Interpersonal Metafunction in a Junior High School student’s text.

Text : Recount Text

The Writer : A Junior High School Student (class 8)
Last year, my family and I went to my uncle’s home in Bandung. We
went to Bandung by car. We depart at 07.00.
I arrived at 10.00 PM in the morning. Afterwards we saw many
mountain, fields. We directed played in the yard at 14.00 PM. We had
lunch. There was fried chicken, fried rice, and omelet. Then, at 16 PM
we went to my uncle’s home. In there, we met my uncle, his wife, and
his son.At 2 PM, we came back to my house.
I (was) very tired but I was happy
 1.INTERPERSONAL METAFUNCTION
But I was Giving Information Statement
happy

B. MOOD System
1.
Last year my Went to my in Bandung
family uncle’s home
and I
Circumstanti Subjec Finit Predicat Circumstanti Circumstanti
al adjunct t e or al adjunct al adjunct

2.
We Went to Bandung By car
Subject Finite Predicator Circumstantial Circumstantial
adjunct Adjunct

3.

We Departed At 07.00
Subject Finite Predicator Circumstantial
adjunct
4.
I Arrived At 10.00 PM in
the morning
Subject Finite Predicator Circumstantial
adjunct
5.
Afterwards We Saw Many
mountains
and fields
Circumstantia Subject Finite Predicator Complement
l adjunct

It looks ok= it is ok
I looked some flowers=
6.
We directly Played in the yard at 02.00 PM
Subject Mood Finite Predicator Circumstantial Circumstantial
adjunct adjunct adjunct

7.
We Had Lunch
Subject Finite Predicator Complement

8.
There Was Fried chicken,
fried rice, and
omelet
Subject Finite Complement

9.

Then We Went To my uncle’s

home
Conjunctive Subjec Finite Predicator Circumstantial
adjunct t adjunct
10.

We Met My uncle, his

wife, and his
son
Subjec Finite Predicator Complement
t

11.
At 9 PM We Came back To my house
Circumstantia Subject Finite Predicator Circumstantial
l adjunct adjunct
12.
I Was Very tired
Subject Finite Complement
But I Was Happy
Conj.adjunc subject finite complement
t

Seen from the table shown, this analysis will cover interpersonal
metafunction through MOOD in each part of schematic structure of
recount text as mentioned by Thai (1998); orientation, events, and
reorientation.

Orientation :
Interpersonally, the writer starts his writing by negotiating the
interaction within the text by using declarative mood as seen from the
use of “statement” in giving the background of information about the
topic shared ( the first clause; last year, my family and I went to my
uncle’s home in Bandung, the second clause; we went to Bandung by
car) as in line with Droga & Humphrey (2003) as cited in Emilia (2014)
that the way in giving information through statements is categorized as
declarative mood. Besides, the position of Subject that precedes Finite
also strengthen declarative mood as the type of Mood used as Halliday
(1994a); see also Eggins (2004).Moreover, telling the background of
information about the past events (the writer’s and his family’s visit to
the writer’s uncle in Bandung last year) as shown by the Subject, Finite,
as well as Circumstantial adjunct used in this part is relevant to Gerot &
Wignel (1994) that the orientation introduces who involved and provides
the setting of the events as also supported by Thai (2009) that the
orientation part in the recount text answers the information about who
involved, as well as when, and where the events happened.
Events :
Interpersonally, like in the orientation stage, declarative mood is
realized in each clause written in this part; for instance; I arrived at
10.00 in the morning; afterwards, we saw many mountains and field, etc
in which all of them use “statement” as speech function and the position
of Subject always precedes Finite showing that this structure consists of
declarative mood as Eggins (2004). Besides, the use of Complement as
seen from the clauses; afterwards we saw many mountain and fields, we
had lunch is beneficial to expand the clauses as in keeping with Eggins &
Slade (1997) as cited in Emilia (2014) that interpersonally complement is
used to expand the field of negotiation. Conjunctive adjuncts (afterwards,
then) are also used in this part which support the criteria of this
schematic structure; sequencing the events in keeping with Gerot &
Wignel (1994) that events as the second structure of recount text not only
consist of what happened at past time but also in what sequences the
events occurred.
Reorientation :
Interpersonally, in this last stage of recount text, the speech function
used is the same as in orientation as well as in events; “statement”
showing declarative mood as shown; I was very tired but I was happy
that conforming to Eggins (2002); see also Emilia (2014) that declarative
Mood requires statement as the speech function. Of course, it is also
properly used since this structure aims at showing the closure of events
as Gerot & Wignel (1994) that logically the commodity needed is in
form of information; neither good nor services. Besides, the use of Finite
that is always positioned after Subject also support the type of MOOD
used; declarative mood as stated by Halliday (1994a) that one of features
in declarative Mood is the position of Subject that always precedes
Finite.
From interpersonal metafunction, it is inferred that the writer is
categorized as beginner- writer in relation to the simple clause used to
convey the message of writing despite the use of one compounding
sentence as signed by the use of subordinate conjunction to link clauses
(but) as shown in the last part; I was very tired but I was happy. Besides,
it is still found that the writer still confused using the form of past verb
(depart which should be departed), the loss of Verb in a clause (I very
tired that should be I was very tired). The writer also only uses two
temporal conjunctions (afterwards, and then) for ten events happened. Of
course, it is inferred that the sequence of events are not supported enough
by the number of temporal conjunction utilized as in consonance with
Knapp & Watkins (2005) that the use of temporal conjunction has the
prominence to sequence the past events in recount text. Besides,
Seen from the whole analysis of the text, it is crucial for teachers to teach
explicitly about the linguistics aspects; such as grammar which is
included into the principle of Genre based approach as stated by Emilia
(2005) that teachers have to teach the aspects of language explicitly to
make students understand how to use language in reality. It is also in
consonance with Gibbons (2002) that teachers start to introduce the
grammar that are relevant to the topic discussed in the first step of Genre
based approach; Building knowledge of the field. Otherwise, the teachers
also have to pay attention on guiding students in identifying the language
features used in recount text which is stated by Derewianka (2004) that
in the second step of Genre based approach; Modelling text, teachers not
only read the model text for students, but also discuss the schematic
structure as well as language features of the text; therefore, the lack of
using temporal conjunction as found in the text analyzed will be avoided
since students are aware of the importance of using temporal conjunction
as a linguistic feature of recount text. Besides, the prominence of Joint
construction of text as the third step of Genre based approach as
mentioned by Derewianka (2004) is also beneficial for students to
improve their comprehension of the text since they will get input from
peers as well as teachers in reconstructing the text together. The last step
of teaching in Genre based approach is Independent construction of text
that is stated by Derewianka (2004); see also Emilia (2005) that students
are demanded to construct the text individually after getting the
knowledge as well as understanding on the text in previous stages. Even,
in this stage, teachers also are demanded to give feedback to what
students have achieve in constructing the text as (Derewianka, 2004; see
also Emilia, 2005) which is in consonance with the theory of output
hypothesis as proposed by Swain (1985) that the feedback; including
correction is crucial to be given to students aims at avoiding students stay
in incorrect hypothesis in using language. Therefore, all the steps of
teaching recount text as explained above are appropriately used by
teachers in order to guide students use language based on its function.
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