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Based on the excerpt above, it can be said that language is a form of interaction between one person to other persons. Hence, language is a medium for individual
expression to convey what is on peoples mind. It is impossible not to use language in order to say what is on our mind to other people. For example, when we are at a
restaurant and we want to order meal or a drink. After deciding what to eat or drink, we then call the waitress to place an order. When we do that, we use language in
order to get the meal or drink. The waitress then brings what we have ordered. So it means that language is always used in communication. It is our tool to interact with
other people. From this explanation, we know that language is used by all human being in order to interact with other members of speech community. Ideas and
thoughts can be deliberately communicated and expressed through this fundamental medium called as language.
Since this thesis is based on the framework by Fairclough, it is best to know the definition of language from his perspective. Fairclough 1989:22 states that language
is a form of social practice therefore it is a part of the society. If we see from his perspective about language, all linguistic phenomena are social. It means that the
society is the whole and language is a part of it. However, if language is a part of the society, it also means that language has a product. This product of language is known
as text.
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2.2 Text
As explained earlier, language is a part of the society. Thereby, it is obvious that language is not only communicated verbally spoken forms, but also non-
verbally or in the written forms. These spoken and written forms are the products of language which are known as Text. Fairclough states that text is the written or spoken
language produced in a discursive event 1995:135. Spoken language does not only refer to language which is said aloud. It is
typically more dependent on its context than written language. In spoken form, the diction, grammar, pronunciation, fluency in speaking, vocabulary, etc, that support
communication are concerned. On the contrary, written language does not only refer to language which is written down. It tends to be more independent of its immediate
context. Therefore, in written language, the grammar, paragraphs, sentences, phrases, words, etc, that relate to the written language are concerned.
These concern or examination of spoken and written language and the contexts of their use is drawn in the systematic study of language in use, known as Systemic
Functional Linguistics which is proposed by Michael Halliday.
2.3 Systemic Functional Linguistics
Systemic Functional Linguistics SFL is considered as useful for this research because it sees language as a process of making meanings. As Halliday 1978:114
puts it:
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“It is not only text what people mean but also the semantic system what they can mean that embodies the ambiguity, antagonism, imperfection, inequality
and change that characterize the social system and the social structure”
Since language is a process of making meanings, the meanings are needed to be described further. There are three types of meaning or metafunctions made by
language at a time Gerot and Wignell, 1994:12-14. First is ideational meanings. Ideational meanings are meanings about phenomena, about things living and non-
living, abstract and concrete, about goings on what the things are and do and the circumstances surrounding these happenings and doings. These meanings are realised
in wordings through Participants, Processes and Circumstances. Meanings of this kind are most centrally influenced by the field of discourse.
Second is interpersonal meanings. Interpersonal meanings are meanings which express a speaker’s attitudes and judgments. These are meanings for acting upon and
with others. Meanings are realised in wordings through what is called mood and modality. Meanings of this kind are most centrally influenced by tenor of discourse.
Third is textual meanings. Textual meanings express the relation of language to its environment including both the verbal environment, what has been said or written
