Aan : Too bad. They don’t facilitate…
Mello : Us.
Aan : Yeah. The magister students with the UKM. That
sucks. Ap215-17
The data explains that Aan and Mello did not join one of the student centers at campus. Aan felt emotional and he used swear word to express his feeling. It is
considered as the expression of solidarity because Aan could feel what others felt. In addition, it also aims to support that he cared about his friend.
Another way of expressing solidarity is also found in females’ conversation, between Star and Hayu. The expression used was agreeing on something. The
conversation can be illustrated as follows. Excerpt 66
Context : Hayu shared her feeling of choosing education stream.
Star : = Yes. = Okay. = So, it is the professional ones?
Hayu : Of course. Ap49-10
Based on the context, Hayu told Star about something disturbing her mind. Hayu thought that she was wrong to choose the stream. She was like frustrated to
face it and she did not enjoy it. Star argued that Hayu chose the stream because of the professional reason. Hayu did not follow her desire to take what she really
wanted. Star’s opinion was right and Hayu agreed on it. Hayu regretted it very much and wanted to change her deci
sion if possible. Hayu’s reply Of course shows solidarity since this expression indicates that she agreed on what Star said.
This expression is to break the silence, that is, to continue the talk.
10. Expressing Empathy
Expressing empathy aims to share and understand other’s feeling.
Fukushima and Haugh 2014:2 also argue that empathy is to demonstrate PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
attentiveness by feeling what others are feeling. Therefore, people should listen carefully and understand what others feel at that moment.
This function includes expressing wishes, congratulating, agreeing on something, apologizing
,
thanking, giving compliments, criticizing indirectly, saying bad words, joking, pacifying someone, encouraging, and sympathizing
Jumanto, 2014:11-13. The present researcher found that the conversation produced by the couple of male students and the couple of female students shows
the function of expressing empathy using different expressions. The total utterances produced were 3 presenting 0.3.
The couple of males’ conversation, Aan and Mello, expressed shared
feelings experienced by one of his friends by saying bad words. The excerpt of the conversation is illustrated as follows.
Excerpt 67 Context
: Aan shared his friend’s experience of being refused to
join PSM Cantus Firmus at campus. Aan
: Yeah. Actually, he wanted to join PSM Cantus Firmus.
Mello : Oh, really?
Aan : But – but then – and then we found out that… –
[noise] that there – there – there –
they don’t accept
ehm…students from magisters, so that sucks. Ap238-40
The conversation gives details that Aan talked about his friend’s interest in joining one of the student centers at campus. Aan explained that the magister
students could not join the activity. He did not know exactly the reason. He also felt what his friend experienced. The feeling of empathy is shared by Aan to
inform Mello that one of his friends had nasty experience. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
The conversation produced by the couple of females, Hayu and Star, shows another way of expressing empathy. One of them produced the expression of
sympathizing. The example of the conversation can be illustrated in excerpt 68.
Excerpt 68 Context
: Hayu shared her feeling about her class with new friends in education stream.
Hayu : But then, ehm…it’s not – I’m – it is not that I’m
underrating this class or trying to be judgmental, but = You know sometimes when you’re not with the people
that understand your nature = And you’re being foreign
= Star
: = Hmhm = Hmhm = It must be difficult. Ap418-19
Based on the context, it can be interpreted that Hayu shared anything about her feeling. Star tried to understand what Hayu felt if she were her. The
expression produced by Star includes empathy because she could imagine what Hayu handled was not that easy to cope with.
11. Expressing Respect or Deference
This function shows one’s respect to each other. Expressing respect might
be used for people who do not know each other well Scollon and Scollon, 2001:54. Schriffin 1994, on the other hand, expressing respect is for a person
with a higher status. This function includes expressing wishes, congratulating, agreeing on something, apologizing, thanking, giving compliments, criticizing
indirectly, joking, pacifying, encouraging, and sympathizing Jumanto, 2014:11- 13.
