A sociolinguistic study on the use of english in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta - USD Repository

  

A SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY ON THE USE OF ENGLISH

  

IN NIGHTCLUB BANNERS IN YOGYAKARTA

A Thesis

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education

  By Maria Fransisca Andanti

  Student Number: 041214070

  

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION

FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2009

  

ABSTRACT

  Andanti, Maria Fransisca. 2009. A Sociolinguistic Study on the Use of English in

  

Nightclub Banners in Yogyakarta . Yogyakarta: English Language Education

Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

  Nightclubs in Yogyakarta publish banners in English to inform nightclubs' special events and products. It means that English is used as the tool for communicating with customers. This phenomenon triggers question about reasons underlying the use of English in nightclub banners.

  This research discussed two main problems. They were (1) How is English used in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta? and (2) What are the reasons of using English in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta? Documents were employed as the instruments to gather the data, which were nightclub banners in Yogyakarta, to answer the first research question. An interview was conducted with banner designers whose banners were taken as the research data to answer the second research question.

  To answer the first research question, the phrases and sentences in nightclub banners were analyzed according to the theory of advertising language proposed by Geis (1997. The analysis showed that there were three characteristics of advertising language in the language of nightclub banners: the use of advertising register, specifically imperatives as suggestions, generic claims, and type of offer.

  To answer the second research question, the results of the interview with banner designers were compared with the theory of language choice proposed by Holmes (2001). There were three reasons why banner designers used English in their banners. First, English held high prestige in nightclub community. Second, English was able to convey the intended meaning of the messages addressed by banner designers more precisely rather than Indonesian. Third, English provided creativity for banner designers to arrange and create words that were able to grasp customer's attention. Those reasons were analyzed according the social factors of choosing certain language proposed by Holmes (2001). The social factors in question are: the participants, the setting or social context of the interaction, the topic, the function, the social distance, the social status between the people, the formality, and the function or goal of interaction.

  Based on the results of the analysis some conclusions were drawn. First, related to the first research question, English was used in simple form in the advertising language of nightclub banners. The use of English was only to inform nightclubs’ events and products. Second, related to the second research question, English served as a tool of grasping customers’ attention and performing catchy publication. This was intended to make people read the banners and come to the clubs. Finally, English was the marker of prestige. This was related to fact that most customers consisted of young people in Yogyakarta. In this community, English was considered as a high-prestigious language.

  

ABSTRAK

  Andanti, Maria Fransisca. 2009. A Sociolinguistic Study on the Use of English in

  

Nightclub Banners in Yogyakarta . Yogyakarta: Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris,

Universitas Sanata Dharma.

  Klab-klab malam di Yogyakarta menerbitkan spanduk iklan dalam Bahasa Inggris untuk menginformasikan acara dan produk yang mereka sajikan. Dengan kata lain, Bahasa Inggris digunakan sebagai alat komunikasi klab malam dengan pelanggan. Hal ini memicu pertanyaan alasan-alasan apa yang mendasari penggunaan Bahasa Inggris di spanduk iklan klab.

  Penelitian ini meneliti dua pokok masalah, yaitu (1) Bagaimana penggunaan Bahasa Inggris dalam spanduk iklan klab malam di Yogyakarta? (2) Alasan-alasan apa sajakah alasan pemakaian Bahasa Inggris dalam spanduk iklan klab malam di Yogyakarta? Untuk menjawab pokok masalah yang pertama, penulis menerapkan instrumen dokumen untuk mengumpulkan data, berupa gambar-gambar foto spanduk iklan klab di Yogyakarta. Untuk menjawab pokok masalah yang kedua, penulis melakukan wawancara dengan pembuat spanduk yang spanduknya diambil sebagai data penelitian.

  Untuk menjawab pokok permasalahan yang pertama, frase dan kalimat di spanduk klab malam dianalisis sesuai dengan teori bahasa iklan yang dikemukakan oleh Geis (1997). Hasil analisa menunjukkan bahwa ada tiga karakter bahasa iklan dalam bahasa spanduk klab malam, yaitu penggunaan daftar ekspresi bahasa iklan , terutama penggunaan ekspresi perintah sebagai saran, klaim umum, dan penawaran.

  Untuk menjawab pokok masalah yang kedua, hasil wawancara dengan pembuat spanduk dibandingkan dengan teori pemilihan bahasa yang dikemukakan oleh Holmes (2001). Ada tiga alasan mengapa pembuat spanduk menggunakan Bahasa Inggris. Pertama, Bahasa Inggris memiliki gengsi yang tinggi di kalangan klab malam. Kedua, Bahasa Inggris mampu menyampaikan pesan lebih tepat daripada Bahasa Indonesia. Ketiga, Bahasa Inggris menyediakan kreativitas bagi pembuat spanduk untuk menciptakan kata yang mampu menarik perhatian konsumen. Alasan-alasan tersebut dianalisis berdasarkan faktor-faktor sosial pemilihan bahasa. Faktor-faktor sosial itu adalah peserta, setting atau konteks sosial interaksi, topik, fungsi, jarak sosial, status sosial, formalitas, dan fungsi atau tujuan interaksi.

  Berdasarkan hasil analisa, penulis menarik beberapa kesimpulan. Pertama, berkaitan dengan pokok permasalahan yang pertama, Bahasa Inggris digunakan dalam bentuk yang sederhana. Bahasa Inggris hanya digunakan untuk menginformasikan acara dan produk klab malam. Kedua, berkaitan dengan pokok permasalahan yang kedua, Bahasa Inggris berfungsi sebagai alat untuk menarik perhatian pelanggan dan menampilkan publikasi yang menarik. Hal ini bertujuan untuk membuat orang membaca spanduk klab malam dan datang ke klab malam. Ketiga, Bahasa Inggris digunakan sebagai penanda gengsi. Hal ini berkaitan dengan fakta bahwa sebagian besar pelanggan adalah orang muda di Yogyakarta. Di komunitas ini, Bahasa Inggris dianggap sebagai bahasa yang bergengsi tinggi.

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I would like to express my great appreciation to Bapak and Ibuk, who have been patient to wait for my graduation. Though we have not met for a long time, they still provide me a bunch of support. I thank my sister and partner-in- crime, Maria Yosefa Ami Priwardhani for being my second thesis sponsor even since the first day I developed my idea on our riding.

  My deepest gratitude goes to my thesis sponsor, Made Frida Yulia,

  

S.Pd., M.Pd., for the discussions, suggestions, ideas, guidance, and willingness to

  be disturbed every single time. I am sincerely indebted to Ouda Teda Ena, S.Pd.,

  

M.Pd., for lending me interesting sources. I also thank Drs. JB. Gunawan M.A.,

for his help in analyzing the data.

  I would like to deliver my best thanks to everyone at Bosche, Liquid,

  

Caesar, Hugo’s Cafe, and Embassy, for the interesting discussion. They

  welcome me as a friend to share and their sharing has helped me complete the thesis. My sincere appreciation goes to Yosepha Dede, who has accompanied me during the interviews.

  I owe a great debt to Nilam Maharani, for being my garbage can, correcting my grammar formulation, and helping me build the content. I would like to thank Andrew Thren, B.A., for the time allocated to discuss the whole data.

  My special thanks go to Agnes Nugraheni, Agustina Festy, Hana

  

Yudhita, Linda Gusviariani, and Mbak Yusta, for lending me the computers and providing me places to stay in emergency days. I also thank Brigita Andriani for lending me the camera.

  I could not thank enough Yohanes Bosco Prasetiyo, my partner in love and war. I appreciate him for making countless lunches, providing the printers, supplying energizing humors, and never complaining among the grumpy faces I mostly showed when I wrote my thesis.

  I deliver my best thanks and love to my far-away sisters: Fransisca

  

Herna Prisella Purba, Maria Ixcell Allexandra Purba, Heribertha Tessabella

Purba, Demetreia Sondang Naviretra, Ignatia Elbenaya Fritzwalter, and

Francisca Prasetyandaru Budiningtyas for visiting my life amazingly. Their

unique “visit” has enabled me to stay here and hold on in every circumstance.

  My deepest appreciation goes to Monica Kristiani, Hana Fitria, Agung UcokIsmiyanto, Melania Setyorini, Gang Surya mates, Tante Tarigan and her family, and Bu Maria, Pak Yan, Danik, and Elis, for the friendship, sharing, and laughter I experienced during my study.

  Finally, I thank all English Education Study Program friends for the wonderful and surprising years.

  Maria Fransisca Andanti

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Page TITLE PAGE .............................................................................................. i PAGE OF APPROVAL .............................................................................. ii PAGE OF ACCEPTANCE ......................................................................... iii STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ........................................... iv ABSTRACT ................................................................................................ v

  

ABSTRAK .................................................................................................... vi

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................ vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................ ix LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................. xi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................

  1 A. Background ....................................................................

  1 B. Problem Formulation ......................................................

  6 C. Problem Limitation .........................................................

  7 D. Research Objectives .......................................................

  7 E. Research Benefits ............................................................

  7 F. Definition of Terms .........................................................

  8 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

  A. Theoretical Description ................................................... 10

  1. Sociolinguistics .......................................................... 10

  a. Language Choice ..................................................... 11

  b. Language Functions ................................................ 14 1) Advertising Language…........................................... 14

  B. Theoretical Framework ..................................................... 17

  CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY 19 A. Research Method ...........................................................

  19 B. Research Participants.. ...................................................

  20 C. Research Instruments .....................................................

  21 D. Data Gathering Technique ...........................................

  22 E. Data Analysis Technique ...............................................

  23 F. Research Procedure ........................................................

  23 CHAPTER IV. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 26 A. Use of English in Nightclub Banners in Yogyakarta ....

  26 B. Reasons of Using English in Nightclub Banners in Yogyakarta ..............................................................

  29 CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ...........................

  38 A. Conclusions ...................................................................

  38 B. Suggestions ....................................................................

  39 REFERENCES ............................................................................................

  41

  LIST OF APPENDICES

  Page APPENDIX A: English Phrases and Sentences in Nightclub Banners in Yogyakarta .................................................................... 44 APPENIDX B: Pictures of Banner 1 ..........................................................

  46 APPENDIX C: Pictures of Banner 2 ..........................................................

  47 APPENDIX D: Pictures of Banner 3 ..........................................................

  48 APPENDIX E: Picture of Banner 4 ............................................................

  49 APPENIDX F: Pictures of Banner 5 and 6 .................................................

  50 APPENDIX G: Picture of Banner 7 ............................................................

  51 APPENDIX H: Picture of Banner 8 ............................................................

  52 APPENDIX I: Pictures of Banner 9 ............................................................

  53 APPENDIX J: Pictures of Banner 10 .........................................................

  54 APPENDIX K: Interview Results with Banner Designers .........................

  55 APPENDIX L: Letters of Permission .........................................................

  70

   

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the introduction of the research. It includes

  background of the research, problem formulation, problem limitation, research objectives, research benefits and followed by definition of terms. Background of the research deals with the reasons of choosing the topic. Problem formulation focuses on the problems to be analyzed through the research. Problem limitation describes the limitation of the problems in the research. Research objectives describe the aims of the research. Research benefits illustrate the benefits of conducting the research for readers, other researchers, and English teachers. Finally, definition of terms explain several terms that are important for the research.

A. Background

  Nowadays, English becomes a language that is spoken mostly by the people of the world. Stevens (1992: 28) roughly estimated that there were 700 to 750 million of non-native English speakers. The statistics shows that instead of the people who use English as their native language, there are one-fifth people on the earth who speak English. Indeed, there are several varieties that live in society system. Generally, they are American English, British English, and Australian English. Besides, there are Singaporean English, West African English, Indian

   

  English, and many other dialects. These varieties prove how English has spread widely in many parts of the world.

  English, and many other dialects. These varieties prove how English has spread widely in many parts of the world.

  The global use of English, however, cannot be separated from the phenomenon of globalization. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2003: 532) defined globalization as “the act or process of globalizing.” Furthermore, as quoted by Arnasson (1990: 220), Robertson (1987b: 23) defined globalization as “crystallization of the entire world as a single place.” The definitions describe the current situation: how people from the entire world easily communicate to each other and this condition leads them into ‘one’ new community where cultural and social barriers are erased.

  As a result, it is easy to find western products in Indonesia. Indonesian young generations can easily watch MTV, a western television channel that broadcasts music. Indonesian people can also easily find western famous brands such as Gucci, The Executive, and Polo. It is also easy for Indonesian people to find western food products such as McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut. Besides, people can access every piece of information and pictures from the entire world by means of the Internet. Through this tool, they can easily find western lifestyle and culture. Most obviously, people now keep contacting with those who have different way of life and thinking (Giddens, 2003: 20).

  Such information does not only become a piece of news. It has turned out to be the transfer of western lifestyle to Indonesian society life. As a simple

   

  example, people like wearing jeans as western people do. Some people also color their hair into brown and even blonde since they want to be the same as western people who majorly have brown and blonde hair. Others start to leave traditional wedding ceremony and choose the western wedding style that is considered simpler and more modern. In other words, Indonesian people tend to adopt the western lifestyle into their way of life.

  Consequently, English, as a part of western culture, grows rapidly in Indonesian society. The number of Indonesian people that are able to speak English increases each year. It seems that English has become the language of modernity and people feel proud of speaking this language. In fact, people add some English words into their daily language. For example, people say btw (the abbreviation of by the way) to refer to ngomong-ngomong in Indonesian.

  Unconsciously, people also mix some English words into their Indonesian structure. In a conversation, as an example, after long Indonesian sentences, people usually use some familiar English words such as ‘see you’, ‘bye’, and ‘take care’ to end the conversation. These examples, however, show that English brings the matter of modernity to Indonesian society.

  Another example is mentioned by Heryanto (1995: 153). Once, an Australian citizen who learnt Indonesian took becak. When he arrived in the place he was going to, he said berhenti to the becak driver. Yet, the driver did not catch his message though he had repeated the same word several times. Finally, the Australian said stop and suddenly the becak driver stopped the becak. This

   

  example describes how Indonesian people are familiar with certain English words in their daily communication.

  This phenomenon also happens in other parts in Indonesia, including Yogyakarta. Being widely recognized as a city of education, Yogyakarta is flooded by students from entire Indonesia. Abrar (2008) said that according to the data of Education Agency of Yogyakarta Province, in 2004 there were 127 state and private universities in Yogyakarta. With such kind of number, it is believed that there are millions university students in Yogyakarta. The students are young people who also experience the phenomenon of globalization. They are not only familiar with western products such as McDonalds, KFC, Polo, and Gucci but also speak the mixture of English and Indonesian.

  Besides, English becomes the compulsory subject that is studied by all university students in all majors. Students who take Economics, Mathematics, Psychology, Architecture, or other majors outside English have to study English, even though only for two semesters. Most of the study programs, in fact, use English handbooks for the teaching-learning activities. This situation makes English familiar for young people in Yogyakarta. They know English well, though passive English at the minimal.

  Later, as social beings, students also need a kind of entertainment. It is believed that entertainment is one of the most essential needs of human being.

  This fact is taken to be the “score point’ for nightclub owners. Young people are generally identical with fun. Nightclub, on nightclub owners’ mind, is a right place for the youth. The combination of attractive music, modern and artistic

   

  place, good-looking people, and delicious food and beverage become the new thing that young people are interested in. Despite their fancy appearance, nightclubs are also part of western culture in which young people are familiar with. They come from New York, London, Paris, and other big cities that represent modern world.

  To bear the sense of modernity, nightclub owners mostly use English as the language in their banners. Banners are the media used to announce nightclubs’ special events and products. They are displayed in the main crossroads and streets in Yogyakarta in which people can read them clearly. Most of the nightclubs use nonstandard English in their banners. For example, they change night into ‘nite’. Unfortunately, the formulation of the phrases and sentences in the nightclub banners does not meet English rules. As an example, one of the nightclubs published a banner which informed a weekly activity named ‘Girl Idol.’ This phrase seems to be the simple translation of Gadis Idola in Indonesian.

  Indeed, the language used in nightclub banners is only an advertising language that aims to grasp people’s attention, especially young people in Yogyakarta. Most of them break the rules of “normal language”, the language that is based on readers’ general knowledge (Sells and Gonzales, 2002). Perhaps, it is still acceptable if nightclub banner designers use nonstandard English in the name of the event because it is familiar for English advertising. However, banner does not only contain the name of the event. It also consists of other features, such as the time, rules, and other informative sentences. In fact, many phrases and sentences in the other features of nightclub banners except the name of the event

   

  are still influenced by Indonesian rules. As an example, ‘Join with us’. This phrase is also an incorrect translation of Bergabunglah bersama kami in Indonesian.

  In addition, nightclubs use banners as the media to communicate with their customers. It means that, though the formulation in the banners does not meet English rules, they use English as the language to communicate with their customers. This phenomenon triggers a big question of why nightclub banner designers still use English and they do not use it appropriately. Is this done on purpose?

  With such kind of background, it is interesting to study the use of English in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta because what society thinks about language is one piece of culture. Therefore, this study attempts to look broadly in the use of English in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta. Here, this study describes how English is used in the phrases and sentences in nightclub banners according to the theory of advertising language. Based on the description of the use of English in nightclub banners, further, this study goes beyond the reasons of the use of English in nightclub banners. In this part, this study discusses the reasons of using English in nightclub banners according to the theory of language choice.

B. Problem Formulation

  To work on the topic presented before, the problem is formulated this way:

  1. How is English used in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta?

  2. What are the reasons of using English in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta?

   

  C. Problem Limitation

  This research focuses on the use of English and the reasons of using English in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta. In the first part, the research illustrates how English is used in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta. This process describes the use of English in the phrases and sentences in nightclub banners according to the theory of advertising language.

  In the second part, the research concentrates on language choice to discover the reasons of using English in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta. Here, the researcher compares the banner designers’ reasons on the use of English in their banners with the theory of language choice.

  D. Research Objectives This research aims at investigating the use of English in nightclub banners

  in Yogyakarta. In the end, this research attempts to find out the reasons of using English in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta.

  E. Research Benefits

  This research is hoped to be beneficial for:

  1. Researchers that want to observe certain problems dealing with sociolinguistic phenomena. It is hoped that this study contributes valuable information, framework, and idea on the use of English in social context, especially in marketing and advertising media.

   

  2. English teachers. It is hoped that this research provides the description of the use of English in society. The illustration of the phrases and sentences in nightclub banners could be the source for English teachers to teach English contextually.

F. Definition of Terms

   There are three terms that are important to this study. The presence of

  these terms builds up the organization of the topic and they are the key words on directing the purpose of this research. They are:

  1. Sociolinguistic Study Wardaugh (2002: 12) states that sociolinguistics “is concerned with investigating the relationships between language and society with the goal being a better understanding of the structure of language and of how languages function in communication.” Furthermore, Holmes (2001: 1) states that sociolinguistics “is concerned with the relationship between language and the context in which it is used.” Those definitions show that sociolinguistics deals with how language is used by society. Therefore, sociolinguistic study is the study that observes certain topics concerning the use of language by certain society. In this research, English is used by nightclub management in banners. Thus, the use of English in nightclub banners will be observed from the sociolinguistic views.

  2. Language choice As part of Sociolinguistics, language choice is very essential since this is the main topic that is going to be discussed through this study. In the theory of

   

  language choice proposed by Holmes (2001), language choice refers to “code or variations that are employed in certain situation.” There are certain social factors that influence somebody when choosing a certain code. In this study, the term language choice refers to the language used by nightclub community in Yogyakarta. This is about the language chosen by nightclub community in their banners. In this research, the researcher aims to know how banner designers choose certain English words, phrases, and sentences in their banners.

  3. Banners In this research, banners are essential since they are the object of the study.

  According to Hornby in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1995: 81), banner is “a large strip of cloth showing an emblem or a slogan, or giving information about something.” In this study, the banners taken as the research data are those published by nightclubs in Yogyakarta. They are also in a form of large strip of cloth and contain the phrases and sentences that inform nightclubs’ special events and products. The banners are displayed in major crossroads and streets in Yogyakarta, for example the crossroad located between Jalan Gejayan and Jalan Condongcatur, the crossroad located in Jalan Magelang, Jalan Magelang, Jalan Gejayan, and Jalan Colombo.The pictures of nightclub banners are available in the appendices.

   

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter consists of two main sections: theoretical description and

  theoretical framework. Theoretical description focuses on the theories applied in the research. Those are the theory of Sociolinguistics, Language Choice, Language Functions, and Advertising Language. Theoretical framework focuses on the summary of the theories that becomes the basis for relating the theories with the study.

A. Theoretical Description

  The Theoretical Description discusses the theory of Sociolinguistics, Language Choice, Language Functions, and Advertising Language.

1. Sociolinguistics

  Sociolinguistics is “the study of the relationship between language use and the structure of society” (Radford, Atkinson, Britain, Clahsen, and Spencer, 1999: 16). Based on the definition, there are several factors that include in this field. The factors are the social backgrounds of booth the speaker and the addressee (for example age, social class, and ethnic background), the relationship between speaker and addressee (good friends or parent-child), and the contest and manner of the interaction (in church, school, loudly or whispering). These factors are important to the understanding of the structure and function of the language used.

   

  Llmas and Stockwell (2009: 21) give more specific definition of sociolinguistics, the study of the linguistic indicators of culture and power. The definition focuses on language as well as linguistic tools (grammar, vocabulary, corpus linguistics, discourse analysis and pragmatics, and it also concerns the influences of several social factors such as ethnicity, gender, ideology, and social rank on language events. Considering this definition, sociolinguistics then primarily focuses on language use.

  As it mainly concerns language use, the majority of sociolinguistic studies then presented in a form of description. The goal of sociolinguistic studies involves scientific objectivity. Most studies deal with the description of social aspects of language in real world.

  Finally, Llmas and Stockwell (2009: 21) define sociolinguistics as the study of language variation and change. They argue that “societies differ from each other and change over time.” Language is part of societies and grows along with the processes. Therefore, all linguistic tools may be extended along with the process of the two dimensions: language variation and change.

a. Language Choice

  Language Choice is part of Sociolinguistics that deals with the code choice in certain society. Wardaugh (2002: 87) mentions the term code to indicate language and a variety of language. Code is considered as neutral because it refers to “any kind of system that two or more people employ for communication.” As a matter of fact, there are a lot of codes that exist in society life. Some people even use various codes in various circumstances. Holmes (2001: 7) says that people

   

  may select different languages according to the situation in which they are speaking.

  The selection of language itself also cannot be separated from the influence of social factors. Holmes (2001: 8) mentions four social factors that are relevant in language choice. They are the participants, the setting or social context of interaction, the topic, and the function. The participants consist of who are speaking and who are they speaking to. The setting includes where they are speaking. The topic contains what is being talked about. Finally, the function includes why they are speaking.

  Related to those social factors, Holmes (2001: 21) mentions the term ‘domain’ in language use. A domain involves typical interactions between typical participants in typical settings. This is like a useful way in describing language choice in a society by putting the social factors into the points-to be-considered. For example, when imagining a typical family the typical participants are family members, the typical topics are family activities, and the setting is the home.

  Another example is a religion domain has priest as the addressee, church as the setting and choosing the Sunday liturgy as the topic (Holmes, 2001: 22). The next step of those two examples, then, is deciding what variety or code is going to be chosen.

  The examples above illustrate that domain exemplifies three social factors in code choice: participants, setting, and topic. Holmes (2001: 23) states that “domain is useful for capturing broad generalizations about any speech community because the information about the domains of use in a community

   

  enables people to draw the model of the norms of language use.” This is useful for bilingual and multilingual speech communities. Yet, Holmes adds, sometimes, the components of a domain ‘are not congruent.’ For example, people discuss a particular work or school at home using the language included in those domains rather than the language of the family domain.

  That situation cannot put domain as an effective way on language choice. Hence, Holmes (2001: 25) mentions other social factors influencing code choice. First is the social distance, whether the speakers are friends, strangers, brothers, or relatives. It is relevant when both participants share more than one variety.

  Speaker, then, will use different codes to different addressees. Second is the status relationship between people. A high-status person and a low-status person may use different language in many contexts. Social role can be an important factor contributing to status. Somebody will speak different codes when acting different roles. For example, a person speaks certain code when becoming a father, another code when acting as a teacher, and different code when acting as a customer in a market. Third is formality. The formality of an event will affect certain code choice. For example, in church, at a formal ceremony, the appropriate variety will be different from the code used in the church porch. Another example is the codes used for radio lecture will be different from those used for the adverts. Fourth is function or goal of the interaction. For certain function, people use different language, whether it is standard or vernacular. For example, when applying for a job, a person will use the best standard written language on the application form and formal standard spoken language on the interview. However, when talking to

    his friend, he will use less formal spoken language.

b. Language Functions

  Holmes (2001: 88) mentions the two main language functions: affective or social function and referential or informative function. Affective function serves as establishing contact among participants. The example is greeting. Referential function is about giving and sharing information among participants.

  Later, Holmes (2001: 88) mentions six different functions which language serves. They are expressive, directive, referential, metalinguistic, poetic, and phatic utterances. Expressive utterances are languages that express the speaker’s feelings. The example is I’m feeling great today. Directive utterances attempt to get someone to do something. The example is Close the door. Referential utterances provide information among speakers. The example is At the third

  

stroke it will be three o’clock precisely . Metalinguistic utterances provide

comments on language itself. The example is Hegemony is not a common word.

  Poetic utterances focus on aesthetic features of language, for example a poem and rhyme. Finally, phatic utterances express solidarity and empathy with others. The example is Hi, how are you, lovely day isn’t it!

1) Advertising Language

   The language of advertising is “language that is used in efforts to persuade

  or otherwise entice people to purchase products or services, vote for particular political candidates, modify their behavior or come to adopt a favorable view of some corporate entity” (Geis, 1997: 42). In commercial advertising, for example, it usually offers product and service. The language shows that it is represented as

    “satisfying consumer’s need and desire” (Geis, 1997: 42).

  Related to the language in commercial advertising, Geis (1997: 42) mentions six characteristics of advertising language. First, it contains advertising register, in which certain types of expressions are used. The examples are elliptical comparatives (25% less tar), complex comparatives (More car for less

  

money ), imperatives as suggestions (Try it, you’ll like it), rhetorical questions (My

friends, what is hamburger? Chopped ham? ), adjectivalizations (meaty car), and

  the use of count nouns as mass nouns (more car).

  Second, advertising language may contain the elements of ordinary language, yet Geiss (1997: 42) states that “it is not infrequently used differently from how ordinary speakers use it.” The example is I’ll wait for up to an hour. In ordinary conversation, the assertion illustrates that the speaker sets limits on the time he makes, that he will wait at least an hour. It means that the assertion is more like a warning than a promise. On the contrary, in advertising language, advertisers use the up to construction to state on the central promise of the commercial. For example, when advertisers say a nasal spray lasts and lasts up to

  

12 continuous hours , it does not mean that advertisers focus on the promise of 12

hours relief, but make the central promise of the commercial.

  Third, advertisers use verb help to qualify claims. Geiss (1997: 43) mentions the example of Such-and-such helps from a seal between your dentures

  

and gums…helps keep food out, dentures in . In the example, it does not mean that

  a seal will be created as the result of using the product. Besides, advertisers also rarely make truthful More for less claims. The example is More car less money. In

   

  fact, there is no true claim that when customers buy more cars they will pay less money.

  Fourth, advertisers refer to the tendency that human beings “read into what is said as much as is consistent with the literal meaning of what is said and the context which it is said” (Geis, 1997: 43). People also tend to refer to Cooperative Principle in conversation. As Geis (1997: 43) says, Grice mentions the term Cooperative Principle, the principle in which people say the things they believe to be true and have evidence for maxims. There are four maxims to be concerned: Quality Maxim (saying as much as is required), Strength Maxim (saying no more), Relation Maxim (saying only relevant things), and Manner Maxim (being orderly, brief, obscure, and the like). Advertisers tend to refer to those maxims by “encouraging us to draw inferences they are unable to defend” (Geis, 1997: 43).

  Fifth, advertising language often uses generic claims. Claims like Dogs

  

have four legs and Force equals mass times acceleration are interpreted as very

  strong claims because they show reality though they are not always true. Such claims used to attribute intrinsic properties to things, make law-like statements, and give definitions.

  Sixth, advertisement can be regarded as a type of offer. The offer is to satisfy consumer’s need. In this case, advertisers need a strong claim in which it does not only give information but gives evidence. Therefore, generic claims play important role in this type of advertisement as it provides sincerity of the offer.

  Overall, the language used in advertisement comes from ordinary life. Yet, when advertisers use the language that is not in line with the Cooperative

   

  Principle, for example, they are still able to use the language in normal modes without mentioning that the language is false. Geis (1997: 44) states that the result of advertising language is “deception and customers are not in a position to defend against.”

B. Theoretical Framework

  The theory of sociolinguistics is put to use to describe what it mainly deals with. By applying this theory, the researcher expects to give description to readers that sociolinguistics copes with the use of language by society in general. This description then, supports the focus of the study, which is the use of English by nightclub community.

  Further, the theory of language functions is used to find out the functions of language in society. By applying this theory the researcher hopes to describe that language has a referential function as conveying information to others. Therefore, advertising language is part of language referential function as it conveying information among participants in advertisement. Then, the theory of advertising language is employed to illustrate the characteristics of advertising language in general. The illustration will be the basis for answering the first research question. In this part, the researcher attempts to describe how English is used in nightclub banners by elaborating the characteristics of the language according to the theory of advertising language.

  The use of English in nightclub banners triggers a question about why nightclub management uses English as a language to communicate with their

   

  customers. Here, the theory of Language Choice, which is proposed by Holmes (2001), is put to use to find out the reasons of using English in nightclub banners.

  The banner designers’ reasons in using English are analyzed according to the social factors of choosing language. This will be the answer to the second research question.

   

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the discussion of the methodology used to gain the

  data of the research. It contains six parts: Method, Research Subject, Research Instrument, Data Gathering Technique, Data Analysis Technique, and Research Procedure. Method describes how the research data will be observed and how the research problems will be answered. Research Subject explains the center of the research, who or what is going to be observed in the whole research. Research Instrument illustrates the tool used to gather the data. Data Gathering Technique exemplifies the process of gathering the data. Data Analysis Technique describes how the researcher analyzes the data. Finally, Research Procedure mentions and explains the steps of conducting the research.

A. Research Method

  This research employed content or document analysis. Ary, Jacobs, and Razavieh (2002: 442) defined content or document analysis as ”a research method applied to written or visual materials for the purpose of identifying specified characteristics of the materials.” The materials could be textbooks, newspapers, speeches, television programs, advertisements, musical compositions, or any of a host of other types of documents (Ary, et.al., 2002: 442). In this research, the documents were ten nightclub banners that were pictured from February 2008 until July 2008. Banners, the research data, undeniably, are type of advertisement

   

  in which people find information in the form of writings. This method was applied, advertisement in which people find information in the form of writings.

  This method was applied, further, in order to analyze the use of English in nightclub banners and find out the description of the reasons of using English in nightclub banners.

  Ary, et al. (2002: 442) also mentioned the purposes of content or document analysis in educational research. First, it was aimed at identifying bias, prejudice, or propaganda in textbooks. Second, it had purpose to analyze types of errors in students’ writings. Third, it was done to describe prevailing practices.

  Fourth, it was to discover the level of difficulty of material in textbooks or other publications. Finally, it was to discover the relative importance of, or interest in, certain topics. In this research, the aim of content or document analysis was to discover the interest in the use of English in nightclub banners in Yogyakarta, specifically how and why English was used in the nightclub banners.

B. Research Participants

  The participants of the research were banner designers in Yogyakarta whose banners were taken as the data of this research. The banner designers came from five big nightclubs in Yogyakarta: Bosche, Liquid, Caesar, Hugo’s Café, and Embassy. They were the people who were responsible for designing the banners, including writing the structure and setting the vocabulary items.