.