Data Analysis ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

47

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the results and findings which have been analyzed in ways justified in methodology. This section covers the data analysis which consists of the meaning analysis, the function analysis and the summary of the research findings. In addition, it discusses the findings and interprets them in light of the research questions. The presentation of the research results and findings are represented tightly to their links to the objectives, findings, as well as the theoretical framework as discussed in the previous chapters.

4.1 Data Analysis

The data analysis consists of two major sections. Firstly, there will be an analysis on meanings of slang words and phrases. Secondly, it is going to discuss the analysis of slang’s communicative functions based on the conversational context in the movie. The data is obtained from the Freedom Writers movie released in 2007. The data analysis is explained as follow.

4.1.1 Meaning Analysis

The writer tries to analyze both the general and particular meanings of slangs which have been found in the movie. These steps have been done in order to find the most suitable meanings for each slang word and phrase found in the Freedom Writers movie. 48 • Word Level There are eleven slang words which are analyzed in this section. The word level is organized alphabetically and scrutinized into certain codes such as: W1, W2, W3 … and W11. W1 refers to the word ‘cool’, W2 refers to ‘dawgs’, and so on See: table 4.4, p. 109. 1. cool W1 W1 as an adjective has some meanings According to OAD 2015, the word ‘cool’ means 1 fairly low temperature, soothing or refreshing, or 2 fashionably attractive or impressive American English informal. The origin of W1 comes from old English cōl noun. W1 is an adjective that refers to something that is very good, stylish, or otherwise positive. ‘cool’ also means awesome or popular. Urban Dictionary 2015 defines W1 as the most common slang term which is used nowadays. It is originated among African-American culture and becomes famous after jazz became popular around 20s and 30s. Another explanation says that the word actually has nothing to do with the English term ‘cool’ since it is derived from the West African term ‘kule’. Slangcity, 2002 Based on the explanation, W1 has been adapted from its African origin into a new American slang word. W1 is borrowed from the West African term ‘kule’ that is adapted to ‘cool’ in the American writing and speech. Since mostly the borrowed nouns are later changed to fit the verbal forms of the language in speech or writing slang as found in W1 is influenced by borrowing process. 49 Based on the context, W1 has undergone the change in function. Grammatical flexibility is common in Standard English as well as slang. The word ‘cool’ does not represent its general meaning as a condition or atmosphere but it is more suitable when it is used to denote a quality of something. Due to the fact, the word ‘cool’ in the movie is used as a sign of admiration or praise. 2. dawgs W2 Definition of W2 in English as noted in OAD 2015 derives from a non standard spelling of the word ‘dog’. It is used especially to represent American speech. W2 is actually originated in African culture. As mentioned in Urban Dictionary 2015, W2 is an Afro-American’s version to call a close friend. This is an example of the use of slang W2 in the conversation: Person 1: “What’s up dawg?” Person 2: “Just chillin, about to pop open a Corona.” The use of W2 was started in the Mexican-American communities and it was closely related to the African-American community. Years ago, the term W2 was originally and most commonly used in Spanish - ‘perro’, but Mexican-Americans later started to use it in English as ‘dawg’. In the movie the students are mostly African-American. In this case, the power of culture gives a significant distribution towards the creation of slang among high school students in the Long Beach. In this context, coinage is the process which influences slang W2. According to OAD 2015, coinage means inventing a new word. W2 in the movie is used to call a close friend from the 50 same race or community. W2 comes from the spelling of the word ‘dog’, it means to become slang W2 has undergone the change in spelling. 3. dealio W3 Definition of W3 is not defined yet in OAD 2015. Therefore, ‘dealio’ is included as slang. ‘Dealio’ was firstly borrowed from another language or did not take from the American speech. W3 is known as a Spanish origin for ‘deal’. According to Urban Dictionary 2015, it is another way of saying deal in an attempt to seem cool or superior to the other people who say it normally. For example: Nick: “Matthew, Go finish your paper” Alex: “Yeah, Matthew, what’s the dealio?” From the explanation above the change in W3 is influenced by the borrowing process. Therefore, slang W3 from its origin is created by borrowing process from Spanish into American speech and it is used as slang in Long Beach America. But later on an –io in dealio is considered as a suffix and usually used in English slang. In this case, the word dealio is influenced by the change in form since suffix –io is added to the word’s base ‘deal’ in order to create a new word without any changing toward the word’s class as a noun. 4. gals W4 W4 based on OAD 2015 is considered as an informal, chiefly North American word which represents a girl or young woman. It was firstly recorded in late 18 th century and represented a pronunciation of the word ‘girl’. Urban Dictionary 2015 explains that W4 is a racist term that was used by white men to 51 call Afro-American women back in the slavery in the past. It is also recorded that W4 is considered as rude term and should not be used by anyone, particularly non Afro-American. Although it is actually considered as a rude for some people, W4 is still being used by slang people nowadays. Today, the slang word ‘gals’ is used by people to call their girl friends. Change in W4 is influenced by the coinage process when the base does not undergo changes; there is no change from a plural noun ‘girls’ into ‘gals’. Although it is formed into a new word there is no a significant change in its lexical category. To become slang W4 has undergone the change in spelling. It is commonly found in slang when W4 is derived from the American spelling for ‘girls’. 5. homey W5 From the movie, the word ‘homey’ W5 consists of a word ‘home’ noun and ‘–y’ suffix. Usually, if a suffix –y is added to a noun, it will be an adjective. As an adjective, based on the OAD 2015 W5 refers to unsophisticated, unpretentious: ‘an idealized vision of traditional peasant life as simple and homey’, or chiefly of a place or surrounding pleasantly comfortable and cozy. Based on the movie, the word ‘homey’ is not an adjective since it refers to a noun or person. Consequently, in this case W5 is considered as a slang word. The NTC’s Dictionary 2000 defines W5 as a person noun which means a buddy or a pal. This slang is originally used between the Afro-American. The word homey is used to represent the friendship between people. One of the examples of W5 as quoted from Urban Dictionary is, yo homey, follow me and 52 watch my back. W5 is originated as an Afro-American synonym for man which is taken from the French word for man or men ‘homme’ pronounced ohm. In addition, it has meaning ‘people who grow up together with someone or people who can be trusted and put the faith in’. It could be seen that the word formation of W5 has undergone the change in its word formation from ‘home’ noun to ‘home’ with an additional suffix –y to become a noun W5. The change is influenced by the derivation process since there is a change in its word category when the additional affix or suffix is added Coleman, 2012, p. 36. In this case, suffix –y is added to the root of the slang word and forms a new word meaning. To become slang, W5 shows the change in function from an adjective to a noun. It usually happens when the additional affixes such as prefix and suffix are widely used. 6. ma W6 W6 is noted in OAD 2015 as a noun that informally refers to one’s mother. The word ‘ma’ was early recorded in 19 th century as an abbreviation of the word ‘mama’. Based on the Urban Dictionary 2015, W6 is a shortened version of the word ‘mami’, ‘mother’ or ‘mom’ which is used to show respect and this is mostly used by people who live in the ghetto. W6 is used to signal a female or can also be used as a nickname for ones mother. In the movie, the slang ‘ma’ is used as a sign of respect. Based on the movie, the change in W6 is influenced by the clipping process. O’Grady and Guzman 1996 explain that clipping is a process where a word is eliminated its one or more syllable so that it becomes shorter p. 157. 53 Therefore, clipping is a process that influences the forming slang W6. W6 is derived from ‘mama’ or ‘mami’ and shortened into ‘ma’. To become slang W6 has undergone the change by abbreviation since it is derived from the shortened version of the word ‘mama’. 7. nigga W7 In the OAD 2015, W7 is explained as a contemptuous term for the Afro- American or a dark-skinned person. The origin of the word ‘nigger’ is used as an adjective denoting the Afro-American. It has a strong offensive connotation. W7 was recorded in the late 17 th century as an adjective from the word neger Old English, nègre French, and negro Spanish to denote the Afro-American. “Nigger is sometimes used by Afro-American people in reference to other Afro-American in a jocular or disparaging manner, or some variant s in between in somewhat the same way that queer has been adopted by some gay s and lesbian s as a term of self-reference. It is acceptable only to be used by those within the community.” OAD, 2015 Based on the explanation from the Urban Dictionary 2015, W7 is a word which evolved from the derogative term ‘nigger’. It is derived from the derogative term ‘nigger’. It is usually connected as a condescending name from a white to a Afro-American. However, there is a quite weird distinction between ‘nigger’ and ‘nigga’. ‘Nigger’ is often related to the slavery, but ‘nigga’ has a more positive sense because it refers to ‘freedom’. But there is no clear explanation about this opinion. Afro-American people still consider W7 as rude and offensive in the Afro-American culture if this word is used by people outside their communities because of the racial conflicts and slavery by American in the past. “Nigga is a 54 derogatory word used by Afro-American people to retain and exploit their ancestors in the past as slaves.” Urban Dictionary, 2015. The inflection process influences the slang W7. In this case, the suffix –er in the word ‘nigger’ is cut and changed with ‘nigga’ without changing the form of input word that function as base as a noun. W7 which comes from the word nigger has undergone change in spelling in order to become slang. Therefore, the change in spelling influences W7. According to Coleman 2012, p. 40 the change in spelling usually can be noticed from the change of the word’s ending from –a to – er in order to express rejection of the conventional values. Based on the explanation before, Afro-Americans express their rejection towards the term nigger which often considered as underestimating Afro-American people. Therefore, they change the word ‘nigger’ into ‘nigga’ to give more positive sense or respect to their race. However, the word ‘nigga’ is used only among Afro- American culture and still considered as a derogatory term while it is used by the non Afro-American. 8. peanuts W8 Generally, W8 in its real sense means the oval seed of a South American plants, it is widely roasted and salted and eaten as snack. However, W8 is usually used informally as a paltry thing or amount, especially a very small amount of money OAD, 2015. W8 also refers to someone that acts out of order, obnoxious, and does not have the knowledge of the outside world. An example from Urban Dictionary 2015 is, “He’s a real peanuts nowadays”. On the other hand, the word ‘peanuts’ also has a more positive sense. W8 also can be used to express an 55 excitement for example, “Peanuts I just found one hundred dollars on the floor” Slangcity Dictionary, 2002. In addition W8 also has a meaning ‘a mentally retarded person which is referring to a brain size’. The word formation process that influences slang W8 is a conversion. According to Katamba 1993, conversion is a process of forming words without changing the form of input word that function as base p. 54. The word ‘peanuts’ both in the dictionary and movie is used as a noun, but they have different meanings. Therefore, to become slang W8 has undergone the change in meaning. In the movie, the slang ‘peanut’ is used figuratively and refers to a stupid person. 9. pops W9 W9 based on OAD 2015 has some meanings. Those meanings are ‘to make a light’, ‘cause something to burst’, and ‘making a pop or put or move something somewhere quickly’. In a less formal way, W9 means ‘to take or inject a drug’. On the other hand, as a noun W9 refers to ‘a light explosive sound’, ‘a patch of bright color’, ‘an informal short term for soda pop’, and ‘an attempt’. W9 originated in the late Middle English in the senses of a blow, knock and to strike. In this case, W9 shows that it has a negative sense if it is related to the drug consumption. W9 also can be either a noun or a verb. Based on the Freedom Writers movie, W9 refers to a person. Based on the Urban Dictionary 2015, W9 is defined as an informal term for a father that is derived from baby talk for examples: dad, dada, daddy, pa, papa, pappa, or pater. Then since it refers to a person, the word pops has a quite different meaning from its general explanation that has been said before. W9 is a noun 56 which refers to ones father. Another example can be found in the Slangcity Dictionary 2002 is “Whatup holmes I saw yo’ pops be hustlin crack up on Fifth and Lee, so he musta got his ass paroled or something”. From this example, ‘yo your pops’ has a sense of possessiveness which refers to someone’s belonging. Therefore, slang W9 does not have the same meaning with OAD since it refers to a noun. In this case the slang W9 is more suitable refers to a father. W9’s meaning does not fit to any explanations in OAD 2015. W9 is created by the coinage process or by inventing a new word. In addition there is change by abbreviation that influences the slang W9. In the movie the slang ‘pops’ is derived from the shortened version of the word ‘father’. Students in the Woodrow Wilson High School create the new slang word ‘pops’ to denote a father. 10. smoke W10 According to OAD 2015, W10 can be used as noun or verb. A verb such as ‘smoke someone or something out’ means ‘driving someone or something out of a place by using smoke’. Another definition of ‘smoke’ is ‘to force someone to make something known’. If the word ‘smoke’ is followed by an object as usually found in North American informal, it has a meaning ‘to kill someone by shooting’. W10 was originated from an old English smoca noun, smocian verb, from the Germanic base of smēocan and Dutch smook . According to Urban Dictionary 2015, W10 has several meanings. They are 1 to light up a rolled up cigarette or similar instrument which is usually packed with drugs, 2 to kill, generally with a gun, and 3 drugs that are smoked 57 or something to smoke, generally weed. Another explanation of ‘smoke’ according to the NTC’s Slang Dictionary 2000 are 1 noun any leafy organic substance that is ignited and inhaled for recreation, 2 verb to defeat a competitor with full force or vigor, especially in motor sports or tennis, 3 to play or perform energetically, and 4 to kill with a firearm or artillery. However, based on those explanations above, it is obvious that W10 in the movie is slang because it does not represent the general meaning ‘smoke’. W10 in this movie context has a meaning ‘to kill someone’. Change in W10 is influenced by the conversion process. It is a process of forming words without changing the form of input word that has function as a base. Although the meaning is quite different from the general meaning that is defined in the legal dictionary there is no changing form in the word smoke. W10 stands as a verb but has different interpretation from its general meaning. W10 is influenced by the change in function that means the W10 does not represent its real general meaning which already defined in the common dictionary. 11. yo W11 Based on the OAD 2015, W11 is used to greet someone informally, attract attention, or express excitement. From the movie, the word ‘yo’ W11 is defined as a natural exclamation which first recorded in the late Middle English. According to the Urban Dictionary 2015, W11 is another way of saying hello, usually in a friendly or casual manner. It also can be said as another way of saying ‘hey’ or ‘hi’. There is also an explanation that says ‘yo’ is a slang that is used as: 1 contraction of the possessive pronominal adjective ‘your’, 2 an informal 58 address or title to ones whose name is not known to another; can be used as an interrogative address. 3 a declarative or imperative exclamation. From its cultural view, W11 is a cultural related slang. This slang is created because of the influence of a certain culture. “It is created based on the Neapolitan dialect guaglione pronounced guahl – YO – nay which means a young man. The chiefly unlettered immigrants shortened the word guaglione into guahl – YO which they pronounced whal – YO, and later on further shortened to ‘yo’. It also known as a common greeting among young Italian-American males as Hey, whal YO and then simplified as Yo and so it remains today. Urban Dictionary, 2015 Based on the explanation, it is obvious that W11 is a borrowed word from Neapolitan dialect that is adapted by people into writing and speech. Finegan 2007, p. 52 explains that mostly the borrowed nouns are later changed to fit the verbal forms of the language in speech or writing. To make the conversation much easier the word guahyonay is shortened into ‘yo’. Based on the explanation, the slang W11 has undergone the change by abbreviation. It is commonly found in slang when the actual word is shortened in order to create a new word. W11 that is shortened into ‘yo’ is actually derived from the Neapolitan’s word guahyonay which means young man. • Phrase Level There are nineteen slang phrases which are going to be analyzed in this section. The phrase level is defined alphabetically into certain code such as: P1, P2, P3 … until P19. P1 refers to the first slang phrase which is found in the movie 59 ‘Afro-American Panthers’, P2 refers to ‘Dumbass’, and so on See: table 4.5, page 110 1. Black Panthers P1 ‘Panther’ as a noun refers to a leopard, especially a Afro-American one. It comes from the Middle English. This word is derived from an Old English pantere, French panther, and Greek panthēr. In Latin, pardus which means leopard, was also exist; the two terms led to confusion until in the mid of 19 th century many taxonomists regarded the panther and the leopard as different species. Urban Dictionary 2015 defines ‘The Black Panthers’ as a militant organization of the Afro-American that founded in Oakland, California in 1966. It provided free breakfasts for children in the ghetto areas financed by donations from local merchants and wealthy sympathizers, and opened schools and medical centers. Another opinion about P1 is ‘a 1960s Afro-American’s activist group’. This community gave a free breakfast program for children. Therefore, Black Panthers is not the real panthers or leopard but refers to a gang or a group of people. It is included as an exocentric compound since it is created by combining ‘black’ and ‘panthers’ that refer to a militant group it does not represent a real panther which has black fur. This slang shows change in function. According to Coleman 2012, slang terms might not have been frequent or widespread, but they demonstrate that any words undergoing semantic change, has potential to pull related terms in its wake, and that anyone who knows the more common terms will be in a position to interpret the rest p. 32. When people 60 use the word Afro-American Panthers among the Afro American society, people will understand that P1 was a name of a militant group. The word ‘black’ refers to Afro-American race and ‘panthers’ symbolizes their power. 2. dumbass P2 P2 is an adjective which acts as an attributive. P2 refers to a stupid or brainless person. This slang is widely used in North American’s informal word. The word ‘ass’ actually refers to ‘a hoofed mammal from the horse family with a braying call; typically smaller than a horse and has longer ears’ OAD, 2015. This word originated from the Old English assa, from a Celtic word which was related to Welsh asyn, Breton azen, based on Latin asinus. On the other hand, Urban Dictionary 2015 mentions that P2 means a stupid, irritating, or contemptible person in North American vulgar slang. P2 can be either a noun or an adjective which refers to a stupid person. P2 as a noun refers to someone who is unbelievably stupid or does stupid things. The change in P2 is influenced by the compounding process since it contains the combination of words ‘dumb’ and ‘ass’. P2 is included as an exocentric compound which refers to depreciative properties of people; ‘dumb’ adjective + ‘ass’ noun becomes ‘dumbass’ noun. According to Coleman 2012, p. 35, combining form will take a special meaning in slang. An additional word ‘ass’ is widely used as a suffix such as ‘dumbass’, ‘punk-ass’, and ‘ghetto- ass’. Therefore, in order to become slang P2 has undergone the change in its form. 61 3. ghetto-ass P3 Based on the explanation in OAD 2015, a noun ghetto or ghettoes plural refers to a part of a city, especially a slum area where it is occupied by minority groups. P3 was originated in the early 17 th century from Italian word ‘getto’ or borghetto that refers to a foundry it is because the first ghetto was established in 1516 on the site of a foundry in Venice. In its more historical sense ghetto refers to the Jewish quarter in a city or an isolated or segregated group. Ghetto also refers to a quarantined section of the city where the Jews were forced to live by Germany during WWII World War II Urban Dictionary, 2015. In addition P3 is explained as 1 noun an impoverished, neglected, or otherwise disadvantaged residential area of a city, usually troubled by a disproportionately large amount of crime, 2 adjective urban; or relating to inner city life, 3 adjective poor; of or relating to the poor life. Another definition proposed by Alpha Dictionary 2015, P3 is used as a derogatory term which used towards individuals who lack the standards of manners and ethics. For some reasons, P3 is normally directed towards Afro-American individuals. In this case, P3 refers to a person with a derogatory sense. There is a strong historical influence in this slang formation. Compounding is one of the processes which influence P3 since it consists of combination from the words ‘ghetto’ adjective or noun and ‘ass’ noun. P3 shows the change in form; it usually happens by combining words to create a new meaning of a word. A slang P3 is created from the word ‘ghetto’ which is combined with ‘ass’ in order to create a slang. 62 4. homeboy P4 Based on the OAD 2015, there is no explanation of ‘homeboy’. In its general meaning, ‘home’ refers to a place or shelter to live and the noun ‘boy’ refers to someone’s son. P4 as a noun is originated from South Africa. It is considered as an informal term of ‘a young acquaintance from one’s own town or neighborhood ’ or ‘people who come from the same social background ’ . It is especially used among urban Afro-Americans who become members of a peer group s or gang s . Based on the explanation in Urban Dictionary 2015, P4 was used during WWII to give identity to other soldiers who came from the same hometowns, cities and states. Slang P4 has been developing and now it is more commonly used to call a friend from the same neighborhood or to call a gang member. “When this term originally began to proliferate in the 1970s; it was used as a derogatory term for someone in the neighborhood who stayed inside the house. Urban Dictionary, 2015 In addition, it refers to a close friend and originally used among African-Americans to refer someone who is migrated from Southern. The change in P4 is influenced by the compounding process. It is the process of putting words together to build a new meaning. Compounding means the word does not denote two things that is pronounced as one unit Winiewski, 2007. P4 is included to an endocentric compound since home noun + boy head are combined into ‘homeboy’. To become slang, P4 shows the change in form which usually happens by combining words to create new word’s meanings 63 in slang. The additional affixes such as prefix and suffix are also widely used by slang creators. 5. homegirl P5 Definition of P5 from OAD 2015 in English is a word that is used informally in America and it has a female equivalent meaning with ‘homeboy ’ in the previous explanation. P5 means a girl who is a friend to whom someone can share the love problems or ask for advice. P5 also refers to a person who looks like his or her sister. Compounding is the process that influences P5. It means putting words together to build a new word and pronounced as one unit Winiewski, 2007. P5 is included to an endocentric compound since ‘home’ as a modifier is added to a head ‘boy’ then it is combined into a new word formation. To become slang, P5 has undergone the change in form usually by combining words to create a new slang word’s meaning. The slang P5 is created by combining two nouns and conveying a particular meaning which refers to a person. 6. hook-up P6 Based on the OAD 2015, the word ‘hook-up’ in English generally means ‘hook someone or something up’ and ‘link or be linked to electronic equipment’. However, in its less formal sense P6 means two people meet or form a relationship or engage in a casual-sexual relationship. P6 as explained by Urban Dictionary 2015, when it is used as a verb, it has meaning to engage in any type of sexual activities. Standing as a noun, slang P6 is purposely ambiguous, equivocal word to describe almost any sexual actions. In addition, it has 64 meanings: 1 to get together with someone with the intention of dating or having sexual relations with them; 2 to meet up with someone to hang out; 3 to hook someone up means to provide that person with some kind of item or service, often of an illegal nature. In this context, P6 is influenced by the compounding process. Compounding is the process of putting words together. In this case, ‘hook’ verb + up adverb are combined into a new word form that denotes one thing and pronounced as one unit. ‘hook-up’ denotes a sexual activity between male and female. Therefore, to become slang P6 has undergone the change in meaning. The word ‘hook-up’ shows a difference both in the general meaning in a more formal sense and its real meaning when slang is used by people in the movie. 7. jump somebody in P7 Actually there is no specific explanation of phrase jump somebody in. The most suitable phrase that can be found in OAD 2015 is ‘jump or be thrown in at the deep end’. In the informal English, that phrase refers to facing a difficult problem or undertaking with little experience of it. P7 is often related to a fight, gang fight, free-for-all, punch-and-jab, fight. An example as retrieved from Urban Dictionary 2015 is, “I was involved in a jump in with some kids”. Change in P7 cannot be defined yet, but it is in term of a prepositional phrase so that it is included as a part of compound. In order to become slang P7 has undergone the change in function as a verb. 65 8. juvenile hall P8 Based on the OAD, juvenile as a noun refers to a young person. It was found during early 17 th century from Latin word juvenilis which had a meaning a young person. ‘Hall’ in general also has a meaning as a place or a room where people can gather. On the other hand, “people explain P8 as a jail for minors and some of the jails are more intense than others” Urban Dictionary, 2015. The compounding is a process that influences the change in P8 since the writer is created a new word or phrase by combining two words together; ‘juvenile’ noun + ‘hall’ noun. To become slang, P8 has undergone change in meaning which means the standard meanings are sometimes entirely reversed in slang usage. ‘Nasty’, ‘bad’, and ‘ill’, are examples of negative terms that have been used to express enthusiastic approvals p.31, and it neglects the Standard English SE meaning. According to Coleman 2012, p. 31, figurative terms are often used in slang. An example of figurative term is a slang ‘head’ which is often described as ‘knob’ because it is thicker than the neck, it is at the top of the body, like garret and it is round and hard to break, like nut. Similar with slang P8, ‘juvenile hall’ if it is interpreted generally, it has meaning as a meeting place for youngsters whereas it has negative meaning ‘a prison’ for young people. 9. Little Cambodia P9 Definition of ‘Cambodia’ as explained in OAD 2015 is a country in Southeast Asia located between Thailand and South Vietnam. The country was made a French protectorate in 1863 and remained under French’s influence until it became fully independent in 1953. In the Urban Dictionary 2015, P9 is 66 explained as a country that used to be one of the worst countries in the world during Vietnam War. There were severe health problems and a lot of people died of starvation. The change in P9 is influenced by the compounding process. ‘Little Cambodia’ is not a real country but more suitable explained as a group of people. To become slang P9 has undergone the change in function. As Coleman 2012, p. 34 says, slang can also be generated from the name of a specific place. Therefore, slang P9 once was used as a name of a community of refugees or immigrants from Cambodia. 10. little midget-ass punks P10 Definition of noun midget in English is often offensive. It means an extremely or unusually small person. As an adjective, it means ‘very small’. This term appeared in the middle of 19 th century, from ‘midge ’ + ‘-et’. ‘Midget’ is a tiny sub-species of the human race. Urban Dictionary 2015 notes that P10 is often considered as an offensive term for an extremely small person who is otherwise normally proportioned. In addition, the word ‘ass’ as already explained refers to a stupid or a foolish person. ‘Punk’ means useless, good at nothing, has no value of importance, and does not worth paying attention to. Therefore, ‘little midget-ass punks’ means someone who is good at nothing. This phrase is considered as slang since it is used to label a person. There is change in P10 which is influenced by the compounding process from ‘little’ adjective + ‘midget’ noun + ‘ass’ noun and ‘punk’ noun which becomes 67 noun that refers to a person. In this context, P10 has undergone the change in form which usually done by combining words to create a new slang word’s meaning. 11. PO P11 There are some explanations of P11 as defined in OAD 2015. P11 is an abbreviation for 1 Petty Officer, 2 Postal Order, 3 Post Office, or 4 Purchase order. Based on the movie, P11 is an abbreviation of ‘Police Officer’. PO is influenced by the change by abbreviation which means putting off one or some parts of lexeme or a combination of lexemes so it becomes a new word form. Abbreviation includes an initialism; formed by the initial letters of the words and read them by spelling each word such as UN for United Nation. PO is one of the examples of initialism in the word formation processes. To become slang, P11 has undergone the change by abbreviation since it consists of initial letters of the phrase that they represent. 12. punk-ass P12 OAD 2015 mentions that P12 is a North American’s informal word which means 1 a worthless person and it is often used as a general term of abuse, 2 a derogatory in prison slang as a passive male or homosexual particularly in the United States, 3 poor or bad condition. P12 is firstly recorded in the late 17 th century; it had a sense which was related to ‘prostitution’. According to the Urban Dictionary 2015, P12 refers to a young guy who has no power in the world except the power to annoy. Another definition of ‘punk’ is a person who does not have any common senses and pisses someone off to his tipping point. It also means a loser who thinks that he is good enough. 68 In this case, the word ‘punk-ass’ has a negative sense since it is used as a derogatory term. It is mostly used as a swearing word by slang users. The compounding is a process which influences the change in P12. To become slang P12 has undergone the change in form by combining words to create a new word’s meaning. The combination of ‘punk’ with and an additional word ‘ass’ become a derogatory word for swearing or to express something negatively. 13. rum and coke P13 OAD 2015 defines ‘rum’ as a noun which refers to a solid fuel. It is made by heating coal in the absence of air so that the volatile components are driven off. The usage of the word ‘rum’ firstly found in the late Middle English. The word was started to appear in late Middle English in the sense charcoal. ‘Coke’ was considered as an informal term for ‘cocaine ’ during early 20 th century as an abbreviation. Slangcity Dictionary 2002 explains that P13 is a slang term for the ‘carbonized beverage coke’ or ‘narcotic that is made from the coca leaves’. Sometimes ‘coke’ is considered as a short term for ‘cocaine’ an indigenous plant from South America; it is processed to be a drug and sometimes illegally taken by drug addicts. Urban Dictionary 2015, defines P13 as a popular short term for an illegal drug or cocaine. It also refers to the name of a powdered narcotic. P13 is also believed as an adaptation of a Turkish word for ugly, weak or stupid. One of the examples is, “Look at you You’re nearly bad as rhum” The change in P13 is influenced by the compounding process. This slang is influenced by the endocentric compound since it is formed from ‘rum’ noun 69 and coke noun to denote someone’s amazement. To become slang P13 has undergone the change in meaning which means that the standard meanings are sometimes entirely reversed in slang usage. ‘Rum and Coke’ which actually refers to any cola beverages in the slang language entirely has different meaning since it is used as praise or showing amazement. 14. slanty-eyed bitch P14 ‘Slanty’ as an adjective is explained as a person who has slanted eyes. Slangcity Dictionary 2002 says that P14 is often used as an insult towards Japanese or Chinese origin. In general, people define slanty eyes as a part epicanthic fold or epicanthi fold or epicanthus. It is a fold skin of the upper eyelid, covering the inner corner of the eye. European ethnic groups that tend to have epicanthus are Scandinavians, Poles, Germans, the Irish and British. As an adjective, P14 refers to the small eye size of Asian race. In the wider perspective as mentioned by Urban Dictionary 2015 P14 refers to a woman with a bad attitude. In addition as a noun P14 means 1 a general derogatory term for women; specifically women who act in an unpleasant manner and often associated with women who are: 1 bitter, jealous, or malicious, 2 attractive, slutty, or both; hoes, 3 a term used to describe people male or female whom one is not fond of, and 4 a group that is acting cowardly when confronted with a dangerous or illegal situation. In the movie slang, P14 is used to underestimate or mock Asian students. 70 The change in P14 is influenced by the compounding process. In this case, there are combinations of some lexical categories such as adjectives, nouns, verbs, or prepositions in purpose for constructing a larger unit of word. P14 is included as an exocentric compound. It is an exocentric compound since ‘slanty – eyed’ as an adjective with an additional noun bitch denote Chinese origins. The word slanty, however, is not defined yet in the dictionary. Only the word ‘slanted’ adjective or ‘slant’ verb which is already defined in the OAD 2015. Slang compound and phrases are commonly incorporated with jokes and insults, for instance ‘Dutch oven’ which refers to people from Deutschland who are often said as greedy eaters Coleman, 2012, p. 35. This case shows a similarity to this context; that P14 denotes to Asian race as people who have slanted eyes. P14 has undergone the change in form by combining words ‘slanty’, ‘eyed’ and ‘bitch’ which to denote Chinese. 15. South of The Border or Little Tijuana P15 Based on OAD 2015, Little Tijuana is a name of an area. The definition of Tijuana in English refers a town in northwestern Mexico. It is located near the south of US border. Urban Dictionary 2015 defines Tijuana as a condition when a large mob or a crowd of Mexicans or immigrants gathers at a certain area in a high school before the class, during class, during lunch, or after school. This condition usually occurs in public places such as library, media center, or restroom. There is a clear example on the use of P15 in the conversation as retrieved from Urban Dictionary 2015: 71 A: “on phone Dude where are you?” B: “Sorry man, I’m hurrying.” A: “What’s keeping you? “ B: “I don’t wanna pass through little tijuana. Every time I do, I feel as if I’m going to be stabbed.” Whereas, based on the movie, P15 is used as a name of a group or community among students. Students who come from an area called ‘Tijuana’ introduce or reveal their identities as ‘Little Tijuana’. It means that ‘Little Tijuana’ does not denote the real city, but it refers to a group of people who come from Tijuana. The process which influences in P15 is the compounding. After reading the explanation, to become slang P15 has undergone the change in meaning since ‘Little Tijuana’ does not refer to a place otherwise it refers to a certain group’s name. 16. sparkling cider P16 Sparkling as an adjective means ‘shining brightly with flashes of light or effervescent’. In its wider sense, ‘cider’ means an alcoholic beverage made from fermented crushed fruit, typically apples and it is usually found in North America OAD, 2015. In addition, the definition of ‘cider’ in English is an unfermented drink made by crushing fruits, typically apples. Based on the Urban Dictionary 2015, sparkling is a word that is used to express amazement in the sense ‘lack of logical thinking’. It also used to express a frustration. On the other hand, as a verb it means unleashing a part of oneself that someone normally keeps it secret. In addition, ‘cider’ refers to the fermented bittersweet apple juice which is drunk particularly in the summertime. 72 Furthermore, ‘cider’ also refers to an alcoholic beverage which is made from fermented apple juice and usually consumed by people from West England. However, ‘sparkling cider’ in the movie is used as a symbol of change. Therefore, it is considered as slang. Change in P16 is influenced by the compounding process and included as an endocentric compound. It is derived from the words ‘sparkling’ adjective and ‘cider’ noun which refers to a type of cider or beverage. To become slang P16 has undergone the change in meaning which means the Standard English meanings are sometimes entirely reversed in slang usage. ‘Sparkling cider’ is used figuratively as a symbol of change in the movie. 17. The Ghetto P17 Based on OAD 2015, in the beginning a noun ‘ghetto’ or a plural noun ‘ghettoes’ which refers to ‘a part of a city, especially a slum area which is occupied by a minority group or groups’. In its more historical sense, ‘ghetto’ refers to ‘the Jewish quarter in a city’ or ‘an isolated or segregated group’. P17 originated in early 17 th century. Perhaps, it comes from Italian word ‘getto’ which means foundry because the first ghetto was established in 1516 on the site of a foundry in Venice, or from Italian borghetto, diminutive of borgo borough. In the American context, as mentioned in the Alpha Dictionary 2015, P17 refers to ‘areas, neighborhoods, wards, or districts of a city where, due to often racist and or discriminatory municipal planning policy, certain groups have been intentionally confined and isolated because of their race or ethnicity. 73 There is a change in P17 which is influenced by the compounding process. It means that the compound word is formed from two or more free forms. The ghetto consists of a particle ‘the’, and a noun ‘Ghetto’ to denote a group of people. To become slang P17 has undergone change in meaning since it denotes the certain group of people from the Ghetto areas. 18. whiteboy P18 ‘White’ as an adjective refers to “the color of milk or fresh snow, due to the reflection of most wavelengths of visible light; the opposite of black” OAD, 2015. P18 appeared in the late old English from the word hwīt , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wit and German weiss. In addition, boy as a noun refers to a male child or young man usually with adjective used informally or lightheartedly to refer to a man. This word was firstly found while it was used during the Middle English to denote a male servant. Explanation in Urban Dictionary notes that P18 is a derogatory term which is used by Afro- American to label the Caucasian race. P18 is considered as a discriminatory word which is aimed to White people. It means that P18 is used by Afro-American people to offend the Caucasian race, like in the word nigger which is often used to underestimate the Afro-American people. The change in P18 is influenced by the compounding process, similar to other slang phrases and words which are already explained previously. Slang in P18 consists of the combinations of an adjective white and a noun boy. Therefore, P18 is included to the exocentric compound which refers to the depreciative properties of people. The word ‘white’ adjective with an additional 74 word ‘boy’ noun becomes ‘whiteboy’ to denote the Caucasian race. To become slang, P18 has undergone the change in form by combining the words ‘white’ and ‘boy’ to create a new slang word. 19. Wonder Bread Land P19 In English, the word ‘bread’ as a noun has some definitions. The definition of ‘bread’ is food made of flour, water, and yeast or another leavening agent which are mixed together and baked. In its informal sense bread is often related to money OAD, 2015. The word ‘wonder’ as a modifier means having remarkable properties or abilities. . In this case, P19 is influenced by the compounding process. O’Grady and Guzman 1996, p. 143 mention that compounding is combination of some lexical categories such as adjectives, nouns, verbs, or prepositions in purpose of constructing a larger unit of word. Endocentric compounds happen when A modifier with an additional B head create a special meaning of B sea power. It is similar to the slang P19 which is derived from a modifier and a head. ‘Wonder Bread Land’ is derived from ‘wonder’ noun + ‘bread’ noun and ‘land’ noun which becomes a noun that denotes a country especially America. Slang P19 has undergone the change in meaning. ‘Bread’ which is usually made by white flour is linked to the American’s daily food. Therefore, the ‘Wonder Bread Land’ is used by people outside American community as a negative term that refers to America. 75

4.1.2 Function Analysis

The writer analyzes slang words and phrases based on the Freedom Writers movie. There are three important points elaborated in this discussion. This section analyses the social factors based on the conversational context, reasons of using slang and the slang’s communicative functions. • Word Level 1. cool “Something really cool happened today. I got an honors student.” Freedom Writers, minute 20:27. This conversation happens between Mrs. Gruwell and her husband. She tells her husband about her first day at school while teaching students. The setting takes place at home in the evening. In this context, slang W1 is used in order to express emotion. She expresses her excitement of teaching students by using slang W1. In this context slang W1 has an informational function because it is used to deliver a message or particular information to the receiver of a language. 2. dawgs “That’s us, dawgs.” “You think you know all about gangs?” “You’re amateurs.” Freedom Writers, minute 30:29. This conversation happens between Mrs. Gruwell and one of her students in the classroom during the school hours. W2 seems rude when it is used in conversation. Therefore, W2 shows that it is used to identify someone as not 76 being a member of the group or to exclude someone from membership. The communicative function that can be inferred from conversation above is the expressive function since there is a swearing word ‘dawgs’ which refers to a person. 3. dealio “What’s the dealio?” “Man, I’ve had boyfriends since I was like 11, you know.” Freedom Writers, minute 45:59. This conversation happens between two young students at school. They are talking about someone’s personal case e.g. a love life. Slang W3 is used when it becomes a habit of mannerism between students in the school to use words from another country and then adopted the word into everyday language. From the conversation, W3 is applied in order to appear cool when they can use another language from another country. From the analysis, the phatic function is fit to slang W3. A student used W3 for asking information so that it has phatic function. Phatic function means, the slang is relying on the use of a language as a tool to keep communication lines open or to keep a social relationship well. 4. gals “Okay, guys, gals. Listen up. The only problem with this book is its about a gang member and there’s violence in it.” Freedom Writers, 56:08. This conversation, Mrs. Gruwell is the one who is talking. It happens during one of the class activities. She asks her students to read a book. She uses a 77 slang ‘gals’. The reason why she uses slang is actually to fit in with the people around her who are mostly youngsters. From the conversation, it can be inferred that slang in this context has the phatic function which relies on the language as a tool to keep communication lines open, and to keep a social relationship well. 5. homey “Look, homey, I’ll beat that ass, homeboy.” Freedom Writers, minute 11:39. In the conversation, both participants are 15-year-old Afro-Americans. The setting takes place at school. They are friends, and from the conversation they greet each other. The conversation happens between two students during the school hours in the classroom. From the conversation, slang W5 is used to express individuality. W5 is used to express their selves more vividly. Slang is used because there are no words that can be used to express themselves in the Standard English. Another function which is suitable with W5 is to express emotion. In this case it is obvious that someone uses W5 to represent the sense of annoyance to another. Slang word W5 when it is viewed from context above, it has the directive function. It is directive since it is used as a tool to influence the other people’s manner and behavior. It is in the term of request or command. Someone gives command to another student in order to look at something which he wants to point out. 78 6. ma “Wait. Guys. Everyone.” “No That doesn’t fly, Ma” “Look, first of all, I’m not anyone’s mother in here, okay?” “No, it doesn’t mean mother. It’s a sign of respect for you.” Freedom Writers, minute 111:17. People who get involved in this conversation are Mrs. Gruwell and one of her students. The setting takes place at school during the school hours. Slang W6 makes the conversation easier in some ways usually quicker since W6 is a shorter term for ‘mama’ or ‘mommy’ in the Standard English. The student actually uses slang and communicates with deliberate ambiguity because W6 can be interpreted as someone’s mother by people who do not know the slang. It is also obvious that the student uses slang W6 to test whether someone is a member of a group by calling his teacher ‘Ma’. Based on the conversation, Mrs. Gruwell directly refuses that she is not everyone’s mother. Therefore, slang W6 has the phatic function which relies on the language as a tool to keep the communication lines open, and to keep a social relationship. The student also calls Mrs. Gruwell ‘ma’ as a sign of respect. 7. nigga “But when they come, all they see is a dead body, a gun and a nigga.” Freedom Writers, minute 51:08. Actually based on the meaning analysis of W7, the word ‘nigga’ is used to soften or give more a positive attitude towards the word ‘nigger’. Nigger refers to 79 the Afro-American. Slang W7 in this context is used to communicate secretly since it is tightly related to the Afro-American’s culture. W7 is also used to imply or refer back to the shared experience and to identify themselves as the members of a group among the Afro-American communities. Furthermore, W7 is used since there is no word which means the same thing in the Standard English. When ‘nigger’ is considered as offensive or sensitive to the Afro-American, they try to give a more positive sense to the word by changing it into ‘nigga’. The phatic function becomes one of the most reasonable functions in this context. It relies on the language as a tool to keep the communication lines open when they are talking about cultural-related experiences. W7 also has a function to keep their social relationships as people who belong to the Afro-American community as well. 8. peanuts “Get your ass back to China, all of y’all.” “You’re all little midget-ass punks. Move before I stomp your peanuts.” Freedom Writers, minute 84:56. This conversation happens during school hours at school. There are two students who are mocking each other as usually happens in the school. This school is dominated by the Afro-American students who experienced injustice during the war. The students hate the White people because of that experience. In this case slang W8 is used to express someone’s emotion of anger. B seems does not like what A has said and then used it to irritate other people since peanut means ‘having no or small brain’. In this context slang has the directive function 80 as a tool to influence other people’s manner and behavior; usually it is in the term of a request or command. 9. pops Moms was the only one there, pops was a no-show. And, no, I guess you didn’t know that I would grow to be so strong” You looking kinda pale, was it the ale? Freedom Writers, minute 20:34. This conversation happens during the school time between Jamal who is an Afro-American and one of his friends in the classroom. They are sharing experiences about the war. At that time, they were powerless and could not help their parents. Slang in this context is used to imply or refer back to the shared experience. Another reason is to communicate secretly so that one hearer understands and another does not. The communicative function of slang W9 is phatic in since it relies on the language as a tool to keep the communication lines open, and to keep the social relationship well. This conversation happens between students who have the same bad experiences in the past and they seem familiar with the use of pops which refers to ‘father’ since they are belong to the same community. 10. smoke “Hi.” “When is Anne gonna smoke Hitler?” “What?” “You know. Take him out?” “Eva, this is The Diary of Anne Frank, not Die Hard. Keep reading.” Freedom Writers, minute 79:26. 81 This conversation happens between Mrs. Gruwell and her student Eva in the classroom. They are talking about a reading homework has been given by Mrs. Gruwell. Eva asks the teacher and she mentions slang W10 while asking how the story will be going on next. Mrs. Gruwell seems getting confused with Eva’s question because she uses slang W10. Then Eva explains the meaning of the word ‘smoke’ more clearly, and then Mrs. Gruwell asks her to keep reading and find out the ending by herself. It is obvious that slang W10 becomes a habit of mannerism among students in Wilson High School since people outside their community like Mrs. Gruwell do not understand the word. Another reason of using W10 is to express emotion, since the book notes that Hitler A Germany dictator causes Afro- American suffered many years ago. Eva expresses her emotion by using W10 which has a meaning ‘to kill’ in Standard English. In this conversation, the most suitable function is informational when slang W10 is used for asking information. 11. yo “Hey, Chris, yo, what up?” “Hello.” “Hello.” “Hey, yo, let’s sit right here, man.” Freedom Writers, minute 08:33. In this conversation Chris’ classmate gives him a greeting. Both of them are students in Woodrow Wilson High School. This conversation happens when they meet each other in the classroom. Based on the conversation slang W11 is used to fit in with the people around them and to express shared attitudes and 82 values. Since they live in the school’s community which is dominated with Afro- American students, they try to fit themselves with other students by using slang words that are familiar to be used. W11 is also influenced by Afro-American culture. This slang is used to sign attitudes or values between them. Slang in this case functions as an expressive tool which is used in order to express someone’s feeling and attitudes. It is included as the expressive function since the most common instances are swearing words and exclamations usage such as ‘yo’. • Phrase Level 12. Black Panthers “How many times have I listened to you about walking civil rights marches?” “These gangs are criminals, not activists. You read the papers?” “They said the same thing about the Black Panthers.” Freedom Writers, minute 72.17. This conversation involves Mrs. Gruwell as a teacher and one of her students. They are talking about a gang which has a significant influence among the Afro-American. The setting takes place in the classroom during the school hours. Since it is a name of a gang there is no word that means the same thing in the Standard English. People still use the name of the gang as mentioned in P1 to refer a particular group of people. This conversation has an aesthetic function because the word ‘black refers to the Afro-American race and the word ‘panthers’ symbolizes strength. ‘Black Panthers’ is used to name a group of people in Afro American society so that the name will be easily to be remembered by people. 83 13. dumbass “My probation officer threatened me, telling me it was either school or boot camp.” “Dumbass.” “He thinks that the problems going on in Long Beach arent going to touch me at Wilson.” Freedom Writers, minute 30: 13:08. The setting is in the school during the school hours. The conversation happens between two high school students. They are talking about their lives in high school. They think that the school is the only place they have in order to hide from probation officers that threaten them. Based on the conversation above, slang is used to rebel. Rebel in this context is shown by expressing someone’s dislike towards probation officer. One of the students uses P2 in term of swearing word to signal his agreement towards his friend’s opinion about the probation officers. Therefore, in this context slang P2 has expressive function since it is used to show someone’s attitudes towards his or her friend’s opinion. 14. ghetto-ass “Jamal Hill?” “Man, what am I doing in here? This whole ghetto-ass class has got people in here.” Freedom Writers, minute 10:42. This conversation involves Mrs. Gruwell and Jamal Hill who is one of Afro-American students in the classroom. During the school hours the teacher gives a warning to Jamal, but he directly replies with informal slang to the 84 teacher. In this context, slang P3 is used to shock or offend the teacher who is an American. The Afro-American students seem do not like her because she is an American, and that is why slang P3 is considered as an offensive term to show their dislike towards American. In addition, the expressive function is used in order to express someone’s feelings and attitudes. The most common instances of this function are swearing words and exclamations usage. In this case, P3 is included as swearing word. 15. homeboy “Sit your ass down, homeboy.” Freedom Writers, minute 11:39. This conversation happens in the classroom during school hours. Two students both are Afro-Americans use slang P4 while arguing. This slang is restricted for people outside their communities. Although it is once used as a friendly expression to call a friend, in this movie slang P4 is used to irritate someone. Moreover, it is used in the term of a command in order to make another student to sit down. Based on the explanation above, slang P4 has directive function. 16. homegirl “You don’t know anything, homegirl.” “No, I don’t, Marcus” “So why don’t you explain it to me?” “I ain’t explaining shit to you” Freedom Writers, minute 12:15. 85 The conversation happens when students are studying in the classroom. People who get involved in the conversation are students from Wilson High School; they are Marcus and his girl friend. They are arguing; as shown Marcus is asking for an explanation from the girl. The girl looks angry and does not want to give any explanations to Marcus. He uses slang P5 to irritate someone’s feeling. P5 has the informational function because this slang is used in term of question in order to get feedback or some information based on the conversation. 17. hook-up “Are Anne and Peter gonna hook-up?” “I’m not telling you.” Freedom Writers, minute 75:15. The conversation happens between a teacher and a student in the classroom during the school hours. Slang P6 is used in order to make the conversation easier in some ways. In Standard English P6, ‘hook-up’ is quite taboo to be said ‘having sex’ so that slang helps to make the conversation easier. Slang is functioned by changing the Standard English ‘having sex’ into ‘hook-up’. This conversation has the informational function which is related to the most fundamental function of language. It is used to deliver the message or particular information to the receiver of a language. The conversation is in the term of question which is used to get some information from the hearer. 18. jump somebody in “Every time I jump her in, and make someone a part of our gang, it’s another baptism. They give us their life; we give them a new one.” Freedom Writers, minute 38:10 86 Slang is used between students in Wilson High school. This conversation happens at school between the teacher and the student. The students explain the reality in the school when they live among communities or gangs. The Afro- American experienced such difficult life in the past. It makes them become a unity and they become members of gangs. This gang consists of people who share the same experience. P7 is used since it has become a habit of mannerism in a particular group in this school. From the conversation, the writer decided that it has the informational function. P7 is used to inform someone about an incident so that it is considered as informative. 19. juvenile hall “Yes, and these are the classes you’ll start with. Freshman English, four classes, about 150 students in all. Some of them are just out of juvenile hall .” Freedom Writers, minute 51:13. This conversation happens between one of school staffs and a new English teacher Mrs. Gruwell. They are talking in the office at the Woodrow Wilson High School in the morning before the class is begun. Slang P8 is used to communicate secretly so that one hearer understands and another doesn’t. Using the word ‘jail’ or ‘prison’ is quite harsh for young people. Moreover, this jail is used to punish the Afro-American youths during the WWII, so that the word ‘juvenile hall’ is more suitable in order to give more positive sense. 87 In this conversation, the most suitable function for this case is the informational function because it is used to deliver message or particular information to the receiver of a language. The teacher does not directly interpret the juvenile hall as a prison if she does not know anything about the Afro- American’s culture or the Afro – American’s past life. 20. Little Cambodia, The Ghetto, Wonder Bread Land, South of the Border or Little Tijuana “All of them divided into separated sections, depending on tribes. There’s Little Cambodia, The Ghetto, Wonder Bread Land , And us, South of the Border or Little Tijuana . Thats just the way it is, and everyone knows it.” Freedom Writers, minutes 13:25 – 13:21. This conversation happens when one of the students explain his past experience during the war. The student explains this case in the classroom when they are studying. Within this short conversation there are some slangs are used in order to express individuality. In addition, ‘Little Cambodia’, ‘The Ghetto’, ‘Wonder Bread Land’, and ‘South of the Border or Little Tijuana’ are used in order to reveal their social identities. Those slangs are important to express their individualities more vividly. The informational function is one of the most suitable functions for this case since these slangs are used to give particular information to the hearers. Those slangs focus on the context which refers to an identity of social groups in the Woodrow Wilson High School, Long Beach. ‘Little Cambodia’ refers to the Cambodian immigrants and ‘onder Bread Land’ refers to the American race. In addition, ‘The 88 Ghetto’ and ‘Little Tijuana’ also refer to Afro-American people who come from ghetto areas and Tijuana. 21. little midget-ass punks “Get off my desk.” “You’re all little midget-ass punks. Move before I stomp your peanuts.” “Boo” “Get your ass to the back, boy.” Freedom Writers, minute 100:25. The conversation happens between two male high school students in the classroom before the class is begun. They are shouting at each other. In this case, slang P10 is used in order to identify themselves as members of groups since the one who says P10 is an Afro-American. Slang P10 is used to identify someone as not being a member of the group. P10 in the conversation has the expressive function. P10 is quite rude and offensive slang. This is obvious when P10 is used in order to express someone’s feeling and attitudes, especially towards people who are not considered as group’s members. 22. PO “My PO doesnt understand that schools are like the city, and the city is just like a prison.” Freedom Writers, minute 13:14. This conversation happens when one of the students retells a story to a friend during class activity at school. Young people who are mostly Afro- American are arrested and threatened without knowing their faults. In the conversation they are talking about the incapability of police officers in finding 89 justice. Slang P11 is an abbreviation of ‘Police Officer’. Consequently, it is used in order to make the conversation easier in some ways usually quicker. Abbreviation is a way to shorten the conversation. In this context, it has the informational function because it is used to deliver message or particular information to the receiver of a language. In the conversation someone is explaining what has been done by the Police Officers to them during the war. 23. punk-ass “So, now you’re in my face now, right?” “Sit your punk-ass down Sit your punk-ass down, homeboy” Freedom Writers, minute 11:22. This conversation happens between two students in the classroom during the school hours at Woodrow Wilson High School. Both students are arguing and used slang P12 to shock or offend his friend. The atmosphere is quite strict and intense, so that based on the conversation, slang P12 is used to offend another person. In addition based on the context, the directive function is used in order to impolitely command another person to sit down. 24. rum and coke “To the soldiers and me, it’s all worth it.” “Risk your life dodging bullets, pulling triggers. “It’s all worth it. Rum and coke.” “Oh, man.” Freedom Writers, minute 25:17 In this conversation there are two high school male students who are talking about their past experiences during the war. Slang P13 is used to 90 communicate with deliberate ambiguity. People who do not know the past life of the students will not understand how difficult their lives were in the past. ‘Rum and Coke’ is always closely related to drug; therefore the speaker let the hearer or the addressee to interpret this word by him or herself. The hearer who is not a member of a community would not understand the meaning. The communicative function of P13 is expressive since it is used to express feeling. It refers to something priceless and it is used to express an amazement or excitement. 25. slanty-eyed bitch “Wait Wait Please, stay in your seats Wait Stay in your seats Please Slanty-eyed bitch “Return to your classrooms. Return to the classrooms immediately.” Freedom Writers, minute 15:53. This conversation happens between a senior and a junior class student in Woodrow Wilson High School. This happens during the school hours. One of the students shouts to another student and uses slang to shock or offend someone. P14 is closely related to the appearance of Asian race which is used widely among Afro-American to mock their Asian friends. In addition the expressive function is used in order to express someone’s feeling and attitudes towards a specific ethnicity or race. Slang P14 has a sense of swearing that is used to offend one of students in the classroom. 91 26. sparkling cider “I want you to take one of these glasses of sparkling cider, and I want each of you to make a toast. “We’re each gonna make a toast for change?” Freedom Writers, minute 70:44. The conversation involves a teacher who is Mrs. Gruwell and her students in the classroom. They are playing a game as they usually do during school hours. Mrs. Gruwell helps them to move on from their bad experiences in the past and encourages her students to begin a new life. They start to leave their past lives. She uses P16 in order to fit in with the people around her who are mostly youngsters. Based on the conversation above, it has an aesthetic function. The aesthetic function focuses on the use of sensible and an artistic effect in language which could be found in the poetry or literary work. Slang also has its aesthetic sense since P16 which actually only water is interpreted as the ‘sparkling cider’. 27. white boy “That white boy hoping he’s in the wrong room.” “I gotta get out of here.” Freedom Writers, minute 10:33. This conversation happens between an Afro-American and an American student in the classroom during the school hours. The Afro-American student mocks an American using slang P18 to show his hatred towards American race. There is only one American student in the classroom. Slang P18 is used when 92 someone considered as not being a member of the group because he is an American. Students in the Woodrow Wilson High School do not like American race because they think that the American had done such injustice towards the Afro-American in their past lives. Slang P18 is used while talking about 3 rd person during the conversation; therefore, from the conversational context it has the informational function. ‘White boy’ contains information that is addressed towards a male American student in the classroom.

4.2 Summary of the Research Findings