Explicature in medical update sections of reader’s digest magazine

ABSTRACT

This research focuses on analyzing the written texts from Medical Update section of Reader’s Digest magazine” by using the explicature theory proposed by Dan Sperber and Deidre Wilson. Explicature is the inference or series of inferences that enrich the undetermined form produced by the speaker to a full prepositional form that are motivated by the indeterminacy of language. Medical update section is a part of sections which is available in Reader’s Digest magazine covering the latest advances in research; treatment and technology and often conveyed explicitly. Based on that background, the research on explicature used in the medical update sections in Reader’s Digest magazine was conducted with the proposed problem” How are the explicatures used in Medical Update sections published by Reader’s Digest magazine?”

The research is conducted by using descriptive qualitative method based on the explicature tlieory proposed by Sperber and Wilson, because the data are in the form of utterance and sentences written in Medical Update section of Reader’s Digest magazine. The data have been selected from section of Reader’s Digest magazine from May to July 2007

There are some steps that should be taken to reach explicature. They are; firstly, considering the vague terms. Secondly, adding some words which have disambiguation and thirdly, reference assignment.

Data analysis has revealed some findings covering the formulated research problem. The explicature used in Medical update section of Reader’s Digest magazine can be analyzed in three steps. First, the researcher presents the data that are supposed to be explicature. A second step is the researcher specifies the vague terms, the utterance is added by some disambiguated words relating to the context, and developed in reference assignment. The third steps, the whole data sources are discussed and continued by making conclusion from the result of analysis. The result of the study are firstly, explicature used in Medical update section of Reader’s Digest magazine can be described in three processes, first specifies the vague terms. Second, the term can be added by disambiguated words. The third, developed in reference assignment. The words used in Medical Health section are minimalist but have maximum meaning.

These findings are recommended for the journalist to get the explicit meanings. It is recommended to the teachers of English Letters and Language Department to develop knowledge in discourse studies. To the college students of English Letters and Language Department can use this as reference to get knowledge and to better understand tlie utterances and the words in the titles. Furthermore, it is also recommended for the next researchers should discuss similar studies that involve more complete data in other areas that relevant to phenomena such as sociolinguistics.