Background of the Analysis

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Analysis

Human being as social figure needs the means of communication which is commonly named language. It is a theory of Halliday in Sinar 2003: 56 “Language as a resource for making meaning which is situated in a context of situation and a context of culture”. In other words, it concerns with the study of relationship between language and contexts in which is used. “A language is a ‘metastable’ system; it persists because it is constantly in flux” Halliday in Sinar 2003: 47. It is also called Systemic Functional Linguistics, Halliday in Sinar 2003: 56, there are 3 major functions of language: 1. The Ideational Function It is language as representation or reflection in which the speaker as an observer of reality construes “natural” reality. There are 2 sub functions in the Ideational Function: a. The Experiential Function It uses language as representation then; it is realized by the transitivity system. b. The Logical Function It uses language as natural logic. It is realized by the clause complexity system of language. Duma Sari Lubis : An Analysis Of Experiential Functions In Reader’s Digest Magazine’s Selected Articles, 2008 USU Repository © 2008 2. The Interpersonal Function It is language as exchange or action, in which the speaker as an intruder of reality construes intersubjective reality. It is realized by the mood system. 3. The Textual Function It is as message or relevance in which the speaker construes semiotic reality by realities to the contexts within which meanings are made. It is realized by the theme system. Based on the theory of Systemic, Sinar 2003: 55, language is a social phenomenon, that is to say that language tends to be the means of doing something than knowing something. Language is a system that consists of the choices of meaning. Some of the important main points of Systemic Functional Language Theory and how one relates to the other in forming basis of discourse analysis that will be divided into 3 main explanations, they are: 1. Language is Functional Language has evolved to serve human needs and then as such that one needs to focus on how people use language in order to understand it. The way language is organized is functional with respect to the human needs; it is not arbitrary by Halliday in Sinar 2003: 55. 2. The Function of Language is to Make Meanings When human beings express their needs through language, they are making meanings in a text, which is a functional language. Contextualizing this to language Duma Sari Lubis : An Analysis Of Experiential Functions In Reader’s Digest Magazine’s Selected Articles, 2008 USU Repository © 2008 learning, Halliday in Sinar 2003: 56 views language learning as “learning how to mean”, that is, learning how to make meanings. 3. Language Use is Contextual Language use is contextual, particularly in the sense that it is contextually bound or motivated. The contextualization of language proposed by Malinowski in Sinar 2003: 58 is extended by Firth, in which he argues that linguistics should be linked to cultural context because the meaning of linguistic item is dependent on cultural context in Sinar 2003: 58. General Systemic-functional Linguistic Theory views that language is an expression of social behaviour in contexts. In Malinowski’s frequently quoted words in Sinar 2003: 58, “the meaning of any single word is to a very high degree dependent on its context”. Halliday in Sinar 2003: 60 says that there are six Experiential Functions, they are: 1. Material Function The process of doings and happenings, in which a participant, i.e. ‘a thing’, is engaged in a process of doing, which may involve some other participants. 2. Mental Function The process of sensing, in which a participant, i.e. a conscious being or thing, is engaged in a process of seeing, feeling, or thinking, which may involve some other participants. Duma Sari Lubis : An Analysis Of Experiential Functions In Reader’s Digest Magazine’s Selected Articles, 2008 USU Repository © 2008 3. Relational Function The process of being, whose central meaning is something is attribute, identity. 4. Behavioural Function The process of behaving, which may be exemplified by the processes of breathing, dreaming, smiling, etc. 5. Verbal Function The process of saying. 6. Existential Function The process of expressing that something exists or happens. According to Halliday in Sinar 2003: 60, the framework of the process status, as set up in the clause grammar is that a process consists, in principle, of three components: 1. The process itself It is typically realized by a verb or a verbal group. 2. Participants in the process It is typically realized by a noun or nominal group. 3. Circumstances associated with the process It is typically by an adverbial group or prepositional groupphrase. Regarding to Magazine, Hornby 1974: 511 says that it is paper-covered usually weekly or monthly, and illustrated periodical, with stories, articles, etc by various writers. Duma Sari Lubis : An Analysis Of Experiential Functions In Reader’s Digest Magazine’s Selected Articles, 2008 USU Repository © 2008 Hornby 1974: 43 states that Article is a piece of writing, complete in oneself, in a newspaper or the other periodical. Reader’s Digest Magazine is a monthly magazine. It was founded in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and Dewitt Wallace. It is in New York. Although its circulation has defined in recent years, the Audit Bureau of Circulation says Reader’s Digest Magazine is still the best selling consumer magazine in the USA, with a circulation of over 10 million copies in the United States, and a readership of 38 million as measured by Mediamark Research MRI. According to MRI, Reader’s Digest Magazine reaches more readers with household incomes of 100.000 than other magazines. The Magazine is compact, with its pages roughly half the size of most American magazines. Accessed at httpwww.wikipedia.com August 23, 2008; 20.15 pm. In this thesis, I am going to analyze, to find out if there are any the experiential functions or not in Reader’s Digest Magazine’s Selected Articles. I choose Reader’s Digest Magazine of the 2003’s edition since I knew that this compact – size magazine looks so unique and full of various texts for research purposes.

1.2 Problems of the Analysis