MODALITIES IN BARACK OBAMAS SPEECH IN PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION OF 2013.

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MODALITIESINBARACK OBAMA’S SPEECHINPRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATIONOF2013

AThesis

SubmittedtotheEnglishAppliedLinguisticsStudyProgramIn

PartialFulfillmentoftheRequirementsforTheDegreeof

MagisterHumaniora

By

:

SYAFRINAPRIHATINI

RegistrationNumber:8106112049

ENGLISHAPPLIEDLINGUISTICSSTUDYPROGRAM

POSTGRADUATESCHOOL

STATEUNIVERSITYOFMEDAN

MEDAN

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MODALITIESINBARACK OBAMA’S SPEECHINPRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATIONOF2013

AThesis

SubmittedtotheEnglishAppliedLinguisticsStudyProgramIn

PartialFulfillmentoftheRequirementsforTheDegreeof

MagisterHumaniora

By

:

SYAFRINAPRIHATINI

RegistrationNumber:8106112049

ENGLISHAPPLIEDLINGUISTICSSTUDYPROGRAM

POSTGRADUATESCHOOL

STATEUNIVERSITYOFMEDAN

MEDAN

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ABSTRACT

Syafrina _Prihatini. _Registration _number _: _8106112049, _Modalities _in _Barack

Obama’sSpeechinPresidentialInaugurationof2013.AThesis.EnglishApplied

StudyProgram.PostgraduateSchool.StateUniversityofMedan.2014.

This

study

used

the

modalities

which

were

applied

in

Barack

Obama’s

Speech

in

Presidential

Inauguration

of

2013

focused

on

types

of

modalities

and

value

of

modalities.

This

study

has

answered

the

problems

of

the

types

of

modality

in

Barack

Obama’s

Speech

in

Presidential

Inauguration

in

2013,

the

dominant

types

of

modality,

the

dominant

modality

used.

The

sources

of

data

are

modalities

and

values

of

modalities

used

in

Barack

Obama’s

Speech

in

Presidential

Inauguration

in

2013.

This

study

showed

that:

(i)

there

are

two

types

of

modality

namely:

modalisation

and

modulation.

The

modalisation

was

6

(11.3%)

and

the

modulation

was

47

(88.7%).

The

dominant

type

of

modality

was

modulation.(ii)

There

are

three

points

of

the

scale

of

modalisation

and

modulation,

namely:

high,

median,

and

low.

Modalisation

has

been

divided

into

two

subcategories,

namely:

probability

and

usuality.

Modulation

has

been

divided

into

two

subcategories

too,

namely:

obligation

and

inclination.

The

most

frequent

type

of

modality

were

modulation

and

the

most

frequent

value

of

modality

was

medium

obligation.

The

use

of

modality

and

value

used

in

Barack

Obama’s

Speech

in

Presidential

Inauguration

in

2013

was

statement.

It

occurred

because

in

Barack

Obama’s

Speech

in

Presidential

Inauguration

of

2013,

there

are

many

propositions,

the

meaning

of

positive

and

negative

poles

is

prescribing

and

proscribing.

In

terms

of

the

scale

of

modulation,

the

dominant

one

is

medium

obligation.

It

is

just

because

Barack

Obama’s

Speech

in

Presidential

Inauguration

of

2013

showed

the

expansion

or

man

as

a

predicator.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

First _and _foremost, _the _writer _would _like _to _direct _her _very _special

expressiontoAllahSWTthealmightyandmostmercifulforthecontinuous

blessinggoodhealthandluckuntilthispieceofacademicachievementappears

initspresentforms.Thesincerestshalawatandgreetingsarealsogiventothe

great _prophet_Muhammad_SAW _for _his _invaluable _struggle _in _making _the people’slifebetter.

ThewriterwouldliketoexpresshersinceregratitudetoProf.Dr.Lince

Sihombing,M.Pd.,herfirstadviserandDr.DidikSantoso,M.Pd.,hersecond

adviser,fortheirvaluableadvice,guidance,constructivecommentsandprecious

timespentonsupervisingandcommentingtheprocessoffinishingthispieceof

academicwriting.

Second,sheisalsoindebtedtoProf.AmrinSaragih,M.A.,Ph.D.,Prof.

Dr.BusminGurning,M.Pd.,andProf.Dr.BerlinSibarani,M.Pd.as _her

reviewersandexaminersfortheirconstructivecommentsandsuggestionsfor

thisresearch.

HerappreciationisaddressedtoProf.Dr.BusminGurning,M.Pd.,and

Dr.SriMindaMurni,M.S, _Head _and _Secretary _of _the _English _Applied

LinguisticsStudy _and_FaridMa’ruf_who_have_assisted_her_in_the_process_of

administrationrequirementduringtheprocessofherstudyinthepostgraduate

program.SpecialthankstoalllecturersoftheEnglishAppliedLinguisticsStudy

Program,StateUniversityofMedanwhohavegiventheirvaluableknowledgeto

herintheirlectures.

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AveryspecialgratitudeisforwardedtoherbelovedparentsM.Zainuddin

(Alm)andDwiSukinitogetherwithherbelovedhusbandDwiPodoWinarto,

ST.fortheirattentioningivingandsupportthebesteducationandcontinuous

loveandprayincompletingheracademicyears,andherlovelychildren,Rafi

AriMuharramshahandKalilaCitraFahiraalsomylovelybrotherandlittle

brother _and _her _amazing _sisters_Nina_Mastuti,_S.Pd. _and_R._Endang

Zastriyani,S.Pd.,fortheirfulllove,support,careandprayers.Thankyouso

much.

Thanksaloveforherunforgetablefriends,thewriterfellsveryblessedfor

havingthefriendship.

MayGodblessus.

Medan,August2014

Thewriter

SYAFRINAPRIHATINI

RegisterNumber.8106112049

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The user of language is representing experience by using a clause. The clause

itself represents experience in various aspects in order to be easily understood by

the reader or listener. One of the aspects commonly used by the writer or speaker

in the clause is the use of modality. The purpose is to give flavor or stress to the

clause. This case is always found in the written text or spoken text especially in

the speech.

Language is the means of self – expression. It is through language the

humans express their thoughts, desires, emotions and feeling. It is through it they

store knowledge, transmit message, transfer knowledge and experience from one

person to another. Most of the activities in the world are carried by language. It is

through it that humans interact or relate to each other.

In this interaction, a means of communication allows people to say things to

each other and expresses communicate their needs. During the communication, it

is important to analyze word uttered by speaker. In the way the listener can

understand the idea she wants to convey. In communicating or interacting with

others one must use a language that is understood by the speaker and the listener.

Writing is a means to convey one‟s ideas to others; it should be simple and

unambiguous. The readers must comprehend the meaning readily and precisely.

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their knowledge and definitely be direct so that they will not waste their time

trying to guess the meaning of the English speech text.

Many people get some problems when they read and write English. They

find difficulties in comprehending many texts such as; newspaper, tabloids,

magazines, books, letters, speech, etc. The difficulties will be clear for the readers

when they try to understand the content of the English text.

There are some important functions of language, the first, language is the

purposes of communication and social cooperation. This function of language

enables the language users to influence people‟s behavior in detail, makes

communication and social cooperation possible. Second, language can also

function as an instrument of thought. A philosopher, for example, uses language

to clarify and develop her ideas on subject, so here language is used as an

instrument of thought. The third, language can be used for an expressive purpose.

Halliday (1994: 10) asserts there are three functions of language in human life:

ideational, interpersonal, and textual function. These are known as meta-function.

The experiential function that is the use of language as the representation of

experience.

This study addresses to the use of modality and values in Barack Obama‟s

speech of inauguration of 2013. There are some reasons for selecting the topic as

the subject matters. The first, modality is one of important points to be discussed

because through studying modality and values one knows a personal judgment on,

opinion, „flavor‟ or „seasoning‟ to an experiential content or a speech function by

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3

spoken and written texts. But without doing research, no one knows how the

modality and value are used in texts.

Modal can be found in text of speech or it can be found in many written and

spoken languages. Such as short stories, lyrics, advertisement, plays, journal, film

script, etc. Every language has modality. In Indonesia, for example, the modality

is needed as in Budi harus menyelesaikan tugas nya besok. In this case, the modal

“harus” or in English “must” is used to indicate a strong obligation to be done and

punishment if it is not done. Besides that, that modal also implies that the activity

will be done in the future time.

The readers or listeners always have some problems in understanding a text

on modality. This occurs because they do not know the meaning stated in the

modality itself. Consequently, they do not get the idea of the text delivered. For

example : low finite modal operator, low modal adjunct, and median finite modal

operator are used when Obama delivers his defensive statements. E.g: I may be

wrong. The high finite modal operators and high modal adjuncts are used when

Obama delivers his offensive statements. Eg: You must do that well.

In this case, the writer chooses Barack Obama‟s speech on presidential

inauguration of 2013 as the object of this research because it contains the use of

modality. In this study the writer selects one of Barack Obama‟speech, it is the

speech on presidential inauguration of 2013. Because by learning this speech she

can get many experiences and knowledge especially the power of language used

by Barack Obama to convince the American people to choose him again to be the

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For examples:

1. It must be secured by his people here on earth.

2. A great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from

life‟s worst hazards and misfortune.

3. Equality could survive half slave, and half free.

In addition, the writer learns how modality and values are used in Barack

Obama‟s speech on presidential inauguration of 2013.

1.2 The Problems of Study

In relation to the background of the study, the research problems are

formulated as the following:

1. What types of modality are used in Barack Obama‟s speech in presidential

inauguration of 2013?

2. What values of modality are used in Barack Obama‟s speech in

presidential inauguration of 2013?

3. In what context are those types of modality used in Barack Obama‟s

speech in presidential inauguration of 2013?

1.3 The Objectives of Study

In relation to the problems, the objectives of the study are:

1. To describe the types of Modality used in Barack Obama‟s speech on

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5

2. To describe the value of modality used in Barack Obama‟s speech on

presidential inauguration of 2013.

3. To explain the reason for the contexts of Barack Obama‟s speech on

presidential inauguration of 2013 are described in the way they are.

1.4 The Scope of Study

The study is focused on finding out the modalization and modulation

and value of modalization and modulation which occur in Barack Obama‟s

speech on presidential inauguration of 2013. The source of data is limited

to the text of Barack Obama‟s speech on presidential inauguration of 2013.

1.5 The Significance of Study

The findings of the study are expected to give some relevant contribution to

the following:

1. Theoretically, the findings not only add more horizons on the use of

English outside the English speaking community but also more

comprehend the modalization in Barack Obama‟s speech on presidential

inauguration of 2013.

2. Practically, the findings are expected to be useful for students of English

and linguists. By reading the findings of this research, they are expected

to know how to use the modality of probability, usuality, obligation and

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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Conclusions

After analyzing the use of modality and value of modality in Barack

Obama’s speech in presidential inauguration of 2013, conclusions are drawn as

the followings.

1. In this research, the researcher found two types of modality, namely:

modalization and modulation. The sub-categories of modulation is probability and

usuality. Probability found was 6 (11.3%), consisting low probability 2

(3.77%), medium was 2 (3.77%), and high probability found was 2 (3.77%).

Modulation was 47 or 88.7%. In other words it was dominantly used by the

speaker in delivering a speech. Modulation which has sub-categories namely:

obligation and inclination. In this research is found obligation was 47 or 88.7%.

It means obligation was used dominantly. In Barack Obama’s speech in

presidential inauguration of 2013, obligation was expressed by English modal

verbs such as: must, have to, need, might, should.

2. In terms of its value, the researcher found low Probability, medium

probability, high probability, low probability, low obligation, medium obligation,

high obligation, low inclination, and medium inclination which are used in Barack

Obama’s Speech on Presidential Inauguration of 2013.

3. The context of modaliy in Barack Obama’s Speech on Presidential

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may, might, can, could. It can be seen from the following sentence in a medical

context: We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the

size of our deficit.

5.2 Suggestions

In relation to the conclusions above, the suggestions are stated as the

following.

1) It is advisable that the teachers or lecturers should develop the whole

categories or types of modality to their students and introduce the the

advantage of comprehending the value of modality in speech.

2) It is advisable that the audience or readers should learn English for specific

purpose so they know some language varieties and find specific terms.

3) It is advisable that the audience or readers who are interested in English

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MODALITIES IN BARACK OBAMAS SPEECH IN PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION OF 2013.