Theoretical Framework REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

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2.2 Theoretical Framework

Slang has its own roles in the society so that it is developing over centuries although it is considered as a non standard form of language. People use and interpret words into many different meanings for different purpose of the interaction. Learning the nature of slang is always interesting since the new words are always creatively created by people. Slang is one of the examples of language variations that exist in the society. Therefore, the use of slang is cannot be seen as a low standard speech. There are two kinds of meaning: the ‘social meaning’ and the ‘referential meaning’ Hymes, 1969, p. 113. The writer saw language as a source of meaning. It means that every word in every language is always interpretative. In order to explain the meaning of slang the writer analyzed the meanings of slangs using the Oxford American Dictionary OAD 2015. This OAD is needed in order to determine the general meanings of slang expressions found in the movie. To define particular meaning of slang expressions and to find the meanings which were suitable with the conversational context in the movie, the researcher used slang dictionaries. Those slang dictionaries were the NTC’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions 3 rd edition written by Richard A. Spears, the Urban Dictionary, the Alpha Dictionary and the Slangcity Dictionary. In addition, some online dictionaries such as the Urban Dictionary, the Alpha Dictionary and the Slangcity Dictionary were useful in order to analyze the meanings of slangs. They were useful because slang is always changing and 35 language is interpretative so that online dictionaries provided varieties of meanings and perspectives from different people among the societies. The writer predicted that slang words also widely used among people because it had communicative functions although by some people it is considered as non-standard form of a language. There were some communicative functions of slangs such as to command, to maintain social relationships or to be used as an aesthetic tool such as literary works. Many famous singers, poets, writers create slangs and put them in their songs, poems or books. Sometimes a new word, like ‘quidditch’ in the Harry Potter book, once was slang. Later on, ‘quidditch’ is already accepted in the legal dictionary. Many Afro-Americans another term for Afro-American is ‘Black’ also use slang words in their songs these days. After watching the movie, the writer predicted that slang also created and influenced by historical culture. It is because the movie tells a real-life story which is related to African – American cultural conflicts in the past. Based on the researcher’s assumption, slangs in the Freedom Writers movie were influenced by the certain word formation processes such as compounding, borrowing, coinage, clipping, inflection, derivation, reduplication and abbreviation. In order to analyze the word formation processes and the factors that influence the changes in the slang formation, the writer applied the word formation processes theory proposed by O’Grady and Guzman 1996. Moreover the writer also used some theories from some experts who were also had their views which were related to the word formation process theories. They are 36 Katamba 1993, Hatch and Brown 1995, Yule 2006, Finegan 2007 and Wagner 2010. The writer also analyzed the changes that influenced the slang formation using Coleman’s theory 2012. According to Coleman, slang is created and influenced by five main factors. They are the change in meaning, the change in function, the change in form, the change in spelling and the change by abbreviation. In order to analyze the functions of the slang in the Freedom Writers movie the writer analyzed the conversations by explaining all the relevant factors that influenced the linguistic choice based on Holmes’ theory 2012. According to Holmes 2012 some factors are: 1 the participants who are speaking and to whom are they speaking, 2 the setting or social context of interaction where are they speaking, 3 the topic what is being talked about, and 4 the function: why are they speaking. After analyzing the social factors in the conversational context, the writer used theories proposed by Coleman 2012 and Eric Partridge as mentioned in Coleman, 2012 to identify the reasons of the use of slang in the society. In this study the writer assumed that slangs in the Freedom Writers movie were used in order to show Afro-American’s individuality and to signal their groups’ memberships. In addition, the slangs were also used in order to appear cool and to fit in with certain groups or communities. Slang in the movie, as predicted, had their communicative functions. One of the examples was the phatic function. It means that the slang was used to keep 37 social relationship. In this part, the writer tried to draw a relationship between meanings and functions of slangs. The writer determined the functions of slangs based on the conversational context by using Leech’s theory of communicative functions. Those language functions according to Leech 1981 are 1 informational, 2 expressive, 3 directive, 4 aesthetic, and 5 phatic. Since this study tried to find meanings and functions of slangs in the society therefore there was an elaboration of some branches of linguistics. They were the morphology, semantic and sociolinguistic theories. In analyzing the meanings and functions of the slang in the Freedom Writers movie, the writer used only some of the theories mentioned in the theoretical description. However, all the theories which have been explained previously were useful in order to support the credibility of this research study. Those theories were also used for analyzing data and answering the research questions proposed in the previous chapter. 38

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the systematic steps in conducting the analysis, particularly the research methodology. This section mainly covers the discussion about the type of research, the type of data, the research procedure, including the technique of data gathering and the data analysis which aim to answer two major research questions proposed in the first chapter.

3.1 Research Method

This study focused on the discussion of meanings and functions of slang among a particular social group at the Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach. In addition, this research aimed to analyze and describe the meanings and functions of slang factually and precisely. The writer used a qualitative research as an approach while conducting this study. In this research, the writer was getting involved in studying and analyzing the meanings and functions of slang based on the observable context. Since this research was descriptive in nature, it was considered as a qualitative-type research. Rossman and Rallis 2003 define a qualitative research as being empirical, natural, and focusing on people. Qualitative researchers seek answers to their questions in the real world by gathering what they see and hear from people, places, events and activities. There was another explanation of qualitative research as mentioned by Denzin 2011: