PHASAL REALIZATIONS IN CLASSROOM DISCOURSE
A Systemic-Functional AnalysisA Thesis
Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Program In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
By
LASYULI SIMBOLON Registration Number 8126112018
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
PHASAL REALIZATIONS IN CLASSROOM DISCOURSE
A Systemic-Functional AnalysisA Thesis
Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Program In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
By
LASYULI SIMBOLON Registration Number 8126112018
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
ii ABSTRACT
LASYULI SIMBOLON. Phasal Realizations in Classroom Discourse. A Systemic - Functional Analysis. Postgraduate School of the State University of Medan. 2014.
The problems investigated in this study are ((1) the phasal realizations characteristic of the classroom discourse, (2) the phasal realizations used by the teachers in classroom discourse, (3) phasal lexicogrammatical realizations in classroom discourse. This study is data-based in which materials were selected as corpora for investigation. This approach is qualitative-descriptive in nature, and the method is observational. The spatial setting is SMK Negeri 1 Karang Baru, Aceh Tamiang, whereas the temporal setting is April until June 2014. The subjects of the study are 4 English teachers in SMK Negeri 1 Karang Baru, Aceh Tamiang. 4 CD-in-text (classroom discourse-in-texts) are selected as data by applying the researcher’s judgment sampling technique. The data are collected by means of audio-visual recordings and transcriptions, and they are analyzed by
employing a complementary method of analysis of Young’s model. The primary
instrument of this study is the researcher herself, whereas the secondary instruments are (1) classification schemes of the semiotic aspect in focus, (2) data sheets that contain 4 classroom discourse-in-texts, and (3) notes on each classroom discourse-in-text. The findings reveal that the CD-in-text as a whole is typically realized and characterized by the following: (1) Substantiation (SU) as the most prominent macro-function and the Conclusion (CO) as the least prominent, (2) the Interchange (IC) as the most prominent micro-function and the Apology (AP) as the least prominent. Based on the main findings, there is strong evidence to suggest that the ‘semiotic behavior’ of the CD-in-text as a whole is motivated by the goal-oriented need, and the goal to achieve has tended to be more academic-oriented than social-oriented. In this, the teachers as the primary speakers of the classroom interactions have tended to focus on the transformation of intellectual values (academic knowledge/skills) with the least social values involved therein. The most prominently occurring SU macro-function and IC micro-function are clear indicators of this endeavor. The scope and the objectives of this study have been delimited to investigate CD phenomena at the levels of phase and sub-phase. To provide a comprehensive account of CD phenomena at SMK Negeri 1 Karang Baru in particular, it is suggested that further research of this kind with a wider scope needs to be carried out, as such that it includes all relevant aspects and dimensions of all the semiotic levels in the overall semiotic space of language-in-context complex.
iii ABSTRAK
LASYULI SIMBOLON. Phasal Realizations in Classroom Discourse. A Systemic - Functional Analysis. Program Studi Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris, Program Pascasarjana, Universitas Negeri Medan 2014.
Masalah yang ditelitii dalam kajian ini ialah (1) realisasi fasa (phasal realizaliations) dalam wacana kelas dihubungkait dengan jenis pola fasa dan sub-fasa, (2) cara guru merealisasikan fasa dan sub-fasa dalam wacana kelas, dan (3) realisasi leksika-gramatika dalam wacana kelas dihubungkaitkan dengan fasa dan sub-fasa. Kajian ini berasaskan data dimana bahan-bahn dipilih sebagai data kajian. Pendekatan kajian ini bersifat kualitatif-deskriptif dengan pemerhatian sebagai kaedah kajian. Kajian ini dilaksanakan di SMK Negeri 1 Karang Baru, Aceh Tamiang pada bulan April sampai Juni 2014. Subjek penelitian adalah 4 orang guru Bahasa Inggris. 4 wacana kelas-dalam-teks (Classroom discourse-in-text) dipilih sebagai data. Pengumpulan data dibuat melalui rekaman audio-visual dan transkripsi. Data dianalisis menggunakan kaedah analisis model Young. Instrument utama utama kajian adalah peneliti sendiri. Instrumen sekunder adalah (1) skema klasifikasi aspek-aspek semiotic yang menjadi tumpuan kajian, (2) lembaran-lembaran data mengandung 4 wacana kelas-dalam-teks, dan (3) catatan-catatan pada setiap proses pembelajaran-dalam-teks. Penemuan kajian ini menunjukkan bahwa pada keseluruhannya, wacana kelas-dalam-teks (Classroom Discourse-in-texts) lazimnya dicirikan oleh: (1) fungsi makro yang paling utama adalah Pembuktian (SU) manakala Kesimpulan (CO) yang paling kurang menonjol, (2) fungsi mikro paling utama adalah Pertukaran (IC) dan Permintaan maaf (AP) yang palng kurang ketara. Corak fungsi-mikro memamerkan kepelbagaian (perubahan) yang dinamik, sementara corak fungsi-mikro menunjukkan kepelbagaian yang amat dinamik. Berdasarkan penemuan-penemuan utama kajian, terdapat bukti kukuh bahwa secara keseluruhan, motivasi
utama bagi ‘perlakuan semiotic’ (semiotic behavior) CD-dalam-teks adalah keperluan yang berorientasikan pada orientasi akademik daripada orientasi sosial. Dalam hal ini, para guru sebagai pembicara utama dalam interaksi kelas mempunyai focus yang lebih cenderung kepada transformasi nilai-nilai intelektual (pengetahuan/kemahiran akademik) dengan penerapan nilai sosial yang lebih sedikit. Petunjuk-petunjuk yang nyata pada usaha tersebut adalah fungsi –makro SU dan fungsi-mikro IC dan EP yang berlaku dengan amat ketara. Ruang lingkup dan objektif-objektif kajian ini terbatas kepada menyelidik fenomena wacana kelas (CD) pada tahap-tahap fasa dan cabang fasa. Untuk menghasilkan laporan lengkap tentang fenomena CD terutamanya di SMK Negeri 1 Karang Baru, Aceh Tamiang, disarankan pada kajian ini perlu dilanjutkan dengan ruang lingkup yang lebih luas. Dengan demikian, kajian tersebut perlu merangkum semua aspek dan dimensi yang relevan bagi semua tahap semiotik dalam ruang semiotic kompleks bahasa-dalam-teks.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To Lord Jesus be the glory and honor for His wonderful love and blessing
that have enabled me to finish writing this thesis. It is a great blessing to meet so
many wonderful people who have supported me during my study in English
Applied Linguistic Postgraduate School State University of Medan. This thesis
would not be completed without the guidance and inspiration of many lecturers
and staffs of English Applied Linguistic Postgraduate School Postgraduate School
State University of Medan. First and foremost, my deepest gratitude goes to my
advisers, Prof. Dr. Busmin Gurning, M.Pd and Dr. Zainuddin, M.Hum, for the
continuous support, patience, understanding, encouragement, and suggestions in
completing this thesis.
I would like to extend my thanks to Prof. Dr. Busmin Gurning, M.Pd as
the Head of English Applied Linguistics Study Program and his secretary, Dr. Sri
Minda Murni, M.S, and all the lecturers that have given me encouragement and a
lot of experience and knowledge during my study especially to Prof. Amrin
Saragih, M.A, Ph.D, Dr. Syahron Lubis, MA, and Dr. Sri Minda Murni, M.S as
the examiners for the valuable suggestions that have shaped up this thesis.
I owe a deep appreciation to Drs. Yunaldi as the head master of SMK
Negeri 1 Karang Baru, Aceh Tamiang that had given me the opportunity to do
I am also grateful to Prof. Tengku Silvana Sinar, Ph.D., for her
contribution by giving me some books and constructive comments on this thesis.
To my best friends, Dewi Wulandari, Hijri Rizki and Rudi Purwana, I am indeed
thankful for their unreserved support, I can pay them all nothing in return. To my
dear uncle Ir. W. Simbolon, Diat and aunty H. Purba, B.Sc, I owe a special debt of
gratitude and deep appreciation for your kindness to consider me as your
daughter. You are always be my inspiration that influence my life.
Finally, I owe special thanks to my husband, Querni Simanullang, whose
endless care, patience, love, tolerance, understanding and support to me, my
lovely wonderful children Arga and my coming baby girl Daoni, my beloved
parents Sabar Simbolon and Sontiara Sagala, my brother Cherish, my sisters
Priesty, Mayes and Hovonly, thank for taking care Arga while I was away. This
thesis I dedicate to them.May Lord Jesus bless them for those countless
contributions, kindness and love.Amin.
Medan, August 2014
The writer,
iii
CHAPTER II : REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 7 2.1 Classroom Discourse ……… 7
2.2 Systemic Functional Grammar …..……….... 11
2.3 Genre and Phasal Dimension ………. 13
2.4 Phase and Phasal Analysis ……..……… 14
iii
3.4. Data of the Study …….………. 28
3.5. The Procedure of Data Collection ……….. 28 3.6 Technique of Data Analysis ……….. 29
3.7. The Trustworthiness of the Study ……….. 30 CHAPTER IV : DATA ANALYSIS, RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION 33 4.1 Data Analysis ……….. 33
iii
5.1 Conclusion ……… 93
5.2 Suggestion ……… 95
vi LIST OF TABLES
TABLE Page
2.1 A sample of Young’s Phasal Analysis 18
3.1 The Background of Teachers 27
4.1 Recurrent Phase Types of the Classroom Discourse-in-texts 34
4.2 Recurrent Sub-phase Types of the CD-in-texts 35
4.3 Recurrent Phase Pattern of the CD-in-texts 71
4.4 Sample Phase Pattern 1 and Linguistic Expressions 73
4.5 Sample Phase Pattern 2 and Linguistic Expressions 75
4.6 Phase Pattern 3 and Linguistic Expressions 78
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The background of Study
English is now well established as the core language for the dissemination
of academic knowledge and academic communication around the globe and, as a
result, English language proficiency is a key contributor to the success of overseas
students. English has been taught as a compulsory subject in Indonesia. The
students are forced to learn English as early as possible. They are fostering to
master English based on the curriculum applied in their schools. The teachers or
English instructors are also demanded to meet the challenges facing the global competition. They are urged to build their students’ competencies
especially in using English. The expectation from teaching English Indonesia is
the students are demanded to pass the English exams to prove that they
have mastered the subject. Their mastery should cover their knowledge and it can
be proven through the certificate. This requirement is made by the government
because the government has schemed to build better nations through education;
one of them is through teaching English.
But the expectation does not meet the reality. When we observe the
classroom, the teachers and the students use source language commonly than
students able to communicate in English rather than to know the grammar it self
(Martin, 2003). The teachers forget that discourse which enables the human
society to develop through school education activities in the classroom (Sinar
2007:2). If the teacher had to choose one technique that is the most effective for
getting students motivated and speaking in English this would definitely be their
choice. The choice is they should have classroom discourse in English. It warms
the students up, and it gives them the sense that English can be used for real
communication David, M 2003). To get students able to communicate in English
at school; there should be teachers who have good discourse in English.
Somewhat many teachers, especially English teachers, who teach English in
school, almost do not teach in English. They focus on their attention on the
transformation of academic knowledge or skills in source language.
Weinstein who had done the previous study about classroom interaction
found that lessons where students have multiple opportunities to communicate
with the teacher are essential for the effective construction of student knowledge.
By welcoming curiosity and encouraging students to raise their own questions
about the content or claims being discussed, the instructor can guide students to
develop habits of mind for framing and answering questions. When an instructor
creates a climate of respect in the classroom and encourages students to generate
their own ideas involving scientific ways of thinking, students are more likely to
think deeply and persist in the face of challenges (AAAS, 1989; Weinstein et al.,
It is also said that classes with an emphasis on lecture are effective for
delivering large volumes of content in limited time but provide few opportunities
for student-instructor interaction. While this teaching method may appeal to a few
highly motivated students, it can often leave much of the class disengaged from
the content. Such classes are often characterized by instructors who take the first
shout-out answers to questions (often from the same few students) or answer their
own questions too quickly.
From the phenomenon above, the teachers must improve the quality of
teaching process in the classroom. The teachers should discover ways in which
students can process the information given accurately. The success of the goal depends on the teachers’ discourse. Teachers’ discourse will enable the students
develop through activities in the classroom (Sinar 2007: 2).
By that reason above, Phasal structure enables the teachers to achieve the
goal. According to Young (1990: 83), Phasal Analysis provides a means of
discovering the ways in which speakers and writers structure and organize
discourse. Phases are strands of discourse that recur discontinuously throughout a
particular language event and taken together, structure that event. These strands
recur and are interspersed with others resulting in an interweaving of threads as
the discourse progresses. What this suggests is that in speaking or writing one doesn’t just begin a topic, discuss it and then conclude it before going on to a new
one; rather, one’s discourse is composed of different topics which are introduced,
described, summarized, returned to and are interspersed with other subtopics
As it has been indicated above, classroom discourse as a particular kind of
discourse may be seen as a general concept to refer to any discourse which takes
place in the classroom setting in general. An investigation into lecture discourse
is an investigation of classroom discourse, which developed by members of
school society. The success or failure of school development needs to be
measured against the background of the success of failure of human resource
development of a school institution. One critical process of human resource
development of a school institution relates to the teaching-learning process that
actually takes place in the classroom or, to be exact in the teaching room.
Teaching activities in the classroom, which form and represent the intrinsic notion
of lecture discourse, are the forefront of the teaching-learning process representing
a critical part of the process of student resource development in the school life.
The point is that the theory of phase can provide a more realistic nature of the
academic lectures. Only an accurate representation of macro-structure will facilitate students’ processing of information. The question of how teachers’
activities in the classroom have motivated the researcher to carry out this research.
1.2 The Problems of the Study
The problems of the study are formulated in the form of research question
as follows.
1. What are the phasal realizations characteristic of the classroom discourse?
2. How are the phasal realizations used by the teachers in classroom
3. What are phasal lexicogrammatical realizations in classroom discourse?
1.3 The Objectives of the Study
The objectives of study are stated:
1. To describe the phasal realizations characteristic of the classroom
discourse.
2. To describe how the phasal realizations are used by the teachers in
classroom discourse.
3. To describe the phasal lexicogrammatical realizations in classroom
discourse.
1.4 The Scope of the Study
The scope of the study focuses in finding the phasal realizations in
classroom discourse.
1.5 The significance of the Study.
The findings of the study are expected to have both theoretical and
practical significance for the readers, English teachers as well as English Applied
Theoretically, the findings deal with the two aspects, first, about the
practices of spoken academic discourse that realized in
classroom-discourse-in-text, how knowledge is packaged at the tertiary level, and how the resulting
discourse is constructed may contribute to enrich the research of discourse studies
in general. Second, this study is a study that investigates classroom discourse
phenomena. This being the case, whatever this study has achieved may contribute
to the enrichment of classroom discourse studies in general.
Practically, the findings deal with the two aspects, first, on account of the
fact that the object of this study is concerned with classroom discourse
phenomena, it is clear that whatever this study has achieved may contribute to the
English teachers to the enrichment of the classroom discourse studies in specific
situation types such as that of SMKN 1 Karang Baru. Second, the classroom
discourse phenomena find their expression in teachers texts and the texts belong
to and derive from the institutional linguistic domain, that of SMKN 1 Karang
Baru as an institution in which English as a foreign language is taught. In this
respect the findings of this study may contribute to the enrichment of textual
studies of English as a foreign language used in tertiary education institution such
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESSTION
5.1Conclusions
The CD-in-text 1, 2, 3 and 4 under investigation have been described contextually
and linguistically in the last chapter in particular with the focus on the provision
of answers to these research questions: (1) what are the phasal realizations
characteristic of the classroom discourse?, (2) how are the phasal realizations used
by the teachers in classroom discourse?, (3) what are phasal lexicogrammatical
realizations in classroom discourse? Some discussion of each description has also
been provided. The discussion and conclusion in this chapter are presented in an
attempt to provide an overall and yet global picture of the CD-in-texts as whole
and to set and interpret them in relevant contexts. They also need to be seen as a
complement to what has been presented in previous chapter.
Firstly, on the whole it can be stated conclusively that the CD-in-texts under
investigations of are as representations of academically-oriented (rather than
socially-oriented) teaching activities, in which the teachers to a great extend have
tended to focus their attention on the transformation of intellectual values
(academic knowledge and/or skills) with the least social values. To this end,
realizationally there are apparently a number of indicators of this, two of which
stand out and need mentioning here: (1) the frequent occurrences of the relevant
macro-functions such as the Consent (CT), Substantiation (SU), Discourse
level, (2) the frequent occurrences of the relevant micro-functions such as the
Definition (DE), Statement (ST), Explanation (EP), Exemplification (EX),
Orientation (OR), Reminder (RE), Focus (FO), Interchange (IC), Check (CH), and
Judgment (JU) micro-functions at the sub-phasal semiotic level in support of the
relevant macro-functions in the phasal semiotic space.
Secondly, on the whole the CD-in-texts are so dynamic in their occurrences and
semiotic positions that it would be complicated to analyze them by employing the
stage-by-stage framework. In particular, the highly dynamic features of the
CD-in-texts are indicated by the various micro-functions types and a vast number of
diversified micro-function patterns that occur in various macro-function types and
patterns in the given phasal semiotic space.
Locally, the dynamic occurrences of the micro-functions in the phasal semiotic
content may not be a problem for the participants involved in the teaching activity
such as those under considerations. Globally, however, they are organized
particularly in respect of what directions the teachings are heading to.
Another example relates to the linking techniques in teaching, which are not
something new, which have also been employed, from which certain
macro-functional and micro-macro-functional. In these techniques, the teacher for example (1)
introduce the lesson, linking it to the previous week and rounding it off, (2) relates
the material to the syllabus and to what is taught elsewhere by other methods, (3)
material at the right level and by using familiar material to illustrate and explain
points, etc.
5.2Suggestions
Specifically, for theoretical and practical/applied areas of further research, the
researcher would suggest the following:
(1) For the students, at the language level, there is a need to extend the scope of
research that covers all things; knowledge - transfer and social goal in
teaching. The next researchers have to figure out deeply how culture affects
the dynamic of CD in-text as have been discussed in this study.
(2) For teachers, it is advised to apply Phasal and Sub-phasal realizations in
achieving the academic goal to transfer knowledge and also social goal to the
students.
(3) The researcher hopes this study has fulfilled the requirements to confine itself
as the study of the contextual and linguistic realizations of classroom
discourse-in-texts that involves four teachings as texts, with specific
REFERENCES
Bernstein, B. (1973). Class, Codes and Control 2: Applied Studies towards a
Sociology of Language, Routledge & Kegan Paul, London.
Christie, F. (1989). Curriculum Genres in Early Childhood Education: a case
study in writing development, a Ph. D Thesis, Department of Linguistics,
Sydney University, Sydney.
Coulthard, M. (1977). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis, Longman, England,
pp. 93-115.
Gregory, M. & Carrol, S. (1978). Language and Situation: language varieties and
their social contexts, Routledge & Kegan Paul, London.
Gregory, M. (2002) Phasal Analysis within Communication Linguistics: Two
Contrastive Discourses. In Relations and Functions Within and Around
Language, ed. by P. H. Fries, M. Cummings, D. Lockwood, and W.
Spruiell. London: Continuuum, 316-345.
Halliday, M. A. K. ( 1985). An Introduction to Functional Grammar, 1st edition,
Edward Arnold, London.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1993). Language in A Changing World: A series of Three
Papers, Occasional Paper No. 13, Applied Linguistics Association of
Australia (ALAA) & National Languages and Literacy Institute of
Halliday, M.A.K. (1994) An Introduction to Functional Grammar (2nd Edition).
London: Edward Arnold.
Halliday, M. A. K. & Hasan, R. (1985). Language, Context, and Text: aspects of
language in a social-semiotic perspective, 1st edition, Deakin University
Press, Victoria.
Harrison, C. (2000). Phasal Analysis: Putting the Memo under a Microscope,
Carleton University, 2000.
Hasan, R. (1978). “Text in the Systemic-Functional Model”, in Dresseler, W.U, Current Trends in Text Linguistics, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin & New
York, pp. 228-246.
King, A. J. (2003). A Conversation Analytic / Empirical Pragmatic, University of
Durham Department of Linguistics and English Language, 2004.
Malinowski, B. (1965). Coral Gardens and Their Magic; a study of the methods of
tilling the soil and agricultural rites in the Trobriand Island, Vol. 2, George
Allen & Unwin Ltd., London.
Miles and Huberman. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. California: SAGE
Martin, J. R. (1992). English Text: System and Structure, John Benjamins
Publishing Company, Philadelpia & Amsterdam.
Sinar, T. S. (2007). Phasal and Experiential Realizations in Lecture Discourse: A
Systemic – Functional Analysis. Kopertis Wilayah I Sumut-NAD, Medan.
Wu, S. (2013). Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 1705-1709,
September 2013, Academy Publisher Manufactured in Finland.
Young, L. (1990). Language as Behaviour, Language as Code: a study of academic
English, John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam & Philadelpia.
Young, L. (1994) University lectures macro structure and micro-features. In
Flowerdew, J. (Ed.) Academic Listening: Research Perspectives,
