THE STRUCTURE OF ENGLISH CLASSROOM DISCOURSE
IN SMP NEGERI 1 TEBING TINGGI
A Thesis
Submitted to English Applied Linguistics Study Program in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
By:
EVA NOVELIA SIREGAR
Registration Number: 8136112017ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
MEDAN
ABSTRACT
Siregar, Eva Novelia. 2016. The Structure of English Classroom Discourse in SMP Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi. A Thesis. English Applied Linguistics Study Program. Postgraduate School, State University of Medan.
This study is concerned with the structure of English classroom discourse in SMP Negeri 1 Tebing tinggi. The objectives of this study were to describe the structures of English classroom discourse, to describe how the structures are linguistically realized and to reason for the realizations of the English class structure. The source of the data in this study were English teachers and also the students while the data of the study are the utterances from the teacher and the students and semiotic markers as marked in the text. The instruments used for
colleting data were video tape recorder and researcher’s fieldnote. The data were
collected by observing and recording the utterances uttered by the teachers and students and writing all semiotics that teacher and students did in the classroom while teaching learning process and classifyed them into types of exchanges as Sinclair and Coulthard theory. Based on the data analysis, it was found that the structure of English classroom were teacher elicit, teacher direct, teacher information, boundary, pupil elicit, check, repeat, reinforce and reinitiation. The structures occured dominantly were teacher elicit, teacher direct and teacher information. These structures were dominantly realized by IR structure. There were some reasons why the realization as the ways they are. The teacher control interaction in class more dominantly caused the teacher talk more than students talk consequently impact to the teaching technique became conventional teaching. English as a foreign language was also one point made the students afraid of uttering the utterances in teaching learning process.
ABSTRAK
Siregar, Eva Novelia. 2016. Struktur Wacana Kelas Bahasa Inggris di SMP Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi. tructure of English Classroom Discourse in SMP Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi.Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris, Sekolah Pascasarjana, Universitas Negeri Medan.
Penelitian ini berkenaan dengan Struktur Wacana kelas Bahasa Inggris di SMP Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menemukan struktur wacana kelas Bahasa Inggris, bagaimana struktur wacana direalisasikan dan alasan realisasi dari struktur wacana tersebut.Sumber data penelitian ini adalah guru dan murid bahasa Inggris dan data penelitiannya adalah ujaran dari guru dan tanda semotik di teks ujaran.Instrumen penelitian dalam pengumpulan data adalah video tape recorder dan catatan lapangan penelitian. Data dikumpulkan dengan meneliti dan merekam ujaran guru dan murid dan menulis seluruh tanda semiotik yang terjadi di proses belajar mengajar, mengklasifikasi ujaran dan menganalisa ujaran berdasarkan teori Sinclair dan Coulthard berdasarkan pembagian exchanges. Dari hasil data analisa ditemukan bahwa struktur wacana kelas Bahasa Inggris adalah teacher elicit, teacher direct, teacher information, boundary, pupil elicit, check, repeat, reinforce and reinitiation. Struktur yang dominan terjadi adalah teacher elicit, teacher direct and teacher information. Struktur ini didominasi oleh struktur IR. Ada beberapa alasan mengapa hal ini terjadi. Kontrol interaksi guru dikelas menyebabkan guru berbicara lebih banyak daripada murid berbicara yang menyebabkan teknik mengajar menjadi teknik konvensional. Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing juga menjadi salah satu poin murid menjadi takut dalam mengujarkan ujaran dalam proses belajar mengajar.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for the mercy, guidance and love which have
been given to the writer so this thesis could be completed.This thesis is a scientific
writing that to be completed in order to fulfill one of the academic requirements
for the degree of Magister Humaniora at English Applied Linguistics Program:
Postgraduate School, State Uiversity of Medan.
Foremost, the writer would like to express her sincere gratitude who have
given valuable guidances, suggestions and useful influences on the writing of this
thesis. The writer would like to deliver her grateful appreciation to her first
advisorProf. T. Silvana Sinar, M.A., Ph.D. and her second advisor Prof. Amrin
Saragih, M.A. , Ph.D. Moreover, the writer would like to express to her
examiners, Dr. Syahron Lubis, M. A., Dr. Zainuddin, M.Hum. , and Prof. Dr. Sri
Minda Murni, M.S. Besides, the writer would also like to thanks to all the lectures
of English Applied Linguistics Program who have given much encouragementa
and knowledge during taking the college.
Her gratefulness also goes to the Head of English Applied Linguistics
Program, Dr. Rahmad Husein, M.Ed. and Prof. Dr. H. Abdul Muin Sibuea, M. Pd
as the Director of Postgraduate School at State University of Medan.
The writer would also like to deliver his gratefulness to the head of SMP
Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi, Doanta Surbakti, S.Pd and Hendra as the English teacher
for giving chance to do research in this school.
Special thanks are also for her parents M.J.T Siregar and B.E Gultom,
during doing this thesis. The best thanks also goes to her friends in LTBI B-2
especially Diana who helped her doing the thesis. And at last for the dearest one
Deddy Linggom Pasaribu who supported for writing this thesis.
Finally, the writer hope this thesis will be useful and can be the references
for the next researh and enhance our knowledge. God bless us.
Medan, February 3rd 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER II.REVIEW OF LITERATURE ... 7
2.1 Theoretical Framework ... 7
2.1.1 Classroom Discourse ... 7
2.1.2Classroom Discourse Analysis ... 10
2.1.3Previous Relevant Studies ... 18
2.2 Conceptual Framework ... 20
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHOD ... 23
3.1 The Research Design... 23
3.2 Data Source and Data of Study ... 23
3.3Instrument of Data Collection ... 23
3.4 The Procedure of Data Collection ... 23
3.5 Technique of Data Analysis ... 24
CHAPTER IV. DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS, AND DISCUSSIONS ... 27
4.1 Data Analysis ... 27
4.1.1 The Structure of English Classroom Discourse in SMP Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi ... 27
4.1.2 The Realization of English Classroom Discourse Structure in SMP Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi ... 32
4.1.3The Explanation of the Pattern of the Englis Classroom Discourse Structure Realization as the Ways They are ... 36
4.2 Findings ... 35
4.3 Discussions ... 36
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ... 39
5.1 Conclusions ... 39
5.2 Suggestions ... 40
REFERENCES ... 41
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 Types of Act ... 11
Table 2.2 The Example of Sinclair and Coulthard Model ... 22
Table 4.1 Types of Classroom Discourse Structure ... 28
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1 Conceptual Framework ... 22
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Transcription of Class A ... 43
Appendix 2 Transcription of Class B... 46
1
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1The Background of the Study
Classroom discourse has been regarded important in the development of
pedagogic implications. It can be seen in the researches that had been done.
Hillocks (1986) cited in Nystrand (1998) found that the classroom discourse most
conducive to enhancing writing skills involved peer-response groups with an
"inquiry" focus: assigned topics involving analysis of readings or other "data" and
attention to rhetorical strategies. Cots (1995) also stated that adopting a discourse
approach to language teaching involves a new way of looking at it, but this does
not mean that we should throw out the baby with the dirty water. In line with this,
Sinar (2008) also stated that discourse which enables human to develop through
school educations activities in the classroom are institutional, for the classroom is
part of the design school education system as an institution. As teacher
understands the meaning of classroom discourse, it is expected that teacher can
fulfill the students’ need.
Classroom discourse analysis has developed in the education field. Analysing
the classroom discourse has given much contribution to the students’ outcome.
The classrooom discourse itself concerned with the frame of the teaching learning
process, the communication between the teacher and students and also the
medium to direct the students to achieve the goal of learning. As teachers can
analyse the classroom discourse, it is expected that teachers can evaluate their
2
is to observe the quality of the teacher and students’ communication.In line with
this , Yu (2009) also stated that the application of discourse analysis to second
language teaching and learning can reveal much about how teachers can improve
their teaching practices by investigating actual language use in the classroom, and
how students can learn language through exposure to different types of discourse.
Sincair and Coulthard in 1975 introduced the term of rank scale as a model for
analysing discourse analysis. The rank scale has realized into five divisions. The
highest rank in the discourse classroom is lesson. Lesson is consisted of one or
more transactions, transacation is consisted of one or more exchanges, and
exchange is consisted of move and move is realized by acts. The examples of
classroom discourse analysis can be seen in the example below, recorded on
March 16,2015, grade seven, with the teacher N. Siregar :
Teacher: Can you give me the example of simple present tense? (Initiation) Student: I go to school everyday(Response)
Teacher: Good (Feedback)
This example is analyzed through the Sinclair and Coulthard theory, thatis
known as IRF (Iniation-Response-Feedback) pattern. This moves in the dialogue
create the exhanges which is can be grouped as IRF.
Jiang (2012) also stated that classroom discourse analysis is an aspect of
classroom process research, which is one way for teachers to monitor both the
quantity and quality of students’ output. Through analyzing the classroom
discourse , it is expected that it can be observed what are the strength and the
weaknesses of the teachers classroom discourse and how the classroom discourse
3
In the pleminary observation at school, some teachers always explains
the material by reading the book. There is no two ways communication
between the teacher and students. The students keep silent and have no
questions for the teacher. For example :
Teacher: Open your book page 12
Students: (open the book)
Teacher : Please keep quiet, I will explain for you! (reading the book)
(Recorded on March 20, 2015, grade seven with the teacher N. Siregar)
This situation requires some serious reflection and discussion,the better to
understand and interpret it as a social phenomenon, and the better to provide
for enhanced educational practices in the future. Two ways communication in
classroom discourse creates the good interaction in the teaching learning
process.
English as the lingua franca has given a deep impact for education sector.
The globalization makes people around the world can go and trade from one to
another country. All products of information technology and even the job
field requires English fluency. For these reasons students must master the
English language skills. It can be also viewed in the curriculum of Indonesian
education from the elementary level till the secondary one. Therefore,
government has made English is one of compulsory subjects in formal
education.
The goal of learning English in curriculum is to be competent in four
language skills, that is, reading, writing, speaking and listening. To achieve
4
for them. Teacher must also use some strategies and method that can arise the
students motivation to learn it. Many teachers are suggested to be creative to
do it.
Teaching is an activity that teachers have to design well to achieve the
objective of the instructional process. Many teachers concern about the
method, the strategy and also the technique that they use in organizing the
instructional process because it is tought that those things play a big role in
achieving the objectives. Teaching is not all about those things. Teaching is a
condition where the teacher and student have an interaction on delivering and
accepting the material. Teachers rarely concern about the communication of
teachers and students in the class. Seemly, the important thing is to deliver the
material. Otherwise, the communication between teacher and students play the
big role in their achievement of the study objectives.
The communication of teachers and student can be regarded as the
classroom discourse. Classroom discourse also refers to the language that
teachers and students use to communicate with each other in the classroom.
Nunan cited in Liu (2012) viewed classroom discourse as the distinctive type
of discourse that occurs in classroom. Talking, or conversation, is the medium
through which most teaching takes place.
Based on these phenomena, the researcher is interested to investigate the
structure of English classroom discourse especially at SMP Negeri 1 Tebing
Tinggi. Through this research, it is expected give a new finding that
classroom discourse give contribution in teachers’ quality and students’
5
Tebing Tinggi. This research will investigate the structures of the classroom
discourse in English teaching learning process based on the Sinclair and
Coulthard model.
1.2The Problems of the Study
The problems of the study are formulated in the form of research question as the
following.
1. What are the structures of English classrooom discourse of the SMP
Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi?
2. How are the structures of English classroom discourse realized
linguistically?
3. Why are the structures realized in the ways they are?
1.3The Objective of the Study The objectives of the study are
1. to describe the structures of English classroom discourse
2. to describe how the structures are linguistically realized, and
3. to reason for the realizations of the English class structures
1.4The Scope of the study
This study is focused on finding the structures of English classroom discourse
6
1.5The Significance of the study
The findings of the study are expected to have theoretical and practical
significance for the readers and teachers especially English teachers.
a. Theoretically, the findings deals with two aspects. First, about the
structures of discourse analysis in the classroom, how the knowledge will
implement and how the result of the research, can be the reference for
other’s research about classroom discourse. Secondly, the object and the
investigation of this study is classroom discourse phenomenon, and
whatever to be achieved in this study will enrich the classroom discourse
studies
b. Practically, the findings are concerned about the discourse phenomena in
the classroom, whatever the research result will achieve it can be the
enrichment for classroom discourse studies in specific situation as SMP
Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi. Secondly, this research under the investigation of
clasroom discourse phenomenon which deals with the utterances between
teachers and students and derives from the institutional linguistic domain.
In this respect , it can can contribute to the textual studies of English as a
foreign language and it also can be the evaluation for the teachers in doing
39
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 5.1Conclusions
The study concerned on the structure of English classroom discourse in SMP
Negeri 1 Tebing Tinggi. The objectives of this study are to describe the structures
of English classroom discourse, to describe how the structures are linguistically
realized, and to reason for the realizations of the English class structures.
Having analyzed the data, the conclusions are stated as follows:
1. The exchange structures dominantly occurs in the English classroom
discoures are teacher elicit, teacher direct, and teacher information. The
others are boundary, reinforce, check, reinitiation, repeat and pupil elicit.
2. The structure of the classroom discourse was dominantly formed by IR
structure, then IRF and I structure.
3. a. These structure occurs because of the teacher control of interaction ,
teaching technique and less of feedback from the teacher, and the students
of being afraid and ashamed in doing mistakes in uttering English
dialogue.
b. The structure of English Classroom discourse reflects the teacher
technique in teaching and the description of the teaching learning process
40
5.2 Suggestions
Related to the conclusion of this study, the following suggestions are
suggested:
1. It is suggested that teacher should analyze their lesson by using
Sinclair and Coulthard theory to find out their structure of classroom
discourse so they can measure the effectiveness of their teaching
learning process.
2. It is suggestedthat teacher should give any feedback to students in
every exchange they utter and also take a notice for their technique in
teaching.
3. It is suggested that teacher give chances for the students to speakout
their mind so that the classroom have a good structure in classroom
discourse and consequently it will contribute to the quality of students’
41
REFERENCE
Bogdan, R and Biklen, S. 1992. Qualitative Research for
Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon
Christie F. 2002. Classroom Discourse Analysis:A Functional
Perspective. New York : Continuum Finland: ACADEMY Publisher. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 2, No. 10, pp. 2146-2152. Using Sinclair and Coulthard’s Model of Spoken Discourse. South Korea:
International Journal of Linguistics , Vol. 6, No. 2. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v6i2.5464
Nystrand , M. et all. 1998. Towards an ecology of learning:The Case
of Classroom Discourse and Its Effects On Writing in High School English and Social Studies. New York : National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement.
Simbolon, L.2014. Phasal Realizations In Classroom Discourse. A
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Lecture Discourse A Systemic-Functional Analysis. Medan : Kopertis Wilayah I Sumut-NAD
Sinclair, J and Coulthard, M. 1992. Towards An Analysis of Discourse.
42
White, A. 2003. The Application of Sinclair and Coulthard’s
IRF Structure to a Classroom Lesson : Analysis and Discussion.
England: Universiy of Birmingham.
Xin,et al. 2011. EFL (English as Foreign Language) Classroom Discourse
.Analysis of a Vocational College and Some Reflections .US-China Education Review, ISSN 1548-6613
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