Mini Research (Difference Between Males and Females Answering Question Orally)

INTRODUCTION

        Dealing with the speech act, we will find there are differences between speech act done by male and female. There are some stereotypical attitudes led to the male-female dichotomy in most western industrial societies dictates that men are aggressive, rational, practical, direct and competitive while women are passive, irrational, nurturing, indirect, and cooperative.

Directness in male and indirectness in female to express ideas show the existence of some differences which have been had naturally by the male and female.

        Based on Lakoff’s theory, woman’s speech was characterized by linguistics feature such as the lexical hedges or fillers, tag question, rising intonation on declaratives, precise color terms, intensifier and so on. Those characteristics straightly show what actually a female usually say and also called “woman’s language”. Whereas a male tends to speak confrontational pattern by using minimal responses only to express agreement and to pose direct orders and requests.

        Those directness in male and indirectness in female to express ideas show the existence of some differences which have been had naturally by the male and female.

        Based on Lakoff’s theory about the gender polarization showing the straightforward mapping of gender onto language led our group to do a research to find out whether the same theory will be appropriate in Indonesian’s society or not. The research is only focused in the area of directness and indirectness of a male’s

LITERATURE REVIEW

     Speech act is a technical term in linguistics and the philosophy of language. The contemporary use of the term goes back to John L. Austin's doctrine of locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary acts. Many scholars identify 'speech acts' with illocutionary acts, rather than locutionary or perlocutionary acts. As with the notion of illocutionary acts, there are different opinions on the nature of speech acts. The extension of speech acts is commonly taken to include such acts as promising, ordering, greeting, warning, inviting someone and congratulating.

A speech act is an act that a speaker performs when making an utterance consist of  a general act (illocutionary act) that a speaker performs, analyzable as including the uttering of words (utterance acts), making reference and predicating (propositional acts), and a particular intention in making the utterance (illocutionary force). An act involved in the illocutionary act, including utterance acts and propositional acts. The production of a particular effect in the addressee (elocutionary).

           Robin Tolmach Lakoff’s theory in her book titled Language and Woman's Place, introduced to the field of sociolinguistics many ideas about women's language that are now commonplace. She proposed (Language and Woman's Place) that women's speech can be distinguished from that of men in a number of ways, including:

1.      Hedges : Phrases like "sort of," "kind of," "it seems like"

2.      Empty adjectives: divine, adorable, gorgeous, etc

3.      (Super-) Polite forms: "Would you mind…" "Is it o.k if…?" "…if it’s not too much to ask"

4.      Apologize more: "I'm sorry, but I think that…"

5.      Speak less frequently

6.      Avoid coarse language or expletives

7.      Tag questions: "You don't mind eating this, do you?". Subsequent research has cast some doubt on this proposition

8.      Hyper-correct grammar and pronunciation: Use of prestige grammar and clear articulation

9.      Precise color terms : ”magenta, aquamarine”

10.  Indirect requests: "Wow I'm so thirsty." – really asking for a drink

11.  Speak in italics: Use tone to emphasis certain words, e.g., "so", "very", "quite".

RESEARCH METHOD

1.      Research Questions

            This research cornerns to the usage of direct and indirect speech act between male and female students in Universitas Muhammadiyah Bengkulu as the sample. In order to complete this research, we have to find the answer of these questions:

a.       Does indirect language really tends to be used by females and direct language tends to be used by males?

b.      Does the theory of gender by Lakoff (1973) represent the situation in Indonesia?

2.      Method

To find out the natural responses representing the directness and indirectness in speech act, the writers asked a question naturally (as if the respondents weren’t being interviewed) to both male and female. While asking the target, we tried to record the conversation by using cell phone recorder without being known by the target.

3.      Data Collection

To retrieve a valid and representative data, we collect them by asking ask 20 UMB’s students. They consist of 10 males and 10females.  They were asked about how to get to the library.

	Direct	Indirect
Male 1
Male 2
Male 3
Male 4
Male 5
Male 6
Male 7
Male 8
Male 9
Male 10
Total

	Direct	Indirect
Female 1
Female 2
Female 3
Female 4
Female 5
Female 6
Female 7
Female 8
Female 9
Female 10
Total

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

After we have done this research, we found that:

1.      There are five males who were using indirect speech act. Those who used indirect speech act were the feminine and the doubtful one. First, we found the fact that feminine males tended to use indirect speech act in this research. Also, doubtful males used indirect act to give him time to think more about the details.

2.      There are 8 males who were using direct speech act. As Lakoff said that indirect speech act is the characteristic of female’s language, most of the males were answering in a direct speech. Male prefer to add some gestures to express something than adding some extra detail of information.   

3.      There are 4 females who were using direct speech act.  Less than those who use indirect speech, it proves that female who used direct speech are just minority. Opposite to male, those females who use direct speech act were the masculine.  Also those females whose in rush preferred to use directive speech.

4.      There are 6female who were using indirect speech act. Lakoff’s theory has been proved in this research. Females were really tends to use indirect speech act by adding some extra details to the information. 

CONCLUSION

      Based on the research which have done using UMB’s students as the sample, the writers can conclude that the previous theory stated by Robin Tolmach Lakoff that female's language that are now commonplace is more indirect than male’s language, and this theory is applicable in Indonesian society. It’s showed by the result from our research which stated that there are 6 from 10 females tended to use indirect language but 8 from 10 males were using direct language.

      From the research, the writers also conclude that in expressing their indirectness, female tended to use the characteristics that have been stated by Lakoff’s theory such as the use of color terms like “silver, grey, white, alumunium” which described the color of the Library Roof. But, in expressing their directness, male tended to use their gesture to show the direction to the library. So, our research support the previous research held by Robin Tolmach Lakoff.

TRANSCRIPT DATA HASIL PENELITIAN DI UMB

WANITA

1. Penanya       : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan UMB di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 1        : Itu disitu..                                    

Penanya       : dimanonyo??

Objek 1         : itu na gedung yang itu,disano..lurus terus..

Penanya       : Di depan itu?

Objek           : yo tu yang depan itu la.

(DIRECT)

2. Penanya     : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan UMB di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 2           : tuna yang lantai tigo sebelah kanan, kelak ado tulisannyo disitu

Penanya          : Yang mano? Itu yang sebelah situ?

Objek 2             : Ituna yang gedungnya lanta tigo, yang sebelah kanan dari siko..agak turun ke bawah tuna.

(INDIRECT)

3. Penanya     : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan UMB di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 3          : Ini..lurus..belok kiri..itu yang paling belakang. Ehh..yang ini   ajo, dari sini lurus, kanan.tau gedung B kan ??nah kelak kau jalan kesitu, belok kanan da tu ado turunan dikit, tengok ajo yang pinggir naik ajo lewat tanggo situ.

(INDIRECT)

4.    Penanya       : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan UMB di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 4          : Ohh lurus terus..tuna yang agak turunan dikit.

(DIRECT)

5.    Penanya       : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 5        : Perpustakaan UMB yo?

Penanya       : iyo mbak.

Objek 5         : Di belakang mbak , dari sini luruuuss terus, kelak sebelah kanan ada gedung yang lantai tigo,yang agak di sudut tu na.

(INDIRECT)

6.    Penanya       : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan UMB di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 6          : Kalo dak salah perpustakaan dibelakang dekat gedung B

(DIRECT)

7.    Penanya       :mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan UMB di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 7          : lurus terus ajo terus..terus kelak ado bangunan yang lantai tigo..yang sebelah kanan,,,itu yang agak di sudut

(INDIRECT)     

8.   Penanya     : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan UMB di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 8          : Di belakang, jalan lagi. Dari sini jalan lurus da tu belok kanan, agak turun dikit, nah yang agak sudut itu perpusnyo.

(INDIRECT)

9. Penanya : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 9            : Lurus ja kesitu. Klak ado turunan dikit..yang agak sudut tuna naek ajo ke atas, disitu perpusnyo…

Penanya           : yang itu mbak?

Objek 9             : yoh  yang itulah, dak salah lagi

(INDIRECT)

10.  Penanya      : mbak numpang nanyo, perpustakaan UMB di sebelah mano yo?

Objek 10       : Dibelakang, lurus aja, terus kelak belok  kanan. Pokoknya tengok yang agak sudut.

(DIRECT)

PRIA

1.  Penanya       : numpang tanyo bang, perpustkaan sebelah mano yo?

Penanya        : yang dekat gedung B, dari sini tu lurus ajo nah itu gedung B da tu belok kanan ado turunan dikit, gdung yang agak disudut tu gedung Perpustakaannyo..

 (INDIRECT)

2.Penanya          : Maaf… numpang tanyo perpustakaan UMB sebelah mano yo?

Objek 2               : lurus ajo dari sini da tu belok kiri ada simpang dikit lagi belok kanan da tu turun dikit....

     (INDIRECT)

3.  Penanya      : mas numpang tanyo perpustakaan UMB dimano yo?

Objek 3        : Perpustakaan dekat gedung b, belok ajo kesitu.

(DIRECT)

4.  Penanya       : perpustakaan sebelah mano yo kak?

 Objek 4         : Di ujung, belok kanan. Terus aja. Yang agak nyudut tuna

 (DIRECT)

5.  Penanya      : bang perpustakaan sebelah mano yo?

    Objek 5        : Perpustakaan di ujung, jalan lurus ajo kelak tanyo lagi pas belok kanan.                                  

     (DIRECT)

    

6.  Penanya       : mas numpang tanyo perpustakaan sebela mano yo?

Objek 6         : Di ujung ini. Jalan terus, kelak ado gedung yang agak sudut.

 (DIRECT)   

7. Penanya        :  bang perpustakaan sebelah mano yo?

 Objek 14        : Lurus, terus belok kanan. Ada turunan dikit yang agak sudut tuna

    (DIRECT)

8.  Penanya    : perpustakaan sebelah mano yo kak?

     Objek 7        : Lurus kelak sesudah gedung B sebelah kanan.

     (DIRECT)

9.  Penanya    : mas numpang tanyo perpustakaan sebela mano yo?

     Objek  8       : Lurus ajo, kelak belok  kanan.

     (DIRECT)

10. Penanya  : kak numpang tanyo perpustakaan UMB dimano yo?

     Objek  9       : Di ujung.

     (DIRECT)

Speech Act Theory

Speech Act

A speech act is an utterance which has both a literal meaning and a particular illucotionary force.

Austin argues that are three kinds of act which occur with any sentence or utterance. These are the locutionary, the illucotionary act and the perlocutionary act. The locutionary act refer to the factual words. The illucotioary act refers to the speaker’s intention in uttering the words. The perlucotionary act refers to the effect this utterance has can thoughts or actions of the other person. The term speech act is most often used to refer to the second of these, the illucotionary act, or force of ain utterance.

Sentence Structure And Language Function

There are several ways of expressing certain speech act from linguistic point of view. For example, we often use a question, or intergative form to find out something out, a declarative form to make a statement, and a imperative to get someone doing something.

Direct And Indirect Speech Act

Indirect speech act are often difficult for second language learners to recognize as they may not necessarily know that in english.

Speech act which contain a performative verb are also often direct speech acts since they perform their function in a direct and literal manner. It is clear however that many sentences do not contain a performative verb and if they do it is not always the case that the speech act is the same as this verb might suggest.

Searle used the criteria and the notion of constitutive rules to describe five basci rules types of speech act, these are :

Representative ; utterance which commit the speaker to the truth of a particular proposition, such as asserting.

Directives ; utterances which attempt to get someone to do something such as ordering.

Commisives : utterances which commit the speaker to a future course of action, such as promising.

Expressive : utterances which express a particular psychology state, such as apologising.

Declarations: utterances which bring about an immediate change in a state affairs such as excommunicating.

Rules Vs Principle.

Speech act analysis also as Thomas argues need to take account of physical and social context of use, as well as the fact that meaning is not based on words alone but involves negotiation and interaction between speakers and hearers of language. That is it needs to take account of the different contributions that speakers and hearers make the meaning of interactions.

The notion of speech act and work and in the area of speech act theopry in general, was an improtant step forward toward helping us understand unspoken aspects of what people mean and say. The way of speech act are performed across languages and cultures can differ enormously, however something that speech act theory, in its early days, did not attend to. Most the early work in speech act theory also was based on made up rather than  real life examples of languages use. This has also changed in more recent work in the area. The work that is generaly described as cross cultural pragmatics is an important development in this area of investigation.

Speech Act And Cross Cultural Pragmatics.

When speaker from different cultures interact more than one set of social and cultural norms and assumptions are at work. Information and argument for example are organised differently in different cultures. The meaning behind different speech act such as suggestion and refusal,also vary. Communication problems often arise, then because of different sets of underlying norms and assumptions.

Two important nations in the area of cross cultural pragmatics are what leech terms pragmalinguistics and sociopragmatics.

Culture specific studies of speech act use have included requests in American English and Isrealie Hebrew, opening, closing, feedback and politeness markers in german and english, ways of expressing agreement, complimenting, thanking and apologising in japanese and english and questioning strategies in swedish and english.

The Cooperative Principle

Pragmatics explores the relationship between meaning, context and communication. There are two key concepts in this area of investigation. These are speaker meaning and the cooperative principle.

According to Grice people assume that there are some kind of rules for interaction that direct us to a particular interpretation of what person is saying. Unless we receive some indication to the contrary. He describes the cooperative principle thus :

“make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.(Grice 1975:45)