THE REALIZATION OF REGISTER ANALYSIS ON STUDENT'S

RECOUNT TEXT
(A Classroom Discourse Analysis on Students Recount Text)
Sinta Dewi Purnama)
purnama.sintadewi@yahoo.co.id
English Education Program, Galuh University, Ciamis

ABSTRACT
Discourse analysis is a kind of approach which functions to analyze the texts. This
approach is taken from systemic functional linguistics (henceforward SFL). This study
aims at reporting the realization of register analysis on students recount text. To analyze
the data, the writer employs the qualitative design under discourse analysis study. The
data is focuses on a recount text written by a freshman at 1D in academic year 2013-2014
when she learnt writing for specific purpose course. Afterward, the text then is analyzed
by using register analysis which covers field, tenor, and mode. In this study, the writer
also addresses3 research questions, those are: (1) how is the field realized in the students
recount text? (2) how are the tenors realized in the students recount text? (3) how are the
modes realized in the students recount text? The realization of field, tenor, and mode can
be seen in the findings. The findings show that the field of the text talks about my
experience to ride a motorcycle. Meanwhile, the tenor of the text involves 2
participants, those are: I, or she, as the texts writer, and her father. Moreover the mode
of the text is expressed in the written form. To sum up, the realization of field, tenor, and
mode of the text is written clearly, understandable, and rational expressed by the
freshman, as the beginner in writing a recount text completed by complex vocabularies in
the context of writing for specific purpose.
Key Words: register analysis, recount text, classroom discourse analysis
INTRODUCTION
Writing is assumed as a multifaceted task for students particularly for sophomore
in university level. It is because many rules should be mastered such as determining
topic, a controlling idea, supporting sentences, a concluding sentence, dictions, and
grammar. Even though, in writing a recount text, sophomore should understand clause
level of the text such analyzing its social function, generic structure, and linguistics
features. Meanwhile, sophomore should also understand beyond the clause of the text,
such analyzing its metafunctions, and contexts.
During writing a particular text such recount text, the sophomore should be able to
determine its contexts, particularly context of situation. In relation to teaching and
learning English in Indonesia, the process of identifying the context of the text is referred
to Systemic Functional Linguistics (henceforward SFL). In SFL, it develops the
systematic grammar which is called as Systemic Functional Grammar (henceforward

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SFG). Further, Halliday (1999; 2004) as quoted by Hidayat (2014, p. 37-39) points out
that text is closed related to its context. The context itself covers three parts, namely:
Field, Tenor, and Mode. Dealing with the theory of SFG aforementioned, the writer tries
to investigate the students recount text which is written by one of freshman in her
writing for specific purpose class in the academic year 2013-2014. The recount text itself
is analyzed based on its context of situation or it is called as Register.
To support this study, the writer refers to some previous studies taken from the
previous researchers who investigate the similar topic in the area of FG, FL, or DA. The
first previous study is done by Mulatsih (2007). The second previous study is conducted
by Nisaa (2014)and the last previous study is undertaken by Hidayat (2014). To
comprehend the detailed previous studies, the writer highlights them as follow:
The first previous study is done by Mulatsih (2007). She designs a research entitled
The Realization of Ideational Meaning in the Students Recounts. Her study reports
that the organization of Ideational Meaning is realized in the recount text. This study is
categorized as a classroom discourse analysis at which the writer selects the students
artifact in the form of students recount texts as the source of data. In analyzing the texts,
she employs the ideational meaning which focuses on the transitivity analysis that covers
process, participant, and circumstances types. The results of the study reveal that the
realization of those elements mostly makes the enhancement for the students writing
skill. Besides, it also gives significant pedagogical implication to the institution, the
students, and herself as a teacher. Thus, she can improve the lack of students skill in
writing recounts text based on the SFL perspective.
The second previous study is undertaken by Nisaa (2014). She designs a research
entitled The Use of Writing Personal Letter in Teaching Recount Text for the Eighth.
Her study reports that writing is essential for teacher. The main problem that students
faced in writing is boredom. EFL teachers should leave a conventional way of teaching
writing and try to provide a creative way for teaching writing. The subjects are the
teacher and the students of VIII D SMP Bahrul Ulum Surabaya. The instruments which
are used in this research are observation checklist, field note, students work, and
questionnaires. The finding of the study shows that teaching writing of recount text
involving writing personal letter could attract students willing in learning recount text. It
proved by the condition where students are active during the teaching and learning

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process. The finding also showed that teaching writing of recount text involving writing
personal letter gets a positive response from the students.
The third previous study is conducted by Hidayat (2014). He designs a research
entitledThe Ideational Meaning realized in the Written Discourse in Online Newspaper
on Abdul Qodir Jailani (AQJ). This study is categorized as non-classroom discourse
analysis at which the writers selects 20 text dealing with the discourse on Abdul Qodir
Jailani from the online newspaper as the source of data. In the study, the writer employs
experiential meaning which covers participant type, process type, and circumstance type
to analyze the overall text. The results reveal that there are 1034 participant types which
are realized 2% afterwards, there are 712 process type which are realized 3% and there
are 274 circumstance types which are realized 7% involve throughout the text. Hence, the
existence of participants is more dominant than processes and circumstances available
throughout twenty texts.
Dealing with the aforementioned previous studies, the first and the second are
similar to the present study because it is based on the classroom discourse at which the
object of the data is taken from students text. Meanwhile, the third one previous study is
dissimilar to the present study because the objects of the data are taken from original
texts written by debaters and journalists. Even though, the whole previous studies are
used as the underpinned theory for the present study.
After highlighting the previous studies, the writer in this section also need to
delineate the research questions. The proposed research questions are: (1) how is the field
realized in the students recount text? (2) how are the tenors realized in the students
recount text? (3) how are the modes realized in the students recount text? The findings
assert that the field in the text talks about my experience to ride a motorcycle. To find out
the answer of the research questions aforementioned, the writer is going to discuss them
in the findings and discussion session of this study.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The nature of register
The term register also known as context of situation. According to the concept of
Halliday (1999) as quoted by Hidayat (2014, p. 38), there are two contexts which effect
to the use of language. The first context is context of situation (register). Meanwhile, the
second context is context of culture (genre).

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Dealing with the expert statement above, it can be assumed that language has the
closest relation to its context, both context of situation and also context of culture. On the
other hand, the term context of situation (register) explores three components, those are:
field, tenor and mode (Eggins, 1994; Gerot & Wignel 1994 as cited in Hidayat, 2014, p.
38). Besides, to comprehend the relation of field, tenor and mode, the writer explains
each of them as follows:
Field refers to what is going on, including activity focus and object focus. It is
nature of social activity and subject matter (Eggins, 1994as cited in Hidayat, 2014, p. 38).
Tenor refers to the social relationship between those taking part. These are
specifiable in terms of status or power (agent roles, peer or hierarchic relation), affect
(degree of like, dislike, or neutrality, contact (frequency, duration and intimacy of social
contact) (Eggins, 1994 as cited in Hidayat, 2014, p. 38-39).
Mode can be understood as the role language is playing in the interaction. Mode is
referring to how language is being used, whether the channel of communication is
spoken or written, language is being used as a mode of action or reflection (Eggins, 1994
as cited in Hidayat, 2014, p. 39).

Defining writing
After discussing the term the nature of register, the writer then discusses the
second term, writing. It is also imperative to be discussed as one of the variables in this
study. Harmer (2004; 2007) as quoted by Hidayat and Faridah (2013, p. 29) implicitly
define writing as a process where a writer produces the written form which involves four
stages beginning from planning, drafting, editing, and final draft. In addition, Oshima
and Hogue (2006) as quoted by Hidayat and Faridah (2013, p. 29) define, Writing is the
process of an ongoing creative act roughly in four steps. In the first step is creating ideas,
in second step is organizing ideas, in the third step is writing rough draft, and in the final
step is polishing rough draft by editing and making revision.
Referring to two definitions aforementioned, the writer then synthesizes that
writing is a process of conveying thoughts or ideas which required several steps, started
from planning or creating ideas, then drafting or organizing ideas, editing or writing
draft, and the last is final draft or making revision. In relation to the present study, the
types of writing used in the form of recount text written by freshman at University level.
The recount text is written dealing with her experience in her life.

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To sum up, writing is a process of conveying ideas through written form which is
begun from planning and ended by final draft. Writing skill has to be mastered by every
freshman in order that she can improve her creativity in writing.

The nature of recount text

After discussing the term writing, the writer than points out the last term the
nature of recount text. According to Paltridge (2000, p. 109), The purpose of recount
text is to tell what happened, to record events for the purpose of informing.
Furthermore, Anderson & Anderson (1998, p. 24) state,
A recount is a piece of text that retells past event, usually in the order in
which they occurred. Its purpose is to provide the audience with a
description of what occurred and when it occurred. The recount texts
include: eyewitness accounts, newspaper reports, letters, conversations,
television interviews, and speeches.
Dealing with the definitions aforementioned, those can be elaborated that recount is
a kind of text types which is expressed various form, those are eye eyewitness accounts,
newspaper reports, letters, conversations, television interviews, and speeches, but
normally it is expressed in a story form. Usually, it has three main sections. The first is
background in which gives information about who, what, where and when (orientation).
The second is sequence of events that retell the events in the order in which they
happened. The third is conclusion which tells the end of the story in past event. Beside,
recount text usually includes the following grammatical features, those are proper noun
to identify those involved in the text, the use of past tense to retell the events, words that
show the order of the events(for example, first, next, then) and the last one is descriptive
words to give details about who, what, when and how.

METHOD
In this section, the writer delineates the parts of method. Those parts cover:
research design, method of data collection, source of the data, and unit of analysis. In
addition method of data analysis is also highlighted.
Research design
In this present study, the writer applies qualitative research methodology because it
refers to the quality of relationships, activities, situations, or materials as suggested by
Fraenkel, Wallen, & Hyun (2012, p. 426).

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With regard to the discourse research, it is still part of qualitative methodology,

because discourse analysis tries to describe the phenomenon occur within the texts
whether it isphysically appeared such viewed from the functional grammar aspects (its
context and metafunctions), or it is non-physically appeared such viewed from Critical
Discourse Analysis aspects (how the text is produced as social practice, what the text
tells us about happenings, people think and believe, and how the text represents the
ideology). In the other hands, discourse research is commonly subjective which is
underpinned by the researchers perspective in viewing the texts which happened in the
clause level, and beyond the clause (Hidayat, 2014, p.81).

Method of data collection

In collecting the data, the writer selected 1 text deals with the recount text written
by a freshman from 1D during the academic year 2013-2014. Afterwards, the text is
analyzed through the use of register analysis which consists of field, tenor, and mode.
This analysis is accordance with how language is viewed based on its functionalsemantic tradition and its linguistic consequences (Eggins, 2004, as cited in Hidayat,
2014, p. 81).

Source of the data

Concerning on the source of data, the writer selected 1 text concerning on recount
texts. The text was taken from freshmans writing result based on 2criteria: first, the text
is in recount form. The second, the length of texts should be at least 3 paragraphs.

Unit of analysis
Dealing with SFL, the texts are regarded as bigger object than a clause. Meanwhile,
it is smaller than a culture. Thus, the whole relevant texts are segmented into a single
clause or move. After segmenting, those moves are analyzed through the use of register
analysis which focuses on field, tenor, and mode (Eggins, 2004, as cited in Hidayat,
2014, p. 82).

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Method of data analysis

In analyzing the data, the writer carries out 4 steps. Those steps cover (1) selecting
the text, (2) analyzing through register analysis, (3) presenting the data, and (4) drawing
the conclusion (Modified from Hidayat, 2014, p. 83).

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Findings
This section presents the results of data analysis from the recount text written by
freshman. As mentioned in the preceding point, the data analysis is done by analyzing the
register analysis throughout the text. The representation of the register analysis which
consists of field, tenor, and mode is taken from the text. The detail analysis is discussed
as follows:

Register analysis for the text recount:

The analysis is done from the text, entitled,My Experience to Ride Motorcycle.
The analysis is done for the text entitled, My Experience to Ride Motorcycle. In
short, the author of text told that she had very unforgettable story when she experienced
to ride a new motorcycle. She persuaded her dad to train her to ride a new motorcycle,
but unfortunately, she got an accident during the training. She hit against the big stone
near the river. After that I told her father about that. In consequent, her dad was angry at
her and not allowed her again to ride a motorcycle. After she was 17 years old, finally
she got her fathers permission to ride motorcycle again. Thus, it became the
unforgettable event for her during her life because she can ride her motorcycle to go
along anywhere.
Dealing with the text which is summarized by the writer, the register analysis shows
that the realization of the field of the text is: My Experience to Ride Motorcycle.
Meanwhile, viewed from the tenor of the text, it involves 2 participants. They are: (1)
herself, as the main character, (2) her father as her trainer. Concerning on the mode, the
text is expressed in written text. It is because the freshman writes her story in written
form which then submitted to the writer.

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The text summary of register analysis

Register analysis elements
field
Tenor
My Experience to Ride Motorcycle
2 participants involved

mode
written form

Discussion
After reporting the analysis result in the findings, the writer then continues to
answer the research questions proposed, those are: (1) how is the field realized in the
students recount text? (2) how are the tenors realized in the students recount text? (3)
how are the modes realized in the students recount text?
To answer the first research question, it takes from the evidences reported in the
findings, those show that the field in the first text is about My Experience to Ride a
Motorcycle which is realizing the topic of the text.
The second research question: (2) how are the tenors realized in the students
recount text? To answer the second research question, the writer refers to the evidences
of tenor written in the findings. The realization of tenor shows that the text involves 2
participants which covers (1) herself, as the main character, and (2) her father as her
trainer.
After highlighting the second research question, then the writer answers the third
research question: (3) how are the modes realized in the students recount text?To answer
the third research question, the writer refers to the evidences written in the findings that
the realization of mode in the text is expressed in written form. To comprehend clearly,
please refer to the text summary of register analysis in findings above.
Dealing with the answers of three research questions aforementioned, the results of
the present study are similar to the first and the second previous study because it is based
on the classroom discourse at which the object of the data is taken from students text.
Meanwhile, the third previous study is dissimilar to the present study because it is
categorized as non-classroom discourse analysis at which the objects of the data are taken
from journalistic texts. Even though, the whole previous studies are used as the supported
theory used for the present study.

CONCLUSION
Dealing with the results of the present study, the field of the text expresses the
freshmans unforgettable moment that they had ever experienced, such the authors

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experience to ride motorcycle. Meanwhile, the tenor of the text involves 2 participants.
Moreover, the mode of the text is expressed in written form. In relation to the register
analysis, the realization of field, tenor, and mode of the text is written clearly,
understandable, and rational expressed by the freshman, as the beginner in writing a
recount text completed by complex vocabularies in the context of writing for specific
purpose.
REFERENCES
Anderson, M., and Anderson, K. (1998). Text type in English. South Yarra. Australia:
Macmillan Education Australia PTY LTD.
Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, .N. E., And Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate
research in education, eighth edition. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Hidayat, Y., and Faridah, D. (2013). Peer-editing: a strategy to enhance the EFL
students paragraph development. In Lengkanawati, N., S., Sukiadi, D., Said, I.,
Kurnia, A,. D,(Eds.), The International English Applied Linguistics Seminar and
Workshop (TIEALLSAW). Ciamis: English Department, Galuh University.
Hidayat, Y. (2014). The ideational meaning realized in the written discourse in online
newspaper on Abdul Qodir Jailani (AQJ). Unpublished Thesis. Semarang: State
University of Semarang (UNNES).
Mulatsih, S. (2007). The realization of ideational meanings in students recounts. Celt
Journal, Vol. 7, No. 2, December 2007, pp.143-157. Retrieved on September
25th 2013 from http://www.journalcelt.com/2012/01/realization-of-ideationalmeanings-in.html.
Nisaa, C. (2014). The use of writing personal letter in teaching recount text for the
eighth. UNESA E-Journal, Vol 2, No 1, (2014). Retrieved on January 5th 2015
from: http://ejournal.unesa.ac.id/index.php/tag/6873/recount-text.
Palridge, B. (2000). Making sense of discourse analysis. South of Australia: Antipoedan
Educational Enterprises (AEE).

_______________________
The writer
) Sinta Dewi Purnama is a junior student at English Education Program of Galuh
University, Ciamis regency, West Java Indonesia. She has been pursuing the
bachelor degree at English Education Program. She can be reached at:
purnama.sintadewi@yahoo.co.id.

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APPENDIX:
THE ORIGINAL TEXT:
My Experience to Ride a Motorcycle
One day when I was 13 years old, my father bought a pretty motorcycle. That was
Yamaha Mio. I thought it was a small object and easy to ride. I persuade my father to
teach me to ride Yamaha Mio. Firstly, my father refused my request and promised to
teach me four years later, but I still whimpered. I wanted to be able to ride a motorcycle
in that time. Finally, my father surrendered and promised me to teach how to ride a
motorcycle.
He began to teach me riding the motorcycle around my village in Pasirangin
Kertasari. My father was very patient when give me some directions. I thought I was the
bravest He was the best tutor/instructor ever for me. I was really happy and excited and I
always said I can I can I can.
One day later when I was alone at home. I tried to check my riding ability. I tried
bravely. I thought I was the bravest girl at home. All ran fluently in the beginning, but
when I was going back to home I got an accident. I hit against the big stone near the
river. Ow that was really surprised me. After that I told my father about that. He was
angry at me and never let me to ride motorcycle again. He gave me any advices and
suggestions. Short story, I was 17 years old and I got my fathers permission to ride
motorcycle again.

Course

: Writing for specific purpose

Lecturer

: Lystiana Nurhayat Hakim, S.Pd

Academic year

: 2013/2014

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