SPEECH FUNCTIONS USED BY THE ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS IN ENGLISH CLASS OF SMA WIDYA KUTOARJO IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2012/2013

Abstract

The aims of this research are to describe the types of speech functions used by the eleventh grade students in English class of SMA Widya Kutoarjo in the academic year of 2012/2013, to find out the most dominant type of the eleventh grade students’ speech function in English class of SMA Widya Kutoarjo in the academic year of 2012/2013, and to describe the reasons of the use of the most dominant type of speech functions used by the eleventh grade students of  SMA Widya Kutoarjo in the academic year of 2012/2013. Here, the researcher used qualitative analysis. The instrument that is used here is called check-list observation. There are 29 utterances pronounced by the students which are identified by the researcher from 23 students. These utterances are classified into six types, namely: expressive, directive, referential, metalinguistic, poetic, and phatic function. The phatic function is the most dominant type of speech functions used by the students. The researcher conclude that the possible cause of the use of the most dominant type of students’ speech functions is because the students often uses phatic function in daily communication, so that they are familiar with it. However, they tend not to use poetic function because this function is considered to be difficult to use.

Key Words: Speech Functions, English class.