A psycholinguistic analysis on sign language used by Jonah in and Your Name is Jonah movie

ABSTRACT

Language acquisition is the process of language capability develops in a human. Processing a language is an essential human trait, which means all- normal human speak, and no nonhuman or animal does. Those explanation about language acquisition, shares a light that it is naturally happen for children who have laxity like deafness to acquire their first language through sign language as children who use oral language. Considering the significance role played by language acquisition in a human included deaf children, this study is aimed to come deeper to see what language used by deaf children in the process of acquiring their language and how they acquire their language.

In accordance with those reasons, what makes this study was crucial to be completed was that in And Your Name is Jonah movie, the main character; Jonah can represent his sign language well, which is appearing our interest to know and recognize about sign language acquisition in it. This study emphasizes sign language acquisition, particularly in manual sign language which taken from sign language description script of And Your Name is Jonah movie.

In conducting this research, the writer uses descriptive qualitative method since it analyzes the data in the form of sign language description descriptively. The writer made herself as the key instrument, she spent a great deal of time to observe and take some documentation by analyzing the script of the movie And Your Name is Jonah.

After analyzing the data, the researcher found that the main actor of And Your Name is Jonah movie, Jonah is used American Sign Language which is composed of sign language and Finger- spelling. Whereas, lip movements and facial expressions are rarely used. Furthermore, in a process of acquiring his language, the researcher found that symbolic gesturing facilities (lip movements and facial expression) are the early stages of verbal language development. He cannot purely imitate. He must experiment and wait for approval. It seems there is an internal process in his mind far from imitation.

By reviewing this study, it can be concluded that in language acquisition of deaf children, the important thing is exposing them to sign language since their parents are not familiar with sign languages, they may view the auditory/ oral only approach as best way to educate them and help them fit into the ―hearing world‖. The next researcher, especially, should be able to come deeper to see sign

languages phenomena that stand behind deaf children in order to reach a perfect comprehension and understanding in sign language acquisition. Finally, this study can be one of a good reference since this study analyzed about sign language acquisition in an appropriate movie which can represent a real condition of deaf children in acquiring sign language.