Inserts Used by Ariana Grande of Interview in Jimmy Fallon Talk Show: Analysis of Polite Speech-act Formulae

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Abstract

This research aimed to find out types and function of inserts used by Ariana Grande of the interview in the Jimmy Fallon talk show. This research was qualitative research. The subjects consisted of a famous singer Ariana Grande. The data were inserts used by the Ariana Grande interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show from the transcript of 6 minutes interview video. Does the study seek to answer two research questions: (1) what are the types of inserts in Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show? And (2) What are the functions of inserts in Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show? So that, answer these problems, the researcher applied Rose’s (1998) theory on the types of inserts which combined with similar notions on the varieties and functions of inserts which taken from Stenström (1994) and Baalen (2001). This study implemented a descriptive qualitative method which used discourse analysis to conduct this study. This study aims to present the types and the functions of inserts and to increase the learners’ awareness of inserts when they hesitate in the foreign language, which is the very realm of speaking.

Keywords: inserts, types of inserts, functions of inserts, Ariana Grande

Introduction

A language is a method of capricious, vocal symbols that allow all individuals in a given culture or other individuals who have learned the system of that culture, to communicate or to cooperate and interact (Finocchioro, in Ramelan 1984). Language has a huge role in human life to make a relation in their environment. One of the expert states that language is used widely in communication and interaction between individuals who do not share the same first (or even second) language (Harmer, 2007). It means and indicates that language is very important to learn in human life and cannot be detached from the human being. It is not as simple as possible by Learning to speak a second language (SL), especially the foreign language (FL). It entails many efforts in understanding and applying language as a foreign language, commitment to learning, emerging and developing the awareness as each language has its own rules (Santos, Alarcón, & Pablo, 2016). It is factual when learning a foreign language takes place in a situation where the target of language unusually used by foreign language outside the foreign language classroom. According to Holmes (2013) and Chaika (2008), basically, people need to develop not only linguistic competence but also the appropriate communicative competence as well in communicating any foreign language. Consequently, to understand how to pronounce words correctly, use suitable grammar, and choose a competent vocabulary does not guarantee the triumph to be able to speak a foreign language. In utterance spoken language, people communicate and tend to use features of spoken language such as inserts.

Being a key concept, inserts are treated as ‘inserts’, as ‘stand-alone’ words which are characterized in general, by their incapability to pass in syntactic dealings with other structures. They are treated as ‘syntactic non-clausal units’ in that “they can be given a syntactic non-clausal unit is not clause based. In this research, the researcher classifies the inserts into nine types; those are interjections, greeting and farewells, discourse markers, attention signals, response elicitors, response forms, hesitators, various polite speech-act formulae, and expletives. Therefore, the researcher also describes the functions of inserts.

Since speaking another language as a foreign language is not easy, sometimes people make some pauses during speaking. Indeed, many impulsive speakers of kind of languages have pauses on their speaking which are taken when needed (Erten, 2014). This phenomenon is commonly called as inserts. Inserts are defined as a class of words or a single word which they are stand-alone or unaccompanied words which are categorized in general by their inability to enter into syntactic dealings with other structures. Conversely, inserts tend to attach themselves a prosodically to a larger structure, and as such may be counted as a slice of the structure. In daily conversation, people often use Oh, Yeah, Ah, Cor, Aha, Oops, Ugh, Uh, Uh Huh, or similar expressions. According to (John Lawler). Discourse meanings to express a speaker’s emotional and feeling which give a response to a situation, or they are ‘used to signal a response to what has just been said’. They are also called ‘exclamations’, ‘interjections’, or ‘discourse markers’. Biber et al. clarify that, despite the fact syntactic non-clausal units are not clause-based, “they may be classed as units which are capable of entering hooked on syntactic dealings with others for forming larger units such as clausal units.” (Biber et al. 1999: 1082) (original emphasis). Furthermore, they also recognize that the boundary between inserts and syntactic non-clausal units is a gradual one (Biber et al. 1999: 1082).

Inserts are characterized in general through their inability to pass in syntactic dealings with other structures. However, inserts are categorized into nine types; those are interjections, greeting and farewells, discourse markers, attention signals, response elicitors, response forms, hesitators, various polite speech-act formulae, and expletives. The interjection is applied here to inserts which have an exclamatory function, expressive of the speaker’s emotion. The separating line is sheer between interjections (the reproduction of the sounds or specific words we complete involuntarily under the stress or some emotion and feeling) and exclamations, in which a conventional word or a group of words are used as interjections (Eckersley and Eckersley 1966: 316). We illustrate interjections in approximate order of frequency while grouping interjections of similar function. We also comment briefly on their meaning that is, their pragmatic function. There are certain functions of each expression in an interjection. First, ‘Oh’ is by far the most common interjection. It is used to introduce utterances or to respond to the utterances, it is core function appears to be to convey some degree of surprise, unexpectedness, or emotive arousal, and it is responding to a remark treated as ‘news’. Second, ‘Ah, Wow, Ohh’ it is used to convey the greater intensity of feeling (Ah/Wow), Wow typically indicates which the speaker is surprised an impressed, delighted (Wow), and to express both agreeable and disagreeable feelings (Ooh). Third, ‘Cor, Aha, Oops, Whoops’ is to Expresses some degree of amazement (in the beginning/former), it can sudden recognition (in the last part/ latter), they are used at the moment a minor mishap/unlucky condition occurs, and then when the speakers spill something. Fourth, ‘Ugh, Ow, Ouch, Aargh, Uurgh, Tt, Hm’ is typically expresses a degree of disgust (Ugh), Give voice to (typically physical) pain (ow, ouch), it more generalized in expressing pain and displeasure (Aargh/Urgh), registers some of regret or disapproval (Tt), whereas appears to Convey doubt or lack of enthusiasm (Hm). Fifth, ‘Ha, Yippee, Whoppee, Wowee, Yuck’ are typically expresses of ‘mirthless laugh’, it often occurs in series (ha ha ha), (Yippee) is a rather rare interjection expressing delight, (Whoopee) is express a degree of delight, (Wowee) is express a degree of astonishment, and (Yuck) is express a degree of revulsion or disgust. There are certain functions of each expression in greetings and farewells. In greeting, the symmetrical exchange, the briefer the greeting, the more informal e.g. ‘Hi, hello, Good Morning, Morning, Hiya, Wotcha, Hey, Howdy, how you doing, Good day’. In farewells or leave-takings, follow the same principles as greetings in being typically reciprocated, also in the preference for short forms in a more informal context.

There are certain functions of each expression in discourse markers, and these are the expressions ‘Well, right, now, I mean, you know, you see, Mind you, now then, oh, okay’. The function of (well) is to deliberation the signal, the speakers’ need to give thought or consideration to the point of an issue, context of disagreement, prevaricating answers to questions, a signal of self-correction or deliberation over the choice of expression. The expression of (right) is to use at the start of a turn, to convey decisiveness, to initiate a new phase of the conversation, to resemble between Okay and Alright, to response; understanding and compliance. The expression of (now) is to clearing ‘a bit of conversational space’ ahead, a return to a related subject, at the same time a new departure, it provides additional background information. On the other hand, discourse markers are to arise at the start of a turn or utterance, to signal a transition in the developing the progress of conversation, and to signal an interactive dealing with the speaker, hearer, and message. In attention signals, it has some expressions for instance ‘hey, say, hey you’. The functions are to attract the attention of addresses. The speakers want to make clear that they are addressing a particular person and general exclamatory function. Next, response elicitors, response elicitors have certain expressions, for instance ‘Huh?, Eh?, Alright?, Okay?, See?’, those expressions have functions which are too generalized question tags, a role of inviting agreement or confirmation from the hearer, speaker-centred role, to seeking a signal that has been comprehended and accepted, casual exchange, and also they can follow statements/questions/ directives. The next one is response forms, this is one of the inserts will be analysed and investigated. Response forms has certain expressions for instance ‘Okay, Yeah, Yep, Huh-uh’ The function of response forms is to brief and routinized or giving responses to a previous statement by a different speaker, to give response to a question, to directives, to assertions, to relating to future actions, such as suggestions, offers, advice, and permission giving (okay), A response to a statement (yeah), As backchannels (signalling response to the speaker that the message is being understood and accepted (yeah). Hesitators is one of the inserts, these have already been discussed, and they are pause fillers, whose main function is to enable the speaker to hesitate, to pause in the central of a message, while signalling the wish to continue speaking, for instance ‘Uh, Er, Um, Erm’. Also, various polite speech-act formulae are one of the inserts.

Under this heading we place of formulae used in conventional speech acts, such as thanking, apologizing, requesting, and congratulating. Such formulae also frequently elicit a polite reply. The examples of various polite speech-act formulae are ‘… Please, thank you, You’re welcome, Pardon me, Excuse me, Good luck, Congratulations, and Sorry’. Last, expletives or commonly called as ‘swearing’ is used here for taboo expressions (swearwords) or semi-taboo expressions used as exclamations, especially in reaction to some strongly negative experience, common positions: stand-alone occurrence, initial occurrence, socially acceptable: moderated expletives. There are two types of expletives, taboo expletives to make orientation to one of the offensive domains of religion, sex or bodily excretion and moderated expletives to disguise their offensive origin by types phonetic modification. The examples of expletives are ‘Gosh, God, Damn!, Shit, Goddammit, Bloody hell!, Goddamn assholes, Fuck’.

One of the methods of interactional communicating each other is by public speaking. Hasling (2006) describes public speaking as a kind of communication that a person has the courtesy of many people for some times. The instance of public speaking are speech, lecture, and presentation. In this study, the researcher investigates the speech as one of the varieties of public speaking.

In the education field, inserts are seen as a negative insight into speaking because it may decrease the fluency mark of inserts. Claim that, despite the fact syntactic non-clausal units are not clause-based, “they may be classed as units which are capable of entering into syntactic dealings with others for forming larger units such as clausal units.” (Biber et al. 1999: 1082) (original emphasis). He also concludes about insert in speaking. However, some experts explain that inserts have a positive insight. Inserts have types and functions. Inserts have some functions which depend on the condition of the speaker (Schiffrin, 1978, p. 154) Therefore, this study purposes to investigate and analyzed the types and functions of inserts in order to increase awareness of dodging inserts in speaking. Afterwards, the researcher formulates two research problems: (1) what are the types of inserts used in Ariana Grande’s Interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show? and (2) What are the functions of fillers used in Ariana Grande’s Interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show?

Methodology

This research is used as Qualitative research. Patton and Cochran (2002) defines qualitative research is categorized by its purposes, which belongs to understanding some feature of social life, and this technique which is generate the word, rather than numbers, as data for the analysis. Qualitative research is understanding of social phenomenon based on participant’s point of view. In order to increase information into a certain phenomenon, such as an environment, a process, or a belief. The purpose of this study was to analyze the types and functions of inserts used by Ariana Grande interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show. According to Wood and Kroger (2000), discourse analysis explained as a person’s insight that comprehends methodological and conceptual elements. Furthermore, they also maintain that discourse data includes spoken and written transcripts. In the other hand, Stark and Trinidad (2007) add that discourse analysis concerns on language use. Therefore, the researcher showed a discourse analysis to study the types and the functions of inserts in the utterances of Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show in May 2018.

The object of this research was Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show which was taken from YouTube. There was one video which used in this study. The entitles Ariana Grande Spills All The Tea About Her Album Title and Release Date. The duration of the video is 6:12 (6 minutes 12 seconds) which is not the long duration of a video. The video is about Ariana Grande gives Jimmy some facts and details about her upcoming album, such as how she chose her title of the album and the sentimental meaning behind the intro track called ‘Raindrops,’ and also she reveals the album date and some titles of the songs from her new upcoming album, and she reveals her Nonna’s favorite song. The researcher chose this kind of video because the video is interesting and the object from the video is the biggest singer or artist in the world nowadays which very popular and known by many people in the world and another reason the researcher chose this video, it because Ariana Grande has a unique accent, diction, tone, and dialect. Ariana Grande’s accent and dialect have been put under the spotlight supposedly speaking with a ‘blaccent’. A blaccent is a characteristic manner of speech, pitch or tone specific to African American urban inner city youth and also, even Ariana Grande was born in America but her race is mixed with Italian-American. Since this research showed a discourse analysis, the researcher used the videos’ and the transcripts’ of Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show. To instigate the study, the researcher defined what inserts are rendering to some experts. Then, the researcher observed and looked for and chosen the video which was used. After collecting the objects of this research, the researcher wrote the transcript of the selected video. In the next part of the research process, the video and the transcript were analyzed by using the theories. In this process, the researcher used three steps. First, the researcher observed and looked for some videos about Ariana Grande’s interviews, and then found the words or sentences containing inserts in her utterances. Second, the findings were analyzed and classified into the types of inserts. Third, the findings of classifications were defined and explained as the possible reasons why Ariana Grande used those inserts in her interviews. Those three steps were to response and answered the research questions in this study. Finally, the researcher drew the conclusion based on the finding in this research.

Findings and Discussion

This part discusses the results of this research. It contains of two sections, namely the types of inserts and the functions of inserts occurrence in the utterances used in Ariana Grande’s interviews in Jimmy Fallon talk show.

The Types of Inserts

This section answered the first project questions about types of inserts used by Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show. There are five types of inserts; those are a response form, discourse markers, response elicitors, interjections, and greeting. From the data which were taken by the researcher by a recording of utterances in Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show, there were five types of inserts used by them.

Since this study was to investigate the word inserts, the researcher just focused on the inserts. They were response form, discourse markers, response elicitors, interjections, and greeting inserts with the total number of occurrences 22. The details of the types of inserts used by Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show presented in the following table:

Table 1. Types of Inserts Used by Ariana Grande

No.

Types of Inserts

N

Response Form Inserts

15

Discourse Markers Inserts

2

Response Elicitors Inserts

2

Interjection Inserts

1

Greeting Inserts

2

Total

22

The table above implies that the most frequent of inserts used by Ariana Grande was

response form (15), discourse markers, response elicitors with number of occurrences (2), interjection with number of occurrences (1) and Then, followed by greeting inserts with number of occurrences 2 inserts, with total number of occurrences 21.

Table 2. Response Form Inserts Used by Ariana Grande

No.

Types of Inserts

N

Yeah

13

Okay, So Yeah

1

Oh, yeah, yeah

1

Total

21

According to table 2 the response forms insert that used by Ariana Grande interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show are 21, ‘Yeah’ (13), ‘Okay, So Yeah’ (1), ‘Oh, yeah, yeah (1), ‘Oh, yeah, yeah’ (1). In addition, as we can see according to the table 2 Ariana Grande produce 21 response forms in inserts.

Table 3. Discourse Markers Inserts Used by Ariana Grande

No.

Types of Inserts

N

I Know

1

All right

1

Total

2

According to table 3 the discourse markers insert that used by Ariana Grande interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show are only 2 inserts, ‘I know’ (1) and ‘All right’ (1). Therefore, as we can see according to the table 3 Ariana Grande produce 2 discourse markers in inserts.

Table 4. Response Elicitors Inserts Used by Ariana Grande

No.

Types of Inserts

N

Yeah

1

Okay

1

Total

2

According to table 4 the response elicitors insert that used by Ariana Grande interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show are only 2 inserts, ‘Yeah’ (1) and ‘Okay’ (1). In addition, as we can see according to the table 4 Ariana Grande produce 2 response elicitors in inserts.

Table 5. Interjection Inserts Used by Ariana Grande

No.

Types of Inserts

N

Oh, ooh, unh

1

Total

1

According to table 5 the interjection insert that used by Ariana Grande interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show are only 1 insert, ‘Oh, ooh, unh’ (1). Henceforth, as we can see according to the table 5 Ariana Grande produce only 1 interjection in inserts.

Table 6. Greeting Inserts Used by Ariana Grande

No.

Types of Inserts

N

Hi

2

Total

2

According to table 6 the greeting insert that used by Ariana Grande interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show are only 2 inserts, both of the greeting insert that she used is ‘Hi’ (2). Therefore, as we can see according to the table 6 Ariana Grande produce two greetings in inserts.

Those five detail examples of inserts used by Ariana Grande’s interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show, those words were not important as a part of their sentence. Therefore, whether those words were in the sentence or not, they could not change the meaning and sense of the sentence.

The Functions of Inserts

Actually, inserts have many functions. Argues that inserts have some functions which depend on the situation of the speaker. There were at least five functions of inserts which became the focus on this study. They were a response form, discourse markers, response elicitors, interjections, and greeting. The researcher analyzed the productions of inserts and cleared the functions by considering the context of the condition from the utterances.

As already presented in the previous section, Ariana Grande produced inserts in different functions. She produced five different types of inserts based on a theory proposed by Rose (1994). In this study, inserts as hesitation devices appeared the most in the selected videos. These were some function of inserts used by Ariana Grande:

  • AG: Yeah.
  • AG: Okay, so yeah.
  • AG: Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. Okay, so I told Jimmy, I told Jimmy, I told Jimmy.

Based on the situation, Yeah, Okay, so yeah, and Oh yeah, yeah were said by her. It meant that those inserts appeared to give a response to the partner that she talked to. ‘Yeah’ in the example it meant that Ariana Grande gave Jimmy Fallon response. ‘Okay, so yeah’ in the example it meant that she wants to continue the things she will explain and tell more. ‘: Oh, yeah, yeah’ in the example it meant that she reminds him about something that she wanted to tell to Jimmy Fallon.

Here were Discourse Marks inserts sample:

  • AG: I know…., I’ve been away too long. I have such more… want to say everything.
  • AG: All right

Based on the situation, I know and All right were said by her. It meant that those inserts appeared to indicate a transition in the developing progress of the conversation and to point an interactive conversation to the partner. ‘I know’ it meant that she knew that she wants to tell everything and spills the tea. ‘All right’ it meant that she agrees with Jimmy’s statement and show that she gives a signal to Jimmy in the conversations.

Here were Response Elicitors inserts sample:

  • AG: Because it’s kind of about, like, bringing light to a situation or to someone’s life or somebody else who brings light to your life or sweetening the situation, Yeah.
  • AG: So basically, yeah, Okay.

Based on the Response Elicitors inserts, Ariana Grande literally have a role inviting agreement or confirmation from her statement, so he said Yeah. Then, Okay it meant that she responding to Jimmy’s statement, giving a signal that the message has been agreed, understood, and accepted.

Here were Interjection inserts sample:

  • AG: Oh, Ooh, unh, they said. I heard someone make that noise.

Here were Greeting inserts sample:

  • AG: Hi, Nonna.

Based on the last two examples of interjection and greeting inserts, by said ‘Oh, Ooh, unh’ Ariana Grande literally respond to the utterances and convey some degree of surprise, unexpectedness emotions because from the video some of the audiences make that kind of noises. By said ‘Hi, Nonna.’ She greets her grandmother called Nonna and also Jimmy Fallon greets her as well. Because they both talking about Nonna favorite songs in the album and Jimmy loves Nonna so much and Jimmy started to greet her and Ariana followed Jimmy statement.

Conclusion

Overall, this study that attempted to find out and investigate the used of inserts by Ariana Grande interview in Jimmy Fallon talk show that the object produced inserts for different functions. Based on the data that already investigated Ariana Grande produce 22 inserts which she produces five different types of inserts. The results of this study showed that there were five types of inserts; those were response form, discourse markers, response elicitors, interjections, and greeting. Furthermore, this study also showed five functions of inserts, namely response form, discourse markers, response elicitors, interjections, and greeting. Based on those findings, the researcher concludes that inserts are not always considered as a distraction of speaking. As the learners of foreign language (FL), we should know the inserts not only as a distraction of speaking but also as the way to improve our interaction.

The aims of this study are to introduce the types and the functions of inserts and to increase the learners’ awareness of inserts when they hesitate in the foreign language, which is actually the very nature of speaking. Furthermore, the foreign language (FL) learners can learn and use inserts which are good to use. It also helps foreign language (FL) learners to choose which inserts can bother our interaction. Henceforth, this study has revealed that how important the inserts are in the interaction or in the conversations while speaking, especially in interview or speech. Forthwith, to a certain extent, the findings of this study will also be expected to provide contributions to the development of the theory, especially to sociolinguistics study since this study is based on sociolinguistics.

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