Interrogative Modes In Cross Cultural Communication At Sanur Village, Denpasar, Bali
on
ISSN: 2302-920X
Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud
Vol 18.2 Pebruari 2017: 175-183
Interrogative Modes In Cross Cultural Communication At Sanur Village, Denpasar, Bali
Putu Ayu Nisma Apsari¹*, I Made Netra², I Ketut Wandia³
[¹²³] English Department Faculty of Arts, Udayana University
¹[nismaapsari88@gmail.com] ²[dektih@yahoo.com] ³[wandia57@yahoo.com.au]
*Corresponding Author
Abstrak
Komunikasi lintas budaya adalah sebuah studi mengenai bagaimana orangorang yang memiliki kebudayaan yang berbeda berkomunikasi satu sama lain dan bagaimana mereka mencoba untuk berinteraksi lintas budaya. Tujuan dari studi “Interrogative Modes in Cross Cultural Communication at Sanur Village, Denpasar, Bali” adalah untuk mengidentifikasi kemungkinan arti dictum imperatif dalam setiap ujaran dalam mode interogatif yang ditemukan dalam komunikasi lintas budaya di Desa Sanur, Denpasar, Bali, dan untuk mengetahui illocutionary force dari mode interogatif yang ditemukan dalam komunikasi lintas budaya di Desa Sanur, Denpasar, Bali, sesuai dengan konteks situasinya.
Data dalam studi ini dikumpulkan melalui metode observasi dan tekhnik interview. Data yang telah dikumpulkan memiliki kemungkinan lebih dari satu arti ujaran dan karena ujaran tersebut memiliki lebih dari satu arti, data tersebut masih ambigu. Teori konteks situasi yang dikemukakan oleh Halliday (1985) digunakan untuk menemukan illocutionary force dari mode interogatif yang ditemukan karena field of discourse, tenor of discourse, dan mode of discourse mendukung apa yang diinginkan pembicara sebenarnya dalam memproduksi ujaran tersebut.
Kata kunci: komunikasi lintas budaya, dictum imperatif, mode interogatif
Sanur village is one of the tourism objects in Bali visited by the tourists coming from other countries around the world. It means that there would be many people who have different nationalities and cultural backgrounds visiting this beautiful Sanur
village. English is an international language and it is used by the Balinese people to interact with those tourists, especially in selling souvenirs, guiding them to the tourism objects, and so on. In this case, cross cultural communication is conducted between the local people and the tourists. Besides, the cross cultural communication could also be conducted among the tourists themselves who have different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
This study was conducted in order to study the interrogative modes often used by the people who use English as their native language in their daily activities. The interrogative modes found would have more than one utterance meaning and those utterance meanings were considered the ambiguity of the data that might be understood by the hearer (H). The interrogative modes would have the implicit meaning of dictum imperative “I want you to do something”. Therefore, those utterance meanings of imperative dictum found in the data became the ambiguity of the interrogative modes and the context of situation theory proposed by Halliday (1985) was used to identify the illocutionary force of those interrogative modes so that the data would not be ambiguous because the field of situation, the tenor of situation and the mode of situation supports the speaker’s intention in producing the utterance and the appearance of the directive acts.
The problems that appear according to the background above are listed as follows:
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1. What interrogative modes and their possible utterance meanings of imperative dictum are identified in cross cultural communication at Sanur village, Denpasar, Bali?
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2. What illocutionary forces are implied in the interrogative modes found in cross cultural communication at Sanur village, Denpasar, Bali?
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3. Aims of the Study
According to those problems above, the aims of this study are listed as follows:
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1. To identify the interrogative modes and their possible utterance meanings of imperative dictum in the interrogative modes found in cross cultural communication at Sanur village, Denpasar, Bali
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2. To analyze the illocutionary force of the interrogative modes found in cross cultural communication at Sanur village, Denpasar, Bali
The data were collected from Sanur village, Denpasar, Bali through observation method and interview technique. The interview was conducted through asking the questions related to the problem of this study. The informants were asked some questions. In this case, the interviewer asked them generously without being based on the list of the questions prepared previously. The development of the informant in this study used snowball technique which was from one informant to another in taking the turns. The increase in the informant was ended if there was no more variation of information and the category of the data.
The collected data were descriptively analyzed based on the theory of this study. The first step of analyzing data was collecting the interrogative modes which have the implicit meaning ʻI want you to do somethingʼ as the data. Then, the data were analyzed to obtain the possible utterance meanings of imperative dictum based on the verbs denoting members of the directive illocutionary act, such as; asking or questioning, ordering, commanding, requesting, begging, pleading, praying, entreating, inviting, permitting, and advising. Each utterance may have more than one utterance meaning and those utterance meanings were considered the ambiguity of the data. The context of situation theory proposed by Halliday (1985) was used to identify the illocutionary force of those interrogative modes so that the data would not be ambiguous because the field of discourse, the tenor of discourse and the mode of discourse support the speaker’s intention in producing the utterance and the appearance of the directive acts.
The propositional content is always that the hearer H does some future action A. Verb denoting members of this class are ask (question is a types of directive since they are attempts made by S to get H to answer i.e. to perform a speech act), order, command, request, beg, pled, pray, entreat, invite, permit, advise. These verbs can be considered the possible utterance meanings of the data.
Data 1: “Could you please do that for me?”
“Could you please do that for me?” can possibly be understood as asking, ordering, commanding, requesting, begging, pleading or entreating. It is an interrogative form and it can be implied as a question where the S only seeks for information about ability from the H and the H could simply answer by saying yes/no answer without the action of doing what S needs.
Table 1.
|
NO |
Interrogative Mode |
Utterance Meanings |
Illocutionary Force |
|
1. |
Could you please do that for me? |
Asking/Questioning Ordering Commanding Requesting Begging Pleading Entreating |
(Ambiguous - the illocutionary force could not be concluded yet because this utterance has more than one possible utterance meanings) |
However, this utterance has the implicit meaning where the S asks the H to do something. It would be an order if the S uses his/her position of authority to tell somebody to do something (asks for a service to be provided by the H). It can be considered as a command if the S tells the H to do something and it is a must for the H to do it. This utterance can be uttered in a polite or formal way, consequently, the S requests the H to do something.
It is also possible if the S actually begs the H to do something by saying this utterance; the S says it in an anxious way because the S wants or needs it very much. It would be a plead if the S says this in a very strong way and serious way, even it would be possible if the S entreats the H to do something in a serious and often emotional way. Seven utterance meanings; asking/questioning, ordering, commanding, requesting, begging, pleading, and entreating are found in “Could you please do that for me?” and these seven meanings could be recognized as the ambiguity of it. Accordingly, the illocutionary force of this interrogative mode can be concluded by using the theory of context of situation proposed by Halliday (1989).
Context of situation would determine what is conveyed implicitly but not explicitly stated by the speaker (S). It can be concluded that the meaning of utterance
depends on the context which carries it. Moreover, context helps us comprehend speaker’s and receiver’s needs, goals, and wants. Context of situation can be observed as a means of supporting the implicit meaning that involves three elements: field of discourse, tenor of discourse, and mode off discourse by Halliday.
Conversation
S : “I want to organize a taxi for this evening. I need to be picked up at 7 pm to go
to Hongkong Garden Restaurant. Could you please do that for me?”
H : “That will be no problem. I will make booking right away for you.”
Field
This conversation occurred when the S were staying at a hotel in Sanur and would like to ask a receptionist (The H) to organize a taxi for the S. The S went to the front desk in the lobby and said, “I want to organize a taxi for this evening. I need to be picked up at 7 pm to go to Hongkong Garden Restaurant. Could you please do that for me?”. It is clearly understood that the S wanted the H to do something for him which is to organize a taxi. Although the form was interrogative, this utterance essentially has the implicit meaning “I want you to organize the taxi for me.” Therefore, it can be concluded that this interrogative mode “Could you please do that for me?” is a request from the S for the service to be provided by the H in a polite or formal way. The S who asks for the taxi to be organized by the H can be considered the field of the conversation in this data.
Tenor
There are two participants: The S was the guest who was staying in the hotel and the H was the receptionist. The S is a male, about 40 years old and is from Austria, meanwhile the H is female, she is about 25 years old and is from Bali. This conversation happened when the S were staying at a hotel in Sanur and would like to ask a receptionist (The H) to organize a taxi for the S. The S went to the front desk in the lobby and said, “I want to organize a taxi for this evening. I need to be picked up at 7 pm to go to Hongkong Garden Restaurant. Could you please do that for me?”.
Mode
The indirect illocution utterance which is used by the speaker can be analyzed as the directive utterance. The S actually tells the H to organize the taxi for the S. The S seeks for an action from the H rather than the information about ability. The S used the
interrogative form “Could you please do that for me?” in order to request the H to organize the taxi for the S. Then the H as the hearer gave the response by saying “That will be no problem. I will make booking right away for you.” This means that the receptionist agreed to organize the taxi for S.
Data 2: “Can you help me, please?”
The possible utterance meanings of this utterance could be an asking, ordering, commanding, requesting, begging, pleading, praying or entreating. The form of this utterance is interrogative and this utterance can be considered a question if the S says this in the form of question in order to get the information. Therefore, the H can answer the S question by saying yes or no answer without the action of helping the S do something.
Table 2.
|
NO |
Interrogative Mode |
Utterance Meanings |
Illocutionary Force |
|
2. |
Can you help me, please? |
Asking/Questioning Ordering Commanding Requesting Begging Pleading Praying Entreating |
(Ambiguous - the illocutionary force could not be concluded yet because this utterance has more than one possible utterance meanings) |
It can be understood as an order if the S utters this in order to ask for a service to be provided by the H. There would be a different interpretation if the S has different status from the H, in this case for example, the S is the boss of the H; when the S utters this, the S actually uses his/her position of authority to tell somebody to do something. Thus, it would be considered a command where the S asks the H to help the S and the H must do it to obey his/her boss.
This utterance would be a request if the S asks the H to help the S in a polite or formal way. It is because there is the word “please” after the main interrogative sentence. The word “please” is often used as a polite way of asking for something or telling somebody to do something and it is used to add force to a request or statement. For example, the S is a student and the H is the teacher. It is possible that the student (S) utters this in a polite and formal way to the teacher (H) because the different status
between them where the student has to honor his/her teacher. The student perhaps utters this because he/she gets the problem with the task given by the teacher, therefore he/she asks for a help.
The word “please” found after the main interrogative sentence would make this whole utterance considered a beg if this word is uttered in an anxious way because the S wants or needs it (the help) very much. Even there are many cases where the word “please” is repeated more than one times to get the H to do what the S wants from the H.
The utterance “Can you help me, please?” can be considered a plead if the S asks the S in a very strong and serious way, for example, the S’s mother falls down at home and is unconscious then she/he asks for a help from her/his neighbor (the H). Then the S says “Can you help me, please?” in a very strong and serious way to the H. It can also be considered an entreat if the S says this sentence in an emotional way (in panic and crying).
There would become a different case if the H is God. “Can you help me, please?” can be reflected as a pray if the S says this in order to ask for help from God (the H). Eight utterance meanings; asking/questioning, ordering, commanding, requesting, begging, pleading, praying and entreating are found in “Can you help me, please?” and these eight meanings could be considered the ambiguity of it. Conversation
S : “Can you help me, please? I am trying to find the bus station line for Nusa
Dua”
H : “There is one bus station near this place. It is close to Mall Bali Galeria. Just go
ahead then you’ll find it at the left side of the road.” Field
This conversation occurred when the S was walking through Bypass Ngurah Rai street searching for the nearest bus station (Transarbagita bus station) because he wanted to jog in BTDC area in Nusa Dua. Then, the S met the H while he was walking then he asked the H, “Can you help me, please?”. The H stopped his path, not talking, then the S continued “I am trying to find the bus station line for Nusa Dua.” Then the H answered by giving a direction to the nearest bus station to the S. It is clear that the S
who wanted to get the information about the nearest bus station from the H is the field of the conversation in this data.
Tenor
There are two participants: S and H firstly met at that moment. Both S and H are male. S is 34 years old and the H is about 23 years old. The S is from England and the H is from Bali, however, H can speak English fluently due to his job as the employee of one hotel in Kuta. Meanwhile, S is a tourist who visited Bali to spend his holiday. The conversation began when the S was walking through Bypass Ngurah Rai street searching for the nearest bus station (Transarbagita bus station) because he wanted to jog in BTDC area in Nusa Dua. The characters in the conversation above can be considered the tenor or the participants of the conversation.
Mode
The indirect illocution utterance which is used by the speaker can be categorized as the directive utterance. The S actually asks the H to do something which is to help him give the information about the nearest bus station. The S seeks for an action of telling the information from the H. The S uses the interrogative form for requesting and giving the H persuasion to help him find the nearest bus station. Then the H stopped his path as the sign that he already paid attention to the S and wanted to help the S. The S continued his utterance by saying “I am trying to find the bus station line for Nusa Dua.” After that, the H answered by giving a direction to the nearest bus station to the S.
The types of directive illocutionary force found are ordering, commanding, requesting, begging, pleading, inviting, and advising framed by the interrogative form. Thirteen utterances are in the interrogative form, three utterances have directive illocutionary force of ordering, two have directive illocutionary force of commanding, three have directive illocutionary force of requesting, one has directive illocutionary force of pleading, three have directive illocutionary force of inviting, and one has directive illocutionary force of advising.
The context of situation theory proposed by Halliday (1985) was used to identify the illocutionary force of those interrogative modes so that the data would not be ambiguous because the field of discourse, the tenor of discourse and the mode of
discourse support the speaker’s intention in producing the utterance and the appearance of the directive acts.
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