STUDENTS PROBLEMS IN SUPRASEGMENTAL PHONOLOGY IN THE CASE

OF DISTINGUSHING THE EXPRESSIONS BETWEEN REQUEST FOR

INFORMATION AND CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING.

A Research Proposal Designed by:

Name

: Rizky Akbar

Reg. Numb

: A1B211252

Advisor 1

: Novita Triana, S.Pd., M.A.

NIP

: 197411192000122001

Advisor 2

: Dr. Fatchul Muin, M.Hum

NIP

: 196103041989031003

Advisor 3

: Emma Rosana Febriyanti, M.Pd.

NIP

: 198202202005012002

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective
of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, and the definition of key terms.

1.1

Background of the Study

1.1 Background of The Study

As a human being it is our own nature to interact with everything surround us. In this
case human communicates with any other living creatures: animals, plants and especially
with their own self mankind, human. But what kind of communication they made each
other? Long ago before written language has found in human history, human
communicates through spoken language. But after time and time we found that spoken
language is not enough to communicate and we found words as symbolic language as the
real form of spoken language. Then we used both as a tool to communicate to others in
advance. But in time language is more to be specified into another high level as we put
them in one of the scientific fields through the evolution of study and knowledge. In
short, we called it as a linguistics.
From different viewpoints, as a science, linguistics can be devided into several
branches, among other, descriptive linguistics and historical/comparative linguistics (if it
is based on its methodology), synchronic and diachronic linguistics (if it is based on its
aspects of time), and phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics (if it is
based on language as a system), and sociolinguistics and psycholonguistics (if it is related
to or combined with the diciplines (sociology and psychology respectively) (Nanik
Mariani & Fatchul Muin in An Introduction To Linguistics).
As an international language, English is considered as the language that people in the
world must at least required. The ability to use this language is absolutely needed in

globalization era when many international sectors growth has to be balanced by human
resource development.
As a foreign language, English is very different from Indonesian or any Indonesians
mother tongue language. The difference stands not only in terms of vocabulary and
structure but also in terms of its sound system. According to Finocchiaro and Bloom in
Muthim (2010:65), the system of English sound(phonology) is different from the system
of Indonesian sound system. So is the system of its grammar(morphology and syntax),
the system of its vocabulary(semantics), and even the system of its pragmatics. In short,
language system applied in English is really different from the system of Indonesian
language.
The sound system always relates with the term pronunciation, which is very important
in learning a language including English. It has significance position in determining the
meaning, however pronunciation problem usually happened in learning a foreign
language. Many English language teachers get students to study grammar and
vocabulary, answer the question on the text book and develop other English skills. This
condition is supported by text book that they use in teaching and learning activities. Yet
pronunciation area gets very little attention and sometimes is forgotten as the important
part in a language. Pronunciation is not always reffered to the speaking skill but it also
relates on listening skill as it called by David Nunan as a complementary relationship.
Nunan also said that listening is a Cinderella skill in second learning. All too often, it has
been overlooked by its older sister, speaking. For most people, being able to claim
knowledge of a second language means being able to speak and write in that language.
Listening and reading are therefore secondary skills, means to ther ends, rather than ends
in themselves. For most of its history, the teaching of pronunciation has been biased
toward segmental aspects of the sound system. However, with the development of

communicative approaches to language teaching, the importance of suprasegmental

aspects has finally been acknowledged. In a key survey article published in 1986,
Pennington and Richards argue in favor ofsuprasegmental approach on the grounds that
teaching isolated forms of sounds and words fails to address the fact that, in
communication, many aspects of pronunciation are determined by the positioning of
elements within long stretches of speech. Other commentators have pointed out that
faulty stress, rhythm, and intonation patterns cause greater difficulty of hearers than the
inaccurate pronunciation of individual sounds. In short, suprasegmental features has been
become the odd man out on the importance of communication.
The learners have to pay attention on the suprasegmental features which is in here we
are dealing with stress, rhythm, and intonation in order to decrease the misunderstanding
that may occur between the speaker and the listener. It is expected that the students are
able to recognize on every level of pronunciation and awareness of the sound differences.
So that, they will improve their listening skill.
The reason why the researcher took this research is that he wanted to know the
problems that students get when it comes to the suprasegmental phonology and in this
case the students will get tested on how well they sever the expressions between asking
for information and checking for understanding.
1.2 Statement of The Problem
The problem of this research can be formulated in the following questions below:
1. What are the intent problems/mistakes that can be seen after they had their listening
test?
2. What are the factors that could affect students achievement in distinguishing the
different function of stress and intonation (in this case differing request for
information or checking the understanding tone)?
1.3 Objective of the Study
The objective of this study are:

1. To find out the major problems encountered by the students.

2. To find out the factors that might interfere the students achievement in distinguishing
the different function of stress and intonation (in this case differing request for
information or checking the understanding tone)
1.4 Significance of The Study
The result of the study is expected to give significances as follow:
1. To give an educational feedback for teaching and learning English activities.
2. To enhance more information ofsuprasegmental phonology especially based on stress,
ryhtm, and intonation for students.
3. To be reference for other study in the same field to consider what study is going to
investigate. If this study is valuable, it will help the other researchers to develop it for
more significantly study in the future.
1.5 The Limitation of The Study
The limitation of this study is that the research only dealsonfocussing with
suprasegmental problems students encountered especially how different stress and
intonation patterns signal differences of function (in this case, distinguishing between
request for information and checking for understanding). This research is conducted for
english students in Lambung Mangkurat University on their 7th semester which the
researcher know they already took and learned the phonology course from last semester.
1.6 Definition of Key Terms
1. Problem
Problem is the difficulty that could affect the teaching or learning achievement.
2. Phonology
According to Clark et all (2007) Phonology means the systematic use of sound to
encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying
this use.
3. Expression
Expression is a particular word, phrase, or form of words that has a different meaning
than its literal form and it can be accompanied by expressions and postures of the face
and body to build the meaning or message in that formation of words.

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Segmental and Suprasegmental Phonology

Dobrovolsky and Higgins (2001) state that the flow of speech can be devided into
segments and those segments are characterized by specific phonetic properties. In terms
of segments, they are known as the smallest linguistic units which make sound to occur.
A segment is also referred as phoneme. We can listen to each phoneme independently,
but the phoneme on its own does not carry any meaning. Ladefoged (2006) also informs
that vowels and consonants together form the syllables that make up utterances. In
general, learners of English at college or university level know about the articulation of
English sounds or segmental units which are the smallest element of phonological
structure.

CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD

This chapter deals with research design, population and sample, instrumentation, data
collection, and data analysis.

3.1. Approach and Type of Research

The study uses qualitative approach. It is a descriptive study. According to Fraenkel
and Wallen (2006:14) descriptive studies describe a given state of affairs as fully and
carefully as possible. Data collection on descriptive method is used to test the research
question that related to the circumstances and events today. Moreover, descriptive study
has purpose to make description about current situations or event and to make
systematically, factually, and accurately overview about populations facts and
characteristics in specific area (Suryabrata, 2010:75-76).
The variables of this study are students problems in suprasegmental phonology. This
research will investigate the students problems in the case of distinguishing the
expressions between asking for information and checking for understanding, to find the
major mistakes encountered by the students and to find out the factors which may
influence the students achievement in distinguishing the expressions between asking for
information and checking for understanding,
3.2 Instrumentation
The researcher in this research acts as data collector and data analyzer. According to
Guba and Lincoln as cited in Arifin (2011:169), if the research approach is qualitative, then
the instrument is the human, in this case is the researcher itself. Researcher as the
instrument will observe and analyze the documents.