REQUEST EXPRESSION USED BY THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY MUHAMMADIYAH OF BENGKULU

Abstract

In this research the researcher want to know what are the forms and what it the request strategy
that frequently used by the English department students of UMB. The objectives of this research
were to know and describe the form of request expressions used by the English department
students of UMB, and also to find out the request strategy that frequently used by the first
semester students of English Department of UMB, Academic Year 2010-2011. The design of
this research was descriptive method. The population of this research was the first semester of
English Department students of UMB. The sample was 37 students from each class. The data
were collected by using the cards, and the samples expressed the instruction based on the
cards. The data were analyzed based on the category framework of request strategies proposed
by Blum-Kulka et al (1989). The result of this research showed that most English department
students of UMB in the first semester Academic Year 2010-2011 expressed the request by using
the form of request such as ‘can you’, ‘could you’, would you’, and there were some students
who add the word ‘please’, at the beginning or at the end of sentence when they expressed their
request. From the three categories of request strategies written by Blum-Kulka et.al (1989),
Direct level, Conventionally Indirect Level, and Non-Conventionally Indirect level, the
students only used the conventionally indirect level when they expressed the request to the
hearer, there were ‘can’, ‘could’, and ‘would’ that involves in query preparatory.From the
result of this research, the researcher can conclude that there are some forms of request
expression that used by the English Department students, such as can you, could you, and
would you. From the categories of request strategies written by Blum-Kulka et.al 1989, the
students only used the conventionally indirect level when they expressed the request to the
hearer, there are can, could, and would. Based on the result, the researcher suggest the
students to study more about speech act especially in request expression. The researcher also
suggest the other researcher to do further research about request expression based on the
strategy in request. The researcher also suggests the lecturers to motivate their students to use
speech act with appropriate grammar when they expressed the request in real life
communication.