CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
B. Discussions
Having observed the conversation of the students during their daily activity, the researcher come to discuss the research finding found. Researcher started to record their daily conversation as the source to observe how many times they use literal translation and languages switch. Then, continued to transcribe the conversation.
From the transcription the researcher found that the speakers actually avoid language switch more, but tend to use literal translation. Once more, it might occur because they were afraid of breaking the rule not to speak in their source language. It seemed that they tried as minimal as possible to say the word or utterances in English using their capability they have although by translating literally from their first language which finally lead to errors. Literal translation and language switch occurred and used here are of course understood by both speakers and interlocutors because both of them have the same source language.
Thus, nothing to do with the problem that natives might not understand the translation or the switching. Once more, it occured because the conversation is among the students in one school.
Researcher discuss the use of literal translation and language switch more in the following identification:
1. Language Switch
Language switch is a strategy of changing a code or language from target language to source language or conversely. Nhilep (2006:7) says that code switching refers to the use of two languages in the same time or utterances. This strategy is the last choice when the speaker has no linguistic competence at all on the particular message he is going to convey.
Based on the daily conversation transcription the researcher found language switches as the following:
(1)
12. SR : I don't know, because you are my best friend , you my sister, yah you my beloved sister maybe and you always help me
13. IN : I see , I see haha
14. SR : and help kerjakan tugas saya and always share your food, eh ..breakfast to me.Haha
In one utterance the speaker switched three words. She said kerjakan tugas saya which means finish of my task/exercise. She failed to find the English word of kerjakan. Second, she said tugas which means task or exercise in English.
The two language switches occurred because the two words were rarely used by the speaker, so that the words were not familiar for them. The speakers is also failed to find the words saya which means “ my” that occured because the word
“my”is a part of the clause.
(2)
19. IN: Ermm , kalau itu ehh... the famous girl in our class ?
20. SR : Nadia, yes Nadia. The beautifull one , the Queen one. Ohh God she's like the Koreans artist.
21. DW : Yes, everybody love her .
This sentence should be an interogative sentence, the speaker failed to translated the question words “kalau itu” which means ”how about” or “how about that...”. This is may occured because the speaker cannot created correct interrogative sentence or due the lack use of such kind of sentence in their daily conversation.
(3)
40. DW : Because she always say“ I don’t have money “ when Iask her to pay eh...pembayaran kelas while she always go to the canteen or go to the shopping.
Pembayaran is clearly not an English word. The speaker changed the word she wanted to say to her first language, because she did not know what the English word for payment.
The use of language switch for the word payment to pembayaran did not occur once. It even occurs two times during the conversation. Here are the other samples.
(4)
41. IN : and buy many thing
42. DW : yes, and always cry maybe when you tell her to bayar uang pembayaran haha
As the word payment is a part of sentence clause, then this also results an error in switching another words followed by those clause.
Another language switch found in the following sample : (5)
80. MT : maybe you need some saran from me ? 81. DS : yes
(6)
82. MT : I sarankan mmmm,,, for celeberate in your home with all of our friends. Do you agree ?
83. DS : Ithink can too but do you think it’s okay if just in home.
84. MT : yes why not
In the samples above the words saran means suggest in English but the speakers again failed to find the correct form of the target language . This repetition might occur because they rarely use the word suggest in English.
(7)
47. DW : and always fabulous her boyfriend even not handsome 48. IN : haha yes not handsome
49. DW : or bahasa kasarnya ugly hahaha 50. SR : oh my God.
The speaker used the word bahasa kasarnya which absolutely does not exist in English. Actually she wanted to say abusive language that means the
word used to insult someone , but she picked up the word bahasa kasar which is accepted in Bahasa which means abusive language .
2. Literal Translation
As cited in the previous discussion that literal translation is to translate a word or utterances of the target language literally or word for word from their first language to the target language. From this, it is clear that it is a language transfer which is considered an error. In this context, Ellis (1994:403) underlines what Schmidt found that said the use of certain commmunication strategies development may lack of linguistic forward movement. However, the use of such strategy is often used and even may help the students to speak up and facilitate the communication betwen speakers and interlocutos.
From the conversation transcription it was found that literal translation appeared more than languages switch which that means the students prefer to choosed literal translation little bit more. The following are the literal translations appeared in the conversation and its discussion:
(1)
23. DW : So which one do you most not like 24. SR : do you hate the most !!
25, DW : Yes I mean that
Clearly, the speaker used ther source language pattern. She translated paling tidak suka which is acceptable in their Source Language into the word most not like which is uncommon in English for that pattern. She should said do you hate the most.
(2)
71. DS: Hy Mitha 72. MT : Hai Desha
73. DS : Do you know today is my birthday !!
74. MT : yes, of course I know you are my bestfriend, why I’am no know? where do you have to celeberate that ?
75. DS : Idon’t know haha
In sample (2) the speaker used two sample of literal translation in one utterance and actually had succeeded to convey her message in condition that the speaker used her first language structure. It is seen by the fact that DS as interlocutor did not request any more explaination. However, the speaker used the structure from her source language to word why I’am no know which unacceptable in English as the target language. She also used the structure of Bahasa to create an interrogative sentence , the words “dimana kamu harus merayakannya” is translated word to word into an English words and arranged by followed the structure of the source language. The sentence where do you have to celebrate that is completly did not follow the English structure. She should have to said where you’ll celebrate your birthday.
In the following sample the speaker translated literally the structure of the sentence. She said:
(3)
87. V : "Ya Allah Mita! I am very tired! Very tired!
Tired or not, Mita ?"
88. MT : "Agh... very Ya Allah! You`re what section, Vita?"
89. V :"I am programming section. My job is just in boarding.
She wanted to say Kamu bagian apa? Rather than What section are you in?” She translated it literally, but she still succeeded to deliver her message because the interlocutor understood her. Just like sample (4), the following sample contains a literal translation because the speaker put the subject at the last of the utterance which is acceptable in her first language,
(4)
90. W : "I am from the first until the last decoration, Ya Allah."
91. C : "I am forever. Tired I am. From just now in boarding."
92. W : "So am I.How many people yours?"
93. C : "Eight persons, some follow hadrah, follow this... What? Nasyid.
Therefore just I am and Febri."
It is actually easy to say the correct one by putting the subject at the first utterance, I am tired which means Capek saya in Bahasa, her source language.
Almost the same, in sample (5), (5)
97. C : "If programming how many, Vit?"
98. V : "I am? I, Sry, Dina, Who? just that, eh with Zahra, but Zahra sick."
99. W : "Not sick. Her Father is sick."
The speaker put what should be in the first utterance at the last of it. She wanted to say Kalau bagian pemrograman berapa, Vit? It should be How many
people are in programming section? Once more, she translated it literally according to her first language structure.
The speaker from the following sample tended to use past perfect tense incorrectly.Let’s see the following sample
(6)
101. W : "Yes, and Her sister will give birth."
102. V : "Will give birth?"
103. W : "Yes, may be now have, but don`t know."
104.V : “Just may be? But wow... becomes aunty Zahra."
The speaker once more said have which she meant Ya mungkin sekarang sudah, tapi gak tahu. Actually she wanted to say She might have given birth.
Beside omission as a literal translation, a literal translation may occur because of an addition. It is shown in sample (7) :
(7).
113. NF : "Sing, please!"
114. N : "I love with Westlife but forget because Westlife have not remembered me."
115. NH :"May be Westlife never remember you,never know you.”
In the sentence above the speaker added with after the word love which is acceptable in her first language, but not in English and constitutes an error.
Clearer literal translation in sentence structure shown in the next sample,
(8)
117. NH : Hey Syah what about our plan ? 118. NF “Give radio? New radio?"
119, NH: “New microphone, so what?"
120. NF: "Calculator."
121. Sy: "Mic only the head have lost."
122. W : (Nodding her head) i have a plan, never mind.
Actually the speaker only wanted to say Mic saja kepalanya sudah hilang ( The microphone is broken). The word head means the round top part of the microphone. She said head because it is common to say that in her first language to name that round part. It may be not understood for natives, but because the interlocutor here is the same students in one school the word she meant is understood. It’s seen that W as the interlocutor nodded her head. Moreover, she also used the word have which she meant that something has already happened (Present Perfect Tense), but of course, here, she used the word have improperly
3. The Effect of Literal Translation and Language Switch on the Students’
English Development
To convey the message one wants to convey is sometimes not a simple thing especially to say it not in the first language he mastered. To say something in the target language sometimes a problem occurs, like the lack of vocabulary mastery or structure pattern mastery. Thus, the speakers will find a way to solve
the problem by using what called communication strategies. However, some kinds of communication strategies constitute one source of error, language transfer.
While in the discussion above we acknowledge how the use of communication strategies helps the students to solve their problems in communicating in the target language, it is also important to see the other effect of using communication strategies. When students pick up their mastery of their first language some errors might occur. A question arises whether the use of communication strategies has any effect on their English acquisition. It is whether or not the use of Language Transfer encourage the students to find the correct form of the target.
Observing the data taken from the conversation of the students, Researcher found many literal translations and some language switch. To determine whether the use of literal translation and language switch affect their English acquisition or not is not a simple thing. By using communication strategies it is hoped that it will encourage the students to find the correct form of they words or utterance they do not know.
As stated in the previous chapter that researcher used two kinds of instrument to collect the data, voice recording and questionnaire. Those questionnaire is to find out the students motivation to develop their langauge acquisition by using communication strategies. From the questionnaire the students filled the researcher was found that the students answered less than 50%
(YES) , it was viewed from the results of some indicators in motivation measurement that consist of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, it
also found that most of the students did not know the correct form of the words or the target language, moreover the use of literal translation and language switch did not encourage them to find the correct form of the target language which is means that the students was not motivated to improve their language acquisition
Beside that, the researcher also found that almost all of them like to have an English conversation with their friends. Most of them like to talk about public issue and hot gossip. While a few of them prefer to talk about their lessons or exercise. Furthermore, almost all of them said that they like English actually.
However, during their English conversation they often face difficulties. Grammar is the most problems they often encounter. While other problems like vocabulary and English expression are also two problems they sometimes face. The grammar problem is actually seen from the way the use literal translation. They translate the pattern from their source language to the target language.
Although almost the entire students always use what is called communication strategies, it turns out that actually they don not know what is called communication strategies. They realize that they often use them when the researcher told them what communication strategies are, especially literal translation and language switch.
Knowing that actually they often use communication strategies, they feel that it is a need to use them to be able to convey their message in English because they know that they also often face some difficulties in grammar, vocabulary, English expression, etc. From the two kinds of language transfer, literal translation and language switch, they tend to choose languages witch to use
because they think that it is just easy and simple to switch the words they want to say to their first language or the language they master well. However, it becomes a serious problem to do that easy and simple thing, for it is a rule of their school and classroom not to speak in their target language, but only to speak English language. For this, although they like language switch rather than literal translation, they avoid to use language switch as little as possible not to get a punishment for breaking one of the school and classroom rules.
Beside all advantages of using literal translation and language switch, researcher also found that the use of such language transfer has no effect in encouraging or motivated the students to improve their language acquisition by find out correct form of their target languae and it can lead to the lack of their English development in further. In spite of this, most of them think that it is no problem to keep using them. Meanwhile, some of them think to minimize the use of them due to the negative effect which may come after long term use.
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
This capter consists of two sections. The first section deals with the conclusion of the findings, and the second one deals with suggestion that cover recommendation concerning the implication of findings.
A. Conclusion
Based on the research findings and discussions in the previous chapter, the researcher comes to the following conclusions :
1. The use of language switch and literal translation are only in a certain condition, and the students prefer to choose Literal translation (60 %) more than language switch which occurs 40 % . They can use these two strategies and always successful because the use of them is only between students who have the same mother tongue or first language. When a student switches a word from English to her first language the interlocutor will easily catch the meaning. Moreover when she translate a word or an utterance using her first language knowledge or structure, the interlocutor will easily understand her. It will not be that way when the interlocutor is a native speaker of English, for there might be a distinct structure between the two languages.
2. The use of language switch and literal translation does not encourage the students to find the correct form of the target language. As the researcher cited before that the students actually often translate an utterance literally to their first language structure. They keep continuing speaking that way which is
53
absolutely ungrammatical utterances. If this habit still continues it is possible that the use of language switch and literal translation hinder their English development. On the other hand if they want to change that habit they will be good in speaking and writing because they have tried not to say a word in their first language.
B. Suggestion
Based on the conclusion above, the researcher would like to offer suggestions as follows
a. For learners
By translating literally rather than switching the language is good. It means you try not to speak in your first language and to speak only in the language you want to learn as hard as possible. However, translating literally also means using the first language pattern. Using it once is well allowed as long as it can encourage the students to find the correct form of the target language. But the problem is most of the students translate literally the utterances continuously during their conversation without trying to find the correct form. The students should minimize the use of such strategy and start to construct a grammatical utterance. They also should know that these strategies are used between two people who know the language they switch to. Not with natives speakers.
b. For teachers
To manage the use of the official language in the school teachers should pay more attention to the use of such strategies. Not only language switch which should be banned, but it is also possible to prohibit the use of ungrammatical
sentence which come from literal translation. Together with all parts of the school, teacher should the students to speak in grammatical English.
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