A study of language functions used by the caretakers of Autistic children in “Miracle Run”

ABSTRACT

This study investigates language functions used by the caretakers of autistic children in “Miracle Run”. The objectives of the study are to find out the kinds and the effectiveness of language functions used by caretakers in the film and to describe the most dominant kinds of language functions found.

This study uses descriptive qualitative approach. It is categorized as discourse analysis because this study analyzes phenomena of talk in interaction. The data are collected from the language used by the caretakers; they are mother, doctor, teacher, and therapist when talk to the autistic children and those are analyzed by using M.A.K Halliday theory on language functions.

The result of this study shows that there are several language functions used by caretakers in talking to autistic child in Miracle Run film. They are; instrumental function, regulatory function, representational function, interactional function, personal function, heuristic function and imaginative function. Regulatory function is the most dominant kind of language functions used by the caretakers in talking to autistic children in the film with twenty three utterances used. Then the effective of language functions found in the film are regulatory function, representational function, interactional function, personal function, heuristic function and imaginative function. Regulatory function is effectively used in 19 utterances, interactional function is effectively used in 6 utterances, imaginative function is effectively used in 5 utterances, personal function is effectively used in 2 utterances then heuristic function and representational function are effectively used in 1 utterance. They are effectively used by the caretakers because the autistic children can give response whether verbal or non verbal. Instrumental function is the only function that not effectively used by caretakers in talking to autistic children in “Miracle Run”.

Since this study is only analyzing the kinds and effectiveness of language functions, it is more interesting to analyze another phenomenon by using other theory on language functions. Besides, the researcher suggested next researcher to choose field research in real life, means does not research film, in order to compare and contrast the finding of this film and the finding of the real life. In addition, the researcher suggested the caretakers of autistic children to give commands and manage the autistic children behavior using regulatory function and several of prompt.