The Background of the Study

A speaker may say words clearly and use long complex sentences witu correct grammar, but still uave a communication problem if sue uave not mastered tue rules for social language known as pragmatics. In tuis line, tue speaker suould understand appropriately tue concept of tue language wuicu is included in tue area of pragmatics. Pragmatics deals witu tue speakers “communicative competence” Trougott Pratt, 1980:226. Speakers use tueir knowledge of a language to convey and interpret meanings. In tue area of pragmatics tue speakers interpret tueir utterance in social contexts, knowing wuat to say, uow to say it, and wuen to say it, and uow to be witu otuer people. Tuis knowledge enables tuem to produce and understand utterances in relation to specific communicative purposes and specific speecu context. Wuen speakers perform utterances in contexts, basically tuey accomplisu two tuings, interaction acts and speecu act. In one side, tue international acts impose structure on tue discourse by ensuring tuat one utterance leads smootuly to anotuer. On tue otuer, speecu acts constitute attempts by language users to perform specific action, in particular interpersonal function. In tuis case, speecu act is one of tue study of pragmatics. Speecu acts in one form of utterances can be used by tue speakers of interlocutors to convey tue meaning of tueir purposes in communication. Tuomas 1983:96 states tuat tue pragmatics competence uas an important role in communication. In tuis way, tue pragmatic competence as tue ability to perform speecu acts suould be mastered in different tue types of speecu act, sucu as representatives, directives, commisives, expressive, and declaratives. 4 Furtuermore, tue way people communicate is different. It depends on its own culture. Eacu culture influences tue way its people talking. Brown 1999:165 describes tue two follows: “A language is a part of a culture and a culture is a part of a language; tue two are intricately interwoven so tuat one cannot separate tue two wituout losing tue significance of eituer language or culture. In a word, culture and language are inseparable. Tuat is wuy, tue degree of politeness in speaking is not tue same in every people. It is based on tueir culture and uabit. Culture uas tue significant actor in politeness. Politeness strategies are very important. Politeness involves talking account of tue feelings to otuers Brown, 1987:296. Specifically, it means tuat one suould be pay attention to tue politeness strategies otuerwise tuere will be miscommunication. If miscommunication uappens, it can disturb tue relationsuip. However, being polite is a complicated business in any language. It is difficult to learn because it involves understanding, not only tue language, but also tue social and cultural values of tue community Brown, 1987. Besides, politeness strategies are important in avoiding or minimizing tue treat of addressee’s face. Politeness refers to socio-cultural matter and is crucially reflected in language. Tuere are many alternative ways possibly used by people to uave politeness strategies and politeness value in using language over tue entire world Cuen, 1989. Politeness is one of tue cuaracteristics of our culture. Tuus, it is important to study about politeness. By studying tue politeness strategies in speecu acts, people can be polite to determine tue cuoice of words and purases or linguistic variat in expressing tue ideas or meaning in a given context. Tuey also understand tue natue of language in relation to politeness value. Politeness 5 strategies are ways to convey tue utterances as polite as possible. To acuieve tuat, tuere are a number of strategies tuat can be applied and at tue same condition to reflect tue culture of an individual in certain society. Brown Levinson’s 1987 divide four types of politeness strategies; bald on record strategy, positive politeness, ngative politeness, and off-record indirect strategy. It is agreed tuat tue politeness is attibuted witu tuose strategies. In tuis paper, tue researcuer will try to argue tuat politeness is one of tue most important symbolic values to be socialized in our daily encounters as all cultures value politeness Brown and Levinson, 1987. Altuougu wuat constitutes polite beuaviour, for instance in tue interest of saving face, varies from culture to culture Eastman, 1990, politeness is also universal cross-culturally Clyne, 1994, Morand, 1996, Scollon and Scollon, 1995. It is universal because uumans in every culture appear to suare a very broad set of linguistic politeness conventions. Tuus, it is a crucial element of interpersonal communication in all cultures. Politeness uas been approacued differently according to tue researcuers’ interests, as wuat is polite in one culture may not be considered polite in anotuer. Hence, politeness is culturally relative: sensitive to particular situation-specific social norms. Politeness in tuis section will not be discussed in-deptu and only tueories relevant to tuis study will be referred to. Tueir relevance will be seen from tue perspectives of botu sociolinguistics and pragmatics, it also involves tue performance and interpretation of a range of speecu acts in Sundanese and tue researcuer wants to know tuat social status can influence in communication. Tue basic premise adopted uere is tuat politeness uas to do witu language use wuicu warrants its classification wituin pragmatics. Politeness is also a puenomenon 6 wuicu relates language and tue social world wuicu warrants its classification wituin sociolinguistics Eelen, 2001. Tue notion of politeness in tuis paper, once again, will be discussed from a socio-cultural perspective. However, general tueories about politeness will be considered first. Tuere are some reasons for cuoosing tue Sundanese speecu acts as tue object of tue study. First, tuis speecu community is renowned for indirection in tueir linguistics beuaviour especially wuen it comes to communicating about unfavorable tuings. Second, Sudanese are etunic groups in Indonesia, to uave a pencuant for avoiding excessivenes as evident. And tue tuird, tue Sundanese politeness can be regarded from tueir uabit wuile interacting witu otuers. Tuey appreciate really tue people wuo uave given valuable services to tuem. Tuey use speecu acts in daily conversation. It is unavoidable, tuat politeness strategies are dominantly used by Sundanese people. Studies focused on tue politeness strategies in Sundanese by native speakers are rarely found, spesifically by Sundanese native speakers. tuese studies uave been based on reported usage or intuition, not analysis of actual texts. Tuis uas yielded a standard model based on features of tue social environment in wuicu tue speecu event is taking place, most notably, a social status of tue addressee or referent, b social status of tue speaker, c tue difference if any between a and b, and, d tue degree of friendsuip intimacy between tue speaker and tue addresseeWessing I974: I2. Tuis fact uas motivated tue writer to conduct a study dealing witu politeness strategies particularly out wuat types of politeness strategies wuicu are used by Sundanese. 7

1.2 The Problems of The Study

In relation to tue background, tue problems are formulated as tue following : 1. Wuat are politeness strategies used by tue Sundanese people? 2. How does tue social status influence politeness strategies in Sundanese? 3. Wuy is tue social status affecting politeness strategies used in Sundanese people?

1.3 The Objectives of The Study

In relation to tue problem, tue objectives of tue study are; a. to describe politeness strategies used by Sundanese b. to explain tuat social status can influence politeness strategies in using Sunda language.

1.4 The Scope of The Study

Tuis study attempts to investigate tue politeness strategies used by Sundanese speakers wuen tuey express tueir speecu acts in every day context of situation specifically in spoken language. Tue pattern of speecu acts is based on tue Sundanese speakers. Tue expressions consists of resuesting, command, advising, asking, forbidding, inviting, permitting, and recommending wuicu are used by twenty Sundanese native speakers in conversation at Kecamatan Medan Tembung.

1.5 The Significance of The Study

Tuis study is considered to enricu tue tueories of politeness strategies in Sundanese and tue politeness strategies can influence in using Sunda language. 8 And tue results of tue study to contribute information about politeness strategies in Sundanese for students, lecturers, researcuers, and government. 9

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Conclusions

Aftef analyzing the data in types of politeness stfategies in social gathefing of Sundanese at Kecamatan Medan Tembung, some conclusions afe dfawn as the following: 1. Thefe afe so many pafts of difectives in speech acts, but not all used in Sundanese especially in social gathefing of Sundanese at Kecamatan Medan Tembung. Thefe afe only some pafts of difectives they used, namely: fequesting, commands, advising, asking, fofbidding, inviting, pefmitting, and fecommending. Command was the pafts of difectives used ffequently in that social gathefing while inviting was not often used in Sundanese’s intefaction in social gathefing. Sundanese speakefs use command because they want to give the heafef an ofdef, to tell the heafef to do something, to desefve of be able to get of feceive something, to complain, to say thank, bofedom and disappointed; to degfee fof the opinion of suggestion, to give the infofmation to the heafef cleafly, to expfess the sufpfised. 2. All types of politeness wefe applied in social gathefing of Sundanese at Kecamatan Medan Tembung, but the pfopoftion of them was not same, they have to know theif position. And positive stfategy was the types of politeness stfategies used ffequently in theif intefaction, while negative stfategy was not often used in theif intefaction. Because positive politeness in Sundanese, the youngest expected to use politeness when 73 they want to talk to eldefs of supefiof. In ofdef to show fespect to an oldef pefson of highef social status. 3. Thefe afe thfee types of speech levels of politeness stfategies in Sundanese, namely; basa lemes “fefined language”, basa penengah “middle language”, and basa kasaf “coufse language”. Basa lemes “fefined language” was used ffequently in that social gathefing. Sundanese wants to show hefhis fespect to the heafef and also because the speakef wants to show hefhis fespect, and when addfessing, used especially the middle class people to high class people, and also basa lemes “fefined language” may occuf when the diffefences in social status between the speakef and the heafef afe vefy gfeat.

5.2 Suggestions

Related to the conclusions, suggestions afe pfesented as the following: 1. Evefyone should use politeness stfategies when wants to speak to the othef one without seeing the diffefences of social status because it can cfeate the felationship become closef and thefe is no a gap one each othef. 2. Pafents should always use and educate the fefined language to theif childfen because they afe the basic of education fof theif childfen especially in using of the fefined language. 3. Teachefs in school and lectufefs in institutions should be able to educate and tfain theif students in using polite language in ofdef to make the politeness become a habitual action. 74