Educational Research Method

THE USE OF POLITENESS IN ANALYZING THE CONVERSATION

OF THE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS IN SMK SARASWATI 2
DENPASAR IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015

By :
I Komang Gede Agus Pranata
B1
1429081042
To be presented to :
Prof. Drs. Dewa Komang Tantra, Dip.App.Ling, MSc,MA,Ph.D

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE EDUCATION

POST-GRADUATE STUDY PROGRAM
GANESHA UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
2015

A. Background
Speaking is as a part of language learning that should mastered by students. English is
an international language in general that used by the people communicating around the world.
As an international language, in Indonesia English is also included in national curriculum and
also national examination, in Indonesia english is a lesson that prepared student to face the
globalism era. Pronunciation is the production of significant sounds in two senses: it is part of
a code of a particular language, and is used to achieve meaning in contexts of use (Dalton and
Seidlhofer, 2001, p. 3). Every speaker of every spoken language employs pronunciation in
these senses. More specifically, in the field of second language acquisition (SLA),
pronunciation often refers to foreign accent. According to Flege (1981), foreign accent
comes from differences in pronunciation of a language by native and non-native speakers.
Pronunciation research in SLA has usually dealt with the second aspect, foreign accent, and
the variety of factors that affect how similar (or dissimilar) a foreign language learner's
pronunciation is when compared to a native speaker of that language. A wide variety of
factors have been thought to affect the degree of foreign accent in a second language (L2),
including: age, exposure to L2, amount of L1 and L2 use, formal instruction, gender,
aptitude, motivation and attitudes. However In our country Indonesia, especially in Bali, not
all of the school using English

The example of that is in SMK Saraswati 2 Denpasar,

almost 50% students is influenced by social factors that , so, they become naughty students in
the class mean that the students is sometimes using impolite language even they talk to their
teacher. In using English as second language some of them still confused, especially in doing
the conversation and they didnt know the difference between polite words and impolite
words that should be used by them.
In this research the researcher intends to find out the use of politeness in language
teaching and leaning that used in SMK Saraswati 2 Denpasar. Based on the phenomenon

above and the researcher analysis by using politeness rules and theories that related to that
phenomenon, so the researcher following the theory that stated by Lakoff, Brown and
Levinson and Leech to support this research. Related to R Lakoff (1972) rules about
politeness he stated that participants in conversation can choose to be polite, they can choose
to avoid being rude, or they can choose to do as they please conversationally with utter
disregard for others feeling and wishes. They can even exploit their knowledge of the
principle of the politeness to be intentionally rude. So here, R. Lakoff means politeness as
tools of the conversation and the speaker could choose to be polite as they what they to be
based on the situation and the context. This is why he creates a polteness as a principle.
Brown and Levinson (1978) has diferent perspective about politeness, they devided
politeness as a theory i. e. positive and negative face, where face is about the self-image of
the people who doingthe conversation and related to FTA (Face Threatening Acts or FSA
( Face Saving Acts). That can make people to choose in doing the conversation. They also
add some strategies in formulating the politeness principle i.e. bald on record, positive
politeness, negative politeness, and off records. Another explanation about politenes also
came from Geoffrey Leech,(1983) defines politeness as a type of behaviour that allows the
participants to engage in a social interaction in an atmosphere of relative harmony. In stating
his maxims Leech uses his own terms for two kinds of illocutionary acts. He calls
representatives assertives, and calls directives impositives. Each maxim is accompanied
by a sub-maxim, which is of less importance. They all support the idea that negative
politeness (avoidance of discord) is more important than positive politeness (seeking
concord). Not all of the maxims are equally important. For instance, tact influences what we
say more powerfully than does generosity, while approbation is more important than
modesty. Speakers may adhere to more than one maxim of politeness at the same time. Often
one maxim is on the forefront of the utterance, while a second maxim is implied. These

theories will be as a tools in analyzing the use of politeness of the students in SMK 2
Saraswati Denpasar.

B. Research Questions

Based on the background above, the research questions can be formulated as

follows are these theories effective in analyzing the politeness according to the
studentss conversation activities in SMK Saraswati 2 Denpasar ?

Is the politeness in English conversation can make the students become active in
speaking ?

What is the learning output of students in speaking by using politeness in SMK

Saraswati 2 Denpasar

C. Objective of the Study

A. General Objective :

to identify and analyze the politeness that used in conversation of tenth grade
students of SMK Saraswati 2 Denpasar

B. Specific Objective :

to find out the relation between politeness rules, strategy and theory to the
students conversation.

to understand the politeness theory that have been used by students in doing
the conversation in English

to make the students become active in speaking especially in conversation by

using politeness.

D. Significant of the Study

Theoretical significance : It could be used to improve the students motivation,

and make them active in learning speaking, doing the conversation, and

understand about the use of politeness in speaking.

Practical significance :
- Teacher could be a guide for students in tutoring them in learning speaking
and create an environtment to motivate the students active in conversation
-

including the politeness as a theory.

Students could a good speaker and also could use the politeness in doing the
English conversation and they understand about the difference between polite
and impolite utterance.