IDEATIONAL FUNCTION IN MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR I HAVE A DREAM,,,BATUBARA.

ABSTRACT

Batubara, Lili Suryani. Ideational Function In Motivational Speech Of Martin
Luther King Jr "/Have A Dream", and Winston Churchill "Blood Toil
Tears and Sweat". A Thesis. English Applied Linguistics Study
Program. Postgraduate School. State University of Medan. 2011.

This study presents a research conducted on ideational function in the motivational
speech texts of Martin Luther King Jr "/ Have A Dream", and Winston Churchill
"Blood Toil Tears and Sweat". The main objectives were to describe types of Process,
Circumstances, Taxis, and Logico-semantic relation as found in motivational speech
texts. It was presented in a qualitative descriptive research design dealing with
quantifiable (numeric) mode. The sources of data were transcripts of "/ Have A
Dream" speech was delivered at August 28, 1963, and "Blood Toil Tears and Sweat"
speech was delivered at May 13, I 940. The data were analysed by applying participant
observation and documentary technique. The data analysis found out two Findings,
they are Experiential Function and Logical Function. From Experiential Function there
were 6 types of Process used, they were (47.57%) Material, (18.38%) Mental, (8.65%)
Verbal, (21.62%) Relational, (2.16%) Existential, (1.62%) Behavioural. Material
Process was the most domiilant used in motivational speech texts. There were 6 types
of Circumstance with the proportions of Location (66.97%), Contingency (6.42%),

Accompaniment (7.34%); Manner (12 .84%), Matter (5.51%), Role (0.92%).
Circumstance Location was the most dominant used in motivational speech texts. It
proves that the use of Process and Circumstance were related to context of situation
and context of culture. From Logical Function found (35%) Hypotaxis and (65%)
Parataxis.From Logico-semantic relation found Expansion (98.70%), Projection
(1.3%). From types of expansion, found parataxis elaboration (15.58%) parataxis
extension (35.06%), parataxis enhancement (14.28%), hypotaxis elaboration (27.27%),
hypotaxis extension (5.19%), hypotaxis enhancement (2.59%).

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...•...•..•..•.•........... ••••••.•.•......•.. ....•.........•• i
ABSTRACT ........................... .... .. ... ..................... ....................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... ..... ......... ........ ..... ............... ................ iv
LIST OF TABLES ................................. ..... . .... ........... ....... ..........vii
LIST OF APPENDICES ........................................... ..... ................. ix

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study ......................................... 1
1.2 Problems of the Study ....................... ...... .. .............. .5
1.3 Objectives of the Study ............................................... 6
1.4

Scope of the Study . ......... .... .......... ... ........ ... ... ......6

1.5

Significance of the Study ..........................................7

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Systemic Functional Grammar. .. . ......... .. ... .... ... ........... 8
2.2 Matafunction of Language ........................................ 9
2.2.1 Ideational Function ............................. ..... .... 11
2.2.1.1 Experiential Function ................ .... .... .. 12
2.2.1.1.1 Process ............................... 13

2.2. 1.1.2 Participant ................ ... ...... :.... 20
2.2.1.1.3 Circumstance ........................ 2 1
2.2.1.2 Logical Function ..... .. .......... ............... 23
2.2.1.2.1 Taxis ..... . . ..... . ............. ..... .. .24
2.2.1.2.2 Logicosemantic Relation ... .. .... .25
2.2.2 Textual Function ............... .. .... ...... ....... .. .... 39
2.2.3 Interpersonal Function ... .. ....... ... ..... ....... .... .39

IV

2.3 Text and Context
2.3.1 Text ...... ... ..... ..... ...... . ... . ..... ... . ..... .. ........ ..... .40
2.3 .2 Context .. .. ... .. .. .... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ..... . ........ ... ..41
2.4 Communication Fundamentals
2.4. 1 Defining Communication ....... .. ..... . .. . ..... . . .. ......... .42
2.4.2 Communication Affects Behaviour, Human Relations, and Performance ................. ... .... . ....... ......42
2.4.3 Public Speaking .... ..... ..... ... . ............ ... . ... .. ........ 43

2.5.1 Motivational Speech .............. .... ... ...... . ......... .. 46
2.5.2 The Characteristics of a Good Motivational Speech ... 48

2.5.3 The Main Elements in Writing a Speech .. .. .... ....... .49
2.6 Martin Luther King Jr and Winston Churchill

Biography

2.6.1 Martin Luther King Jr ............................... ...... .50
2.6.2 Winston Churchill ..... ..... ................................. 51

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Research Design ............ ... ............................ ... ..53
3.2 Object of Study .. ..................... ..... .... ...... ... . ........ ..53
3.3 Technique of Collecting the Data .............................. .54
3.4 Technique of Analyzing the Data ............................. .54

CHAPTER IV

DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
4.1 Data Analysis ..................................................... 56

4.2 Findings : ................ ......... ..................... .. . ~ ........ 77
4.3 Discussions ........................................................79

CHAPTER V

CO NCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5. 1 Conclusions .. .. .. .. ..... ....... .......... .... ....... ... . ... ... .. 81
5.2 Implications .............................. .. ..... . .. ...............82
5.3 Suggestions . .. ... ...... ..... ... . ...... ...... ..... ... ....... ...... 82

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VI

LIST OF TABLES

Table

Page

2.1 Typical Function of Group and Phrase Classes ............ ... ...... .. ......... 12
2.2 Material Process .. .. ... ...... .. .... .. .. ............ . .... .. ......... ..... . .. ......... 14

2.5 Behaviour Process ...................................................... ... ......... 17
2.6 Verbal Process .................................................................. .. .1 9
2.7 Existential Process ................................................................ 20
2.8 Types ofProcesses and Participants ...... ................................ . .. .. 21

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2.9 The Summary of Circumstances .............................. .. ............... .22
2.10 Dominant and Dependent Clauses .. ...................... ... ....... .. ........ .25

2.11 Logical Meanings ..................................................... ... ........26
2.12 Parataxis Elaboration ....................................................... .... 26
2.13 Hypo taxis Elaboration ............................................................. 28
2.14 Principal Markers of Extension .................................... . .. ... ....... 30
2.15 Parataxis Extension .............................................................. 30
2.1 Hypotaxis Extension ................................ ..... ... ...... .. ........ ....31
2.17 Principal Markers and Meanings of Parataxis Enhancement ... ... . .. ... ..33
2.18 Principal Markers of Hypotaxis Enhancement ........ .... ...... .... ... . ... .35
2.19 Four types of Projection ... .............. .. .. ........................... .. ....... 3 8

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4.1 Types ofProcesses ..... ..... .. .. .. ... .... ... .... . .. .. .... .... ........... ... .. .... 55
4.2 Types of Circumstances .. ........ ........ ...... .... . ........... .. .............. . 58
4.3 Realizations of Clause Complex .................. ....... .................................. .... 64
4.4 The Needs ofLogico-semantic Relation Types ........................... .... ...... ... 71
4.5 The Percentage of Taxis and Logico-semantic Relations ............. .. .... 71
4.6 Taxis and Logico-semantic relation in each texts ........... . .... ..... .... ... 73
4.7 Taxis and types of Expansion in each text .......... ...................................... 74

2.1 The systems of clause complexing ............ . .. : ............................ .24

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4.1 The Graph of Parataxis and Hypotaxis ....................................... .63
4.2 The Graph of Expansion and Projection ...................................................73

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LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX

Page

1. The Transcript of Martin Luther King's Speech ... ... . ........ .. ....... ...85

3. Experiential Function Analysis of

4. Experiential Function Analysis of

Winston Churchill Speech "Blood Toil Tears and Sweat" ........ ... .. 112
5. Logical Function Analysis of
Martin Luther King Speech "I Have a Dream" ..... . .......... .. .. ........ 11 8
6. Logical Function Analysis of

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Winston Churchill Speech, "Blood Toil Tears and Sweat" ..... . ....... 125
7. The Biography of Martin Luther King ............. . ......... ... .. .......... 128
8. The Biography of Winston Churchill ............................ . .... ...... 129

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study
Recently, the ability to motivate person is very needed in every fields of jobs.
Those who have the ability to motivate others will be more success in their fields than
those who do not. To do a job, people not only need internal factor but also external
factor which is got from others. People are needed to be convinced that they can, they
are entitled to get something. As a theory that has been explained by Abraham Maslow
hierarchy of needs (1943):
Self Actualization and fulfillment esteem and status belonging and social need
safety and security physiological. This motivation theory indicates we will fulfill the
bottom ones first before moving on to the next higher ones. In other words, we will
fight to breath before we eat, we will eat before we will worry about our social needs
and so on.
It means that people need to be convinced that there is a standard that people

must and surely have. And the motivator will be able to make people from unconscious
to be conscious.
However, the ability to motivate is not an easy task. The motivator must have
wide knowledge, and ability to convince the audiences. The diction of words which is
appropriate takes a crucial role. There are some certain words can be as magic words,
such as I believe I can, you can do it, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, sweat and
tears, Let freedom ring, Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking
from the cup of bitterness and hatred, and so on.
On the other side, the need to motivate is very high. Employee needs to be
motivated by his boss, patient needs to be motivated by his doctor, and children need to

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be motivated by their parents, the students need to be motivated by their teacher, and
the citizens need to be motivated by the his leader. Actually, all of those only
encourage their self esteem. Self esteem as employee, patient, children, students, and
citizens.

Martin Luther King Jr and Winston Churchill are two examples of the greatest
motivator in the world. They motivated people in two different situations. "I Have a
Dream" is a seventeen minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., in which he
called for racial equality as the end of discrimination. King's delivery of the speech on
August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil
Rights Movement. Delivered to over 200,000 civil rights supporters, the speech was
ranked the top American speech of the 20th century by a 1999 poll of scholars of
public address. According to U.S. Representative John Lewis, who also spoke that day
as the President of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, "Dr. King had
the power, the ability, and the capacity to transform those steps on the Lincoln
Memorial into a monumental area that will forever be recognized. By speaking the way
he did, he educated, he inspired, and he informed not just the people there, but people
throughout America.

"Blood, Toil

~fears

and Sweat" is a famous speech comes from Sir Winston

Churchill's speech on 13th May 1940 to the UK's House of Commons. He had recently
taken over from Neville Chamberlain as the British Prime Minister. The speech was
intended to be stirring and uplifting call to arms. He was also well aware of the
difficulties ahead and, not wanting to raise false hope, he entered notes of caution and
warning.

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Martin Luther King Jr and WinstonChurchill are still relevant to this day
because it can see from the caused effects of these two motivational speeches. It was
said by Michael Jay Friedman as staff writer of the Bureau oflnternational Information
Programs, U.S. Department of State (http://www.america.gov)

in 2009, the

inauguration ofBarack Obama, America's first African-American president, lent Black
History Month a special significance. Obama took the oath of office January 20, the
day after Americans honored the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal
holiday and national day of service. In his inaugural address, President Obama
acknowledged the historical importance of a moment in which "a man whose father
less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand
before you to take a most sacred oath."

As the great motivator, they not only can persuade, convince people but also
they can choose the appropriate words to motivate. They use language appropriately
and choose the right words to express their idea. Knowing the importance of this
motivational thing make the reseacher decide these motivational texts will be analyzed,
so that people who want to be involved in motivational field can refer to this analysis.
The writer chooses Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) as a tool, which analyzes
how sentences are organized and combined, how clauses are interpreted from a
functional perspective, and what the relationship between language and elements and
aspects of social life are (Burns & Coffin, 2001:94).

To fulfill the needs of using language known as metafunction. Metafunction
functions to represent, to exchange, and to organize experience. Technically these
metafunctions are 'termed as ideational, interpersonal and textual function which occurs
in a social context (Halliday & Eggins, 1994).

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The ideational function is a function to represent the experience; it means
human use language to represent the message in a clause. It is suitable with
researcher's thesis that wants to analyze right and appropriate words in motivational
speeches by ideational functions, which are experiential and logical function. The
experiential function organizes the experience and understanding of the world.
Experiential function in the structure of the clause is as representation. They are three
elements representing experience in clause, they are: Process (process on going human
experience), Participant (the Actor who is the active participant in that process), and
Circumstances in which the processes occur. Logical function relates the experience
and concerned with the relationship betv,reen idea which analyzed by dependencies
between elements in structure (Hypotactic vs Paratactic organization). The two
functions are used as the basis for exploring how meaning are created and understood
with reference to SFL (Systemic Functional Linguistics).

Speech and language are tools that humans use to communicate or share
thoughts, ideas, and emotions among others. Language is a set of rules, shared by the
individuals who are communicating, that allows them to exchange those thoughts,
ideas, or emotions. Speech is talking, one way that a language can be expressed.
Language may also be expressed through writing, signing, or even gestures. Referring
to the explanation above, the writer concludes that speech is about oral spoken. Speech
is often memorized, but a written copy (text of speech) which is written language
produced for the writer's use when delivering the speech.

Through the texts of the speech, it can be seen words which represent certain
process, participant and circumstance (metafunction term) appear so simultaneously
which can be determined that it is exactly a motivational speech and how the meaning

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fonned of systematic relationship between or among clauses in the motivational
speech.

Referring to the explanation above, the researcher focuses this study on the
texts analysis of the clauses found in a famous motivational speech. Motivational
speeches were used, with great effect, by famous people to convince the people that
they can succeed by the use of optimistic and uplifting stories based on faith or real life
situations. The motivational speeches which writer chooses are "I have a dream" by
Martin Luther King Jr; "Blood Toil Tears and Sweat" by Winston Churchill. The entire
clauses in the motivational speech would be analyzed using experiential function
(process, participant, and circumstance) and logical function (taxis and logicosemantic
relation).

What makes the researcher interested in analyzing the motivational speech is
that it helps us to remind others and prove whether certain process, circumstance, taxis
and logico-semantic relation will dominantly appear and the meaning fonned in the
motivational speech so that it can make easier to write a good motivational speech.

1.2 Problems of the Study

Based on the background that has been mentioned previously, there are six
questions to be responded in this research:

1. What is the most dominant process used in motivational speech texts?
2. What is the most dominant circumstance used in motivational speech texts?

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3. Why do process and circumstance in problem number I and 2 dominantly
occur in motivational speech texts?
4. What taxis is more dominantly used in motivational speech texts?
5. What type of logico-semantic relation is more dominantly used in motivational
speech texts?
6. Why do taxis and logico-semantic relation in problem number 4 and 5 more
dominantly used in motivational speech texts?

1.3 Objectives of the Study
In line with the problems, the objectives are formulated as follows:
l. To identifY the most dominant process used in motivational speech texts.

2. To identifY the most dominant circumstance used in motivational speech texts.
3. To elaborate the reasons of process and circumstance dominantly occur in
motivational speech texts.
4. To identifY more dominant taxis used in motivational speech texts.
5. To identifY types of logico-semantic relation more dominantly used in
motivational speech texts.
6. To elaborate the reasons of taxis and logico-semantic relation dominantly used
in motivational speech texts.

1.4 Scope of the Study

Functional grammar refers to an approach to language on the principle of roles
or functions played by a language. That is why the notion of functional approach to
language is interpreted as covering two related meanings. Firstly, functional study to
language is based on the principle that language is structured in response to the needs

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of people as social beings for language. Language in use or known as a text that is
everything that is said or written, forms in context of use which is often referred to as
social context. Thus language evolves in line with human needs for language.
Secondly, functional approach refers to the concept that human beings use language in
order to fulfill three functions known as metafunction namely: (1) to represent
(ideational), (2) to exchange (interpersonal), and (3) to organize experience (textual).
In this case, the ideational function can be discussed; it is about experiential function,
where language is used to describe experience and logical function where language is
used to relate experience. The discussion will be limited to the types of process,
circumstances, taxis and Jogico-semantic relation used in the motivational speech texts.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study is expected to be useful theoretically and practically
for those who are interested in analyzing speech in written form based on the ideational
function which is one of the aspects of the language

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A. Theoretically
I. The readers can increase their knowledge about the best way to write
a motivational speech.
2. It can be as a contribution for those who particularly are interested in
texts analysis and in language researches in general.
B. Practically

1. It can enrich the documentation oflanguage research in general
2. It can be as enrichment of texts analysis which is analyzed by using
Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL).

CHAPTERV
CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Conclusions
This thesis on ideational function has been analyzed, and based on the analysis,
the researcher presents some valuable conclusions from Martin Luther King Jr and
Winston Churchill speech analysis, and they are:
1. Material (4 7.5 7%) is the most dominant process used in motivational speech

texts.
2. Location (66.97%) is the most dominant circumstance used in motivational
speech texts.
3. Material process and Locution circumstance occur in motivational speech
texts are influenced by context of situation and context of culture. Context
of situation is comprised ofthree elements, namely field, mode, and tenor.
4. Parataxis (65%) is more dominantly used in motivational speech texts.
5. Parataxis extension expansion (98.70%) is more dominantly used m

motivational speech texts.
6. Parataxis and Parataxis Extension Expansion used in motivational speech
texts related to the cause and effects so it can emphasize the motiv·ational
speakers' message.

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5.2 Implications
The implications of this study are:
1. For teachers, it would help them to increase their performance in teaching
process due to their responsibility in motivating the students about the
importance of the subject they teach.
2. For the university students, the availability of more sources in this thesis can
be used to learn about making a motivational speech.

5.3 Suggestions

With reference to the conclusions, some following suggestions are addressed:
1. It is suggested to the next researcher to try making a research with different
types of texts because there are many kinds of texts that can be further

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studied and observed.
2. It is suggested that the next researcher combine the approaches of language,
for example Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and Critical Discourse
Analysis (CDA).

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