EEJ 9 (2) (2019) 189 - 197 English Education Journal http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/eej The Realization of Interpersonal, Ideational, and Textual Meaning in Graduate Students’ Research Paper Hesti Eka Wardani1, Djoko Sutopo2, Abdurrachman Faridi3 1. SMK Pelayaran Wira Samudera, Semarang, Indonesia 2. Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia Article Info ________________ Article History: Recived 23 December 2018 Accepted 28 February 2019 Published 20 June 2019 ________________ Keywords: Realization, Interpersonal Meaning, Ideational Meaning, Textual Meaning, Research Paper ____________________ Abstract ___________________________________________________________________ Systemic Functional Linguistics offers a model of approach in analyzing discourse concerning to reveal how language is used to negotiate meaning. Research paper, also known as research article presents students’ work in a process of academic which involving students’ understanding and interpreting knowledge in applying knowledge in a certain phenomenon. Therefore, this study aimed to explain the realization of Interpersonal, Ideational, and Textual Meaning in graduate students’ research paper. Descriptive qualitative research design was used in this study with ten research papers form graduate students of English language education program in Universitas Negeri Semarang were taken as the subject of analysis. Mood, Transitivity, and Theme analysis was used to achieve the data analysis. The findings revealed that the meanings were realized by the students’ language choice. Interpersonal meaning realized in the research papers showed that the research papers were carrying the speech role as giving information. Moreover, the students took role as the information giver in the third person point of view. Ideational meaning realized in research papers showed that the students presented their experience in state of being and doing through relational process and material process with help of other process types, participant roles and circumstances to support their presenting. Textual meanings were realized through the use of theme structure by giving high concern on the subject of the clause as the main delivered message point. The realization of the meanings also could give benefit to students in having the guideline when they are proposed to write research paper. © 2019 Universitas Negeri Semarang Correspondence Address: Jl. Kokrosono, No. 70, Semarang 50179, Indonesia E-mail: hestiekawardani19@gmail.com p-ISSN 2087-0108 e-ISSN 2502-4566 mailto:roniwahyudi@students.unnes.ac.id mailto:roniwahyudi@students.unnes.ac.id Hesti Eka Wardani, Djoko Sutopo, Abdurrachman Faridi/ EEJ 9 (2) 2019 189 - 197 190 INTRODUCTION Higher education students are expected to be able to conduct research and writing research paper. This way is intended to report the research result along with brief explanation and fundamentals theory. The students are hoped to understand theories, apply them in a certain subject of field, explore in broader areas, interpret the results, and organize it in a well composed research paper. Research Paper (henceforward RP) uses a typical organizational pattern, known as the IMRD format, stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (Swales and Feak, 2001, p. 155). The four different sections thus are identified with four different purposes. Acquiring academic writing proficiency needs not only mastering the technical and formal aspects of the genre but also the ability to think in more abstract terms. The technical and formal aspects are including using source of references and citations whereas the abstract term means ability of reflecting on vocabulary choice and language usage within the academic context. In this way graduate students can be fully comprehend to write a meaningful and proper research paper. Concerning about language as a resource for making meaning, it deals with the clauses that encode three strands of meaning which are ideational (experiential), textual, and interpersonal meaning. Gerot and Wignell, 1994, p. 22 specifically explain: “Ideational meaning, meaning about things and ideas, are realized in the clause by options from transitivity: Processes, Participants, and Circumstances; and clause complex. Textual meaning, which make language contextually and co-textually relevant are realized in lexicogrammar through Thematic and Information System. Interpersonal meanings are realized in the lexicogrammar through selection from the system of mood.” In systemic functional linguistics, the terms of realization is used to discover the relationship of the abstract construction of language in strands of meanings either experiential meanings, interpersonal meanings, or textual meanings. Matthiesen, Teruya, and Lam (2010) insist that the realization is the representation in the systemic functional linguistics that associates with a term in a system. Coffin (2010) realizes that systemic functional linguistics focus on the notion of language use as functional that enable people to represent the experience of the world (the experiential function), to interact with others (the interpersonal function), and to create coherent and cohesive text (the textual function). Besides, these three functions, metafunction, reflect to the idea of register, and language. The following figure displays the realization among genre, register, and language. Figure 1. Metafunction in Relation to register and Genre (Adopted from Halliday and Webster, 2009: 160) Cunanan (2011) proposes that systemic functional linguistics is an effective way to report and to pattern language as a resource for making meaning and choices. Moreover, there are three main kinds of meanings in SFL. Lock (1996) mentions that there are three types of meanings within grammatical structures that are as experiential meanings, interpersonal meanings, and textual meanings. Sujatna, 2012 adds that clause representation of experiential meaning is realized by transitivity system, clause exchange of interpersonal meaning is represented by mood and residue system, and clause as message of textual meaning is realized by theme and rheme system. Halliday and Metthiesen, 2004, p. 61 state that experiential meanings deal with construing model of experience. Interpersonal meanings perform social relationship, while textual Hesti Eka Wardani, Djoko Sutopo, Abdurrachman Faridi/ EEJ 9 (2) 2019 189 - 197 191 meanings focus on creating relevance to context. Moreover, Eggins, 2004, p. 111 asserts that language is structured to make the three kinds of meanings. Grammatical resource of Transitivity, Theme and Mood is the area to find Ideational, Interpersonal and Textual Meanings. Bilal (2012) and Kamilah (2014) attempted to identify three meanings in metafunction in literary works of Thank You M’am and Invictus. Both studies revealed how metafunction analysis reveals hidden characteristics and intention of the main role. Furthermore, the studies also proposed benefit of metafunction analysis in EFL learning concerning on how language can be used to achieve communicative goals in different context. Madjdi and Nurchayo (2014) attempted on applying metafunction analysis in news item text. The result showed the author of news item texts applied classification, description, and identification to express categorical distinction, quality and qualifier, possessive relation, facet and measure. Similarly to Majdi and Nurcahyo (2014), Haig (2010) and Hidayat (2014) seek the realization of ideational meaning in written discourse of bulletin and newspaper. Haig (2010) showed metafunction characteristics and its relation to ideology. Meanwhile, Hidayat (2014) revealed elements of transitivity analysis appear on news items in newspaper which shows dominant existence of participants more than processes and circumtances. Therefore, this current study aimed at presenting the realization of Interpersonal, Ideational, and Textual Meaning in students’ research paper and its benefit for students. METHODS This study applied a descriptive qualitative research design. The object of study was taken by asking personally to the students. There were ten research papers taken as the subjects of the study. The analysis was focused on the abstract section of the research papers. There were three analyses being conducted to answer the research questions, which were (1) how is the interpersonal meaning realized in the students’ research paper? (2) how is the ideational meaning realized in the students’ research paper? (3) how is the textual meaning realized in the students’ research paper? (4) how does meaning realization give benefit to students in writing research paper? The analyses were intended to see the language choice of the students in writing research paper regarding the Mood, Transitivity, and Theme. In order to collect the data, the observation sheets were used for the mood analysis, transitivity analysis, and the theme analysis. The data were analyzed and interpreted according to underlying theory. RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS From the data analysis, it was found that the graduate students expressed interpersonal, ideational, and textual meanings in a particular way. The findings were based on theory from Eggins (2004) and presented in the tables below. Table 1. Summary of mood type analysis Mood Type Mood Elements Sum of Analysed Items Declarative Subject^Finite 119 Interrogative Finite^Subject - Wh/Subject^Finite - Wh^Finite^Subject - Exclamative Wh^Subject^Finite^ Predicator - Imperative Subject^Finite - TOTAL 119 It was pointed out in table 1 that there were 119 clauses applying positive declarative mood consist of subject and finite element. The findings of mood analysis in this study showed that the graduate students’ research paper functioned as a medium to exchange information. It gave information of a certain topic to be known to the reader. The information is the object of being exchanged and given by the students as the writer. Hesti Eka Wardani, Djoko Sutopo, Abdurrachman Faridi/ EEJ 9 (2) 2019 189 - 197 192 Table 2. Data Summary of Subject Analysis NO SUBJECT TOTAL 1 I 0 2 You 0 3 He 0 4 She 1 5 We 0 6 They 11 7 It 6 8 That 0 9 This 2 10 There 6 11 This study 15 12 This research 3 13 this paper 1 14 The result of the research 1 15 The results 1 16 The findings 5 17 The objectives of this study 4 18 The aim of this paper 2 19 the researcher 5 20 The writer 7 21 people 1 22 definite noun phrase or proper names 1 23 less explicit expressions such as pronouns 1 24 The subject of this study 1 25 a video analysis of the conversation 1 26 the use of definite noun phrase 1 27 This visual context 1 28 indefinite noun phrase "Someone" 1 29 Deixis 5 30 the data collection 1 31 some of types deixis 1 32 discourse 1 33 language 1 34 the interpretation of utterances 2 35 Documentary technique 2 36 The source of data 5 37 The arguments 2 38 interpretation 1 39 BBC News Indonesia 1 40 The role of context 1 41 the frequently speech function 1 42 The dominant illocutionary type 1 43 The conversations between Moana and Grandma tala 1 44 Descriptive qualitative method 1 45 the dominant types of illocutionary act and speech function 1 46 Illocutionary act 1 47 The study of meaning 1 48 both of them 1 49 The study of language 1 50 Language without meaning 1 51 The other speech act 1 52 conversations 1 53 the casual conversation 1 54 A total of 76 sentences 1 55 The sample 1 56 the translator of The Rainbow Troops novel 1 57 most of the derivational words 1 58 The method of the research 1 59 The understanding about the process of derivation 1 60 This article 1 61 five articles 1 62 person deixis, 2 63 place deixis, 1 64 time deixis, 1 65 discourse deixis 1 66 social deixis 1 67 the Suara Merdeka 1 68 the use of arguments 1 69 The function of arguments 1 70 The predicates 1 TOTAL 132 Table 2 presented the subject choices by the students. Here it could be seen that the students rarely used pronouns subject. Only 11 times subject “they” appeared pointing the object of the study. Subject “it” was used six times revealed the students’ concern to point their studies. The students also used subject “there” in showing the existence of a certain phenomenon in their research papers. From the mood Hesti Eka Wardani, Djoko Sutopo, Abdurrachman Faridi/ EEJ 9 (2) 2019 189 - 197 193 analysis, it was revealed that the students applied mostly noun phrase “this study, this paper, this research, this article, the aim of the study, the objective of the study, the result, the findings, the data collection, the source of data” to present their studies, while in mentioning themselves, the students applied the third-person representative “the writer and the researcher”. Moreover, the students used the particular phrases to indicate their research papers. The phrases were related to their specific area of study in their research papers. “Deixis, language, the visual context, the study of meaning, illocutionary act, the speech act, the casual conversation, discourse, interpretation, definite noun phrase” were several chosen subjects found in this study. Table 3. Summary of finite analysis NO FINITE TYPES SUM 1 Finite: Simple Present 59 2 Finite: Present Continuous 0 3 Finite: Present Perfect 0 4 Finite: Simple Past 57 5 Finite: Past Continuous 0 6 Finite: Past Perfect 2 7 Finite: Modal 6 TOTAL 124 Other findings for interpersonal meaning were presented in table 3 showing the existence of finite in mood element. The students supported their ideas with choice of finite use in their research papers. From the analysis, it was recorded that the students used various kinds of finite. They are simple present finite, 59 times; simple past finite, 57 times; 2 times of past perfect finite; and 6 times modal finite. Seeing the evidence, it was seen that the students tend to use temporal finite more than modal finite. The finite showed the students used equal numbers of present and past finite to show sequence of time in the students’ research paper. Meanwhile, modal finite was used only in few times to show the students’ presumption on their arguments. Based on the explanation above, the findings were intended to answer research question number one which is to explain the interpersonal meaning realized in graduate students’ research paper. Based on Eggins (2005: 110) stated that interpersonal meaning is involving the realization of roles and relationship. The use of declarative mood indicated the papers carried the speech role as giving an exchange. Meanwhile the subjects of the papers gave evidence that the papers played role as an exchange of information. Therefore, the students as the writer of the research papers were taking role as the main information giver in their research papers. Moreover, the way the students pointed themselves using third-person representative as the writer, the researcher showed the distant relationship between the students as the writer of the research papers and the readers as the audience. Table 4. summary of transitivity analysis Number of clauses Transitivity Analysis Process Type Parti- cipants Circum-stances 119 clauses 140 203 84 The findings of Ideational Meaning covered findings in constituents of transitivity analysis. There were findings of analysed process, participants, and circumstances. The findings based on Eggins (2004) portrayed in table 4 revealed there were 119 analysed clauses and resulted for 140 processes, 202 participants, and 86 circumstances found in the students’ research papers. Hesti Eka Wardani, Djoko Sutopo, Abdurrachman Faridi/ EEJ 9 (2) 2019 189 - 197 194 Table 5. Summary of process types N O PROCESS TYPE SU M 1 Material 56 2 Mental cognitive 4 Affective 0 Perceptive 0 3 Relationa l Attributive: Intensive 29 Attributive: Circumstantial 1 Attributive: Possessive 1 Identifying: Intensive 41 Identifying: Circumstantial 0 Identifying: Possessive 0 4 Behaviou ral 0 5 Verbal 1 6 Existentia l 7 TOTAL 140 Moreover, it was portrayed in table 5, it was recorded that relational process shared the most amount of process selection. There were 72 relational processes, 31 stood for attributive relational and 41 stood for identifying relational. Material process also occurred in the research paper 56 times. Mental process came in cognitive aspect 4 times in the research papers. Existential process appeared 7 times, and verbal process appeared once. The process types helped the students decide which experience to share to the readers. The readers also could figure out what the students tried to tell to them by examining the process choices. Table 6. Summary of participants N O PROCESS TYPE PARTICIPA NT SU M 1 Material Actor 26 Goal 38 Range 15 2 Mental Senser 4 Phenomenon 3 3 Verbal Sayer 0 Receiver 0 Target 0 Verbiage 1 4 Behavioural Behaver 0 Range 0 5 Existential Existent 7 6 Relational Attributive Carrier 27 Attribute 23 7 Relational Identifying Token 34 Value 27 TOTAL 203 The second transitivity element, participant, was presented in table 6. The findings showed out there were 202 participants taking part in the research papers while making configuration to the process types. In making configuration on attributive relational, there were 27 carrier and 23 attribute as the participants. Meanwhile, as much 34 token and 27 value participant roles participated in identifying relational process. On top of that, 26 actor, 38 goal, and 15 range were seen making arrangement for material process. Moreover, there were seven participant roles in mental process, 4 times as senser and 3 times as phenomenon. Lastly, there were seven existent to complement the participant role for existential process, and 1 verbiage as the participant to verbal process. In accordance with the process types, the participant roles would show how the experience had been built. Hesti Eka Wardani, Djoko Sutopo, Abdurrachman Faridi/ EEJ 9 (2) 2019 189 - 197 195 Table 7. Summary of circumstance NO CIRCUMSTANCES SUM 1 Extent 5 2 Location 34 3 Role 9 4 Manner 12 5 Matter 19 6 Accompaniment 1 7 Cause 5 TOTAL 84 Table 7 showed the existence of circumstances, the last element in transitivity system. There found 84 times in various kinds. Location circumstances shared the most used circumstances in the research papers. There were 34 location circumstances telling the time and place of a specific phenomenon. Circumstance of matter and manner showed less distinct in number. The former appeared 19 times, while the latter appeared 12 times. Besides, there were also circumstance of role, 9 times, circumstance of cause, 5 times, circumstance of extent, 5 times, and circumstance of accompaniment which occurred only once. Although the circumstances occurred as the complement in a certain event or experience, the existence of circumstance helped the students to portray more detail in their information in the research papers. By the means of transitivity analysis, the researcher attempted to answer the research question number two. This was intended to explain the realization of ideational meaning in the students’ research papers. The ideational meaning is a meaning about how the language user represents reality through language (Eggins: 2004). Paying attention to the findings in this study, it could be seen that the students as the language user represent reality through various process types simultaneously and participants which took part in particular roles. Simultaneous use of relational process of attributive and identifying show the students’ effort to show the world of relation to the reader. In addition, the students also show the experience of action by using material processes. The configuration between relational process and material process, followed by existential and mental process showed the readers capture the sequence of relation, event, thought, and existence in the research papers. Textual meaning, described by Eggins (2004) as structural configuration of a clause which is organised as clause of message and achieved in Theme system by using Theme and Rheme analysis. Table 8. Summary of Theme analysis NO THEME SUM 1 Topical Theme Marked Topical 8 Unmarked Topical 63 2 Interpersonal 0 3 Textual 7 4 Multiple Theme Textual-Topical 36 Interpersonal-Topical 3 Textual-Interpersonal-Topical 1 TOTAL 118 From the data of analysis portrayed in table 8, it could be seen that the theme fell on several configuration. The students used topical theme in two ways, marked and unmarked topical theme. Unmarked topical theme appeared more frequent than marked topical theme. By this choice, the students were showed paying much attention on the beginning of their explanation using the topic as indicated as the subject of the clause. Textual theme also appeared 7 times showing the students’ attempt to apply the conjunctive agents in their explanation. Besides the single theme, multiple theme also became the choice for the students to portray the theme. Textual-Topical theme was the most frequent configuration theme occurred in the research paper, followed by Interpersonal- Topical theme and Textual-Interpersonal- Topical theme. Research Paper is defined as a form of written communication which presents information and ideas clearly and effectively Hesti Eka Wardani, Djoko Sutopo, Abdurrachman Faridi/ EEJ 9 (2) 2019 189 - 197 196 (Modern Language Association of America, 2009). For this purpose, the students are needed to clearly reporting their research in research paper using proper language. Eggins, 2004 claims language is modeled as networks of interconnected linguistic systems from which the language user choose to create meanings to achieve communicative purposes. A text, as a product of a sequence of choices realizes the contextual dimension of field, tenor, and mode. The multiple structural dimension and its description of the clause allows us to describe how language makes meanings simultaneously. Through grammatical analysis, the text realized three strands of meaning introduced by Halliday on Metafunction, which are Interpersonal, Ideational, and Textual Meanings. Halliday, 1994, cited in Eggins, 2004, p. 329 argues that systemic analysis of a text can be beneficial in contrasting between the interpretation and explanation; secondly it can be beneficial to recognize the difference between understanding of a text and its evaluation. Related to the theory, the realization of three strands of meaning in this study gave a sight to the students on how the research papers were made. How those meanings are realized simultaneously and making up a structured and meaningful text as explained in the former discussion were the ultimate example to the students. The configuration of meanings was needed to set up a well-structured research paper. Hence, in order to write a research paper the students needed to pay attention on their language choices and how they put them in a sequence to create meanings. Through the data analysis from the three analyses which had been conducted, it was revealed that realizing Interpersonal, Ideational, and Textual meaning can give benefit to students. It gives the students example of how they should compose and structure their ideas to write research paper. Interpersonal meaning can guide the students on how they should use language to support their intention related to their role as the writer of a research paper. Ideational meaning realization can help the students to choose the proper verbs to show the process which suits to their purpose. It also helps the students to make configuration with the participant roles and the circumstances. Textual meaning realization gives the students benefit in term of giving the students sight on how they put their concern in right place as theme and develop the theme in rheme position according to their aim. In this way, the realization of the meanings can be beneficial to the students. Following Wallwork (2011), research papers should reveal the answer of 1) why was the study is carried 2) why was the writer writing the research paper 3) what did the researcher do 4) what were the results 5) what was the conclusion and recommendation. Through the findings of this current study, the realization of interpersonal, ideational, and textual meaning in research paper can help students to select the language use in suiting to their aim and reveal the aforementioned questions. reveal the experience in the research paper. The findings were related to the former study conducted by Xuan (2018). It was described in his study that registerial difference exists in the deployment of process type in different writing tasks. Moreover, this present study added pedagogical implications which were by showing the benefit for the students in writing process. CONCLUSION From the research findings and discussion, the researcher concluded that the students position themselves as the information giver from third point of view. The students introduced to the reader the relationship between the participant role and its configuration with the circumstances to expand their ideas. The data analysis showed the students maintain the consistency on the Theme related to the topic of their research. By the sequence of Theme and Rheme also showed that the students were in effort to make coherent of their text in written mode. Fourthly, the conclusion of pedagogical implication showing the benefit of meanings realization to the Hesti Eka Wardani, Djoko Sutopo, Abdurrachman Faridi/ EEJ 9 (2) 2019 189 - 197 197 students is the use language choices and configuration can help the students in making research paper. By realizing the three strands of meanings, the students are given guide on how they should organize their language choice properly to create meaning and achieve communicative purpose of the research paper. REFERENCES Bilal, H. (2012). Analysis of thank you m'am: Halliday's metafunctions. Academic Research International, 2(1), 726-732. Cunanan, B. (2011). Using transitivity as a framework in a stylistic analysis of Virginia woolf's old Mrs. Grey. 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