Esti 23
Single Javanese
517 The table shows that ten participants were involved in this study and were
divided into six couples. The first couple was Socrates and Mello. The second couple was Aan and Mello. The third couple was Sri and Maria. The fourth couple
was Star and Hayu. The fifth couple was Socrates and Rose. The last couple was Al and Esti.
Based on the table, the present researcher assumes that the differences of the participants’ age, ethnic, and TOEFL score would not make them worried about
whether they succeeded creating conversation. In fact, they created and managed conversation smoothly since it was between friends and they had known each
other. Therefore, they simply enjoyed the conversation using English.
B. Approach of the Study
Basically, this present study applied pragmatic approach referring to the approach focusing on the use of language in a certain context. Richards and
Schmidt 2010:412 state that pragmatics is “the study of the use of language in communication, particularly the relationship between sentences and contexts and
situation in which they are used ”. This emphasizes that creating conversation
needs to know the contexts and the intention of utterances.
C. Data Collection Process
In collecting the data, the present researcher set three processes, namely recording, listening, and transcribing. The first process was recording the graduate
students’ conversation. In this case, the students were aware of being recorded. The present researcher used audio recording to see t
he graduate students’ utterances.
The second process was listening to the recorded data in which the present researcher listened to the recordings carefully. The recordings were also listened
repeatedly to catch the utterances clearly. The present researcher also made sure that the data met the focus of the analysis.
The next process was transcribing the data in which the present researcher transcribed the
graduate students’ utterances in detail. In this last step, the utterances were listened carefully and were changed into the written form. The
present researcher also permitted the participants to check the transcribed data.
D. Data Analysis
In analyzing the data, several processes were needed to answer the research questions. The first process was arranging the utterances into a table of analysis.
The table included turn, speaker, utterance, communicative function, and function of phatic communication. The example of the table of analysis is as follows.
Table 3.2 Example of Table Analysis of Phatic Communication
The table shows that the first column, turn, shows speaker’s turn in
conversation. The second column, speaker, shows name of speaker. The third Turn
Speaker Utterance
Communicative Function
Function of Phatic Communication
1 Socrates
1 Mello, 2 where were you? 3 why
you didn’t come to the class today?
1 mentioning names
2 avoiding
the silence
when talking
1 starting
a conversation
2 keeping talking 3
making chit-chat
opening and
content 2
Mello Overslept.
- -
3 Socrates
4 Overslept? 4
expressing listening noises
4 keeping talking 4
Mello 5 Yeah. Overslept.
Overslept. Slept
over. Overslept and Slept
over is
different. 5 avoiding the
silence when
talking 5 keeping talking
column, utterance, shows speaker’s expressions written in italics. The fourth
column classified communicative functions of phatic communication. The last column shows functions of phatic communication. The complete table analysis of
phatic communication was presented in the appendices. The present researcher also added several analyses of communicative functions and functions of phatic
communication in chapter IV. In this point, the analyses were discussed using data representation, for example Ap11-2 in which Ap represented Appendix, 1 meant
number of appendix, and 1-2 described turn taking of speakers. The second process was focusing on each utterance from the transcribed
data. The concern was to find out utterances showing phatic communication. In this case, the present researcher gave numbering list and bold certain utterances to
be analyzed. The third process was categorizing utterances into communicative functions.
The utterances in the numbering list were matched to and were categorized into twenty-two communicative functions. In this process, the present researcher also
added the numbering list to show the analyzed utterances. The fourth process was classifying communicative functions into functions
of phatic communication. In this case, the focus was on each utterance and the findings on communicative functions. Then, the present researcher classified them
into eleven phatic functions excluding expressing politeness. The numbering list was also used to show the analyzed expressions.
The fifth process was noting several conversational styles. The present researcher focused on each conversation and considered the findings of the
graduate students ’ communicative functions and functions of phatic
