A STUDY OF PRE-SEQUENCES IN LEA TO THE RESCUE MOVIE

ZAKIYATUL ULFA

Abstract: This study is concerned with pre-sequences. This study used Yule (1996) theory to analyzed pre-sequence in Lea to the Rescue movie. Relating to the statement above, this study was intended to answer two formulated research problems, namely; (1) what are the types of pre-sequences found in Lea to the Rescue movie? And (2) what are the functional features of pre-sequences found in Lea to the Rescue movie? Those problems were related with the utterances in Lea to the Rescue Movie. This study used descriptive qualitative design. The source of data was Lea to the Rescue Movie. The data were all of the utterances by the characters in Lea to the Rescue Movie that contained pre-sequences. The main instrument in collecting, classifying, and analyzing the data was the writer herself. The method to collect the data was content analysis. The method to analyze the data was interactive data analysis. The data of this study showed that there were 40 data that were found by the writer. The data consist of 20 data of pre-request, 19 data of pre-announcement and 1 datum of pre-invitation.

Keywords: Pre-sequences, Pre-sequences in Request, Pre-sequences in Announcement, Pre-sequences in Invitation

INTRODUCTION

Language is a tool used by people to communicate with others. Language is the most effective and practical means of communication. People use language to exchange information or convey their ideas or feelings such as ordering, offering, promising, etc. A communication happens when the hearer can understand what the speaker says.

A communication of a human with other human using language could be called as conversation. To have successful conversation, each interlocutor has to perform some conversational principles such as the cooperative and the politeness principle. Among them, politeness plays an important role in making utterances in making communicative process. Evenly, it also contribute in helping speakers decide whether or not to produce the first pair part of the base sequence in order to avoid failure in communication.

The failures are often vaguely diagnosed as impolite behavior on the part of the other person. One of the strategies which can minimize this unexpected result is using pre-sequences. In order to have an insight into the problem, the writer chooses a study of pre-sequences.

Pre-sequences are sequences which produce before the main utterances uttered by the participants in conversation. Rather than utter the main point directly to the hearer, pre-sequences are some utterances that built to prefigure the main point that going to be uttered in the next turn. Yule (1996) divided the pre-sequences into three types; those are pre-sequences in request, pre-sequence in invitation, and pr-sequences in announcement. All of the types are very important to know to make the speaker’s face feels comfortable with the utterance, to make the successful communication, and also to make the polite utterance. For better explanation check this following example.

A: are you busy right now? (Pre-sequences)

B: NO, why?

A: I’m baking a cake now. Won’t you come over?

(Source: Ngò Thi, 2010)

In the conversation above, the speaker A said “are you busy right now?” for a pre-sequence, while it means that speaker A wants to give an invitation to B, but A asks first to know whether B busy or not. B said “No, why”, A gives the invitation “I’m baking a cake now. Won’t you come over?” Based on the example above, the speaker A uses pre-sequences to survey if the invitation can be accepted. If B receives a good sign from the hearer, the speaker A will continue to give the official invitation. In the case of receiving a bad sign, speaker A can save the invitation. Therefore, both the speaker and the hearer will not feel unpleasant, they still maintain the good relationship.

The writer chooses to analyze pre-sequences because sometime people do not realize when he or she uses pre-sequences before uttered the main point that he or she wants to deliver to the others in their daily conversation. So pre-sequences are very important to know and use in daily life, as explained above to make a successful communication, to make the speaker’s face feels comfortable with the utterances, and also to make the polite utterance. To make it is clearly with example; the writer relates the study with the movie.

Movie is an image of life. People watch movie as one of their ways to get information, entertainment, education, experiences, or even moral values. The development of the movies could be in the aspect the video quality, the story to tell, even the language uttered by the actress. That is why the writer analyzes a movie. So with the movie the writer can explains and divide the utterance of the movie related to the pre-sequences.

The writer chooses to analyze a movie entitled Lea to the Rescue Movie, which the story is about the adventure of American girl Lea. She rescues other people life, she is a hero. She rescues her father, her brother etc. This movie is directed by Nadia Tass, the industrious young Lea Clark travel to Brazil with her mother when they learn that Lea’s older brother Zac has gone missing. Together with Zac’s girlfriend Paula, they search Zac in Manaus. Lea and Paula search Zac in Amazon rainforest, they find a tribe. The tribe is secret and protected until finally they find Zac. Based on the story carried the movie, there will be many request, announcement, and invitation uttered by all characters in this movie, and some of request, announcement, and invitation might be containing pre-sequences. Another reason of why the writer analyzes Lea to the Rescue is because this movie is great.

The theory used by the writer to analyze pre-sequences on the movie Lea to the Rescue. The theories of pre-sequences are proposed by Yule (1996). Previous studies have been conducted by,.Ngo Thi Bich Hâ (2010), Pham Thi Thu Thao (2011) and Arumtyas Puspitaning Padmasari (2006). Ngo Thi Bich Hâ (2010) analyzed about pre-sequences in Invitation in English versus Vietnamese, Pham Thi Thu Thao (2011) analyzed pre-sequences in English versus Vietnamese, and Arumtyas Puspitaning Padmasari (2006) analyzed about pre-sequences and the responses of the pre-sequences. Meanwhile in this analysis, the writer analyzes the sequences of pre-sequence and the type of pre- sequences.

METHODOLOGY

The writer employed a descriptive qualitative research because this study analyzes text. The writer used Lea to the Rescue movie as the source of data for this study. The data were sentences uttered by all characters in the Lea to the Rescue movie that contained pre-sequences. In conducting this study, the key instrument is the writer herself. The writer used content analysis method of collecting the data.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

FINDINGS

The data of pre-sequences were taken from the utterances by the characters in Lea to the Rescue Movie. The writer found fourty data of pre-sequences that consist of twenty data of pre-request, nineteen data of pre-announcement and one datum of pre-invitation. The data divides in the following table:

Pre-sequences

NO Types of Pre-Sequences Frequency

1. Pre-Sequences in Request 20

1. Pre-Sequences in Invitation 1

2. Pre-Sequences in Announcement 19

TOTAL 40

The Syntactic Features of Pre-Sequences

No

Forms of Pre-Sequences Frequency

1 Declarative Positive Sentence 20

2 Interrogative Sentence 18

3 Imperative Sentence 2

TOTAL 40

The Functional Features of Pre-Sequences

NO Forms of Pre-Sequences Frequency

1. Declarative Positive Sentence about Explaining 3

2. Declarative Positive Sentence about Notifying 9

3. Declarative Positive Sentence about Wishes 1

4. Declarative Positive Sentence about Guessing 1

5. Declarative Positive Sentence about Introducing 2

6. Declarative Positive Sentence about Reminding an Expressing 1

7. Declarative Positive Sentence Confirming. 2

8. Declarative Positive Sentence Surveying 1

9. Interrogative Sentence about Notifying 1

10. Interrogative Sentence about Surveying 2

11. Interrogative Sentence about Warning 1

12. Interrogative Sentence about Confirming 5

13. Interrogative Sentence about Guessing 1

14. Interrogative Sentence about Suggesting 2

15. Interrogative Sentence about Begging 3

16. Interrogative Sentence about Availability 1

17. Exclamatory Sentence about persuading 1

18. Exclamatory Sentence about offering 1

19. Imperative Sentence about persuading 1

20. Imperative Sentence about begging 1

TOTAL 40

DISCUSSION

Types of Pr-sequences

According to Yule (1996) pre-sequences are the understanding how participant in an interaction inevitably understand more than is said the basic assumption, from the perspective of politeness. Yule (1996) divided the type of Pre-sequences into three types; these are pre-sequences in request, pre-sequences in invitation, and pre-sequences in announcement.

A. Pre-sequences in Request

Pre-sequences in Request are the utterances that are uttered by speaker to speaker’s face before giving a request. Below is the example of pre-sequences in request in Lea to the Rescue Movie.

Paula : Mrs. Clark? Hello, hi, (Pre-request)

Carol : (silent) (silent)

Paula : Could Lea sleep over tonight? (Request)

Carol : Did you say, sleep over? (Accept)

Sure, yes, thank you.

This conversation happens in the rain forest when Paula gets a service of her phone, and carol calls. Paula says “Mrs. Clark? Hello, hi,” it is a pre-sequence in request, and Carol is silent because the network loses, and then Paula gives the request by saying “Could Lea sleeps over tonight?” and Carol accepts the request by saying “Did you say, sleep over?, Sure, yes, thank you.”. Actually Paula lies because she and Lea are in forest to search Zac. She afraid, Carol is angry because Paula brings Lea to the rain forest so she lies and says that Lea wants to sleep in Paula’s apartment.

Lea : Excuse me? Um... I was on a jeep tour with my parents, and I got mad and stormed off. And now I'm lost (Pre-request)

Poacher : (silent) (silent)

Lea : Can I use your phone? (Request)

Poacher : (want to catch lea) (=stop)

This conversation happens when Lea, Paula and Aki search the poacher, and then they meet the poacher. Lea braves to trap the poacher, and she says “Excuse me? Um... I was on a jeep tour with my parents, and I got mad and stormed off. And now I'm lost, it is pre-sequence in request, the poacher is silent and smile, then Lea gives request “Can I use your phone?” , and then poacher wants to catch Lea and pursue her, but Lea is success to trap the poacher.

B. Pre-sequences in Invitation

Pre-sequences are also commonly used in making invitations. Pre-sequence in invitation is the pre-sequences that are uttered before the speaker utters the point that is invitation. The following example considered as pre-sequences in invitation is taken from Lea to the Rescue Movie.

Aki : This is symbol of my tribe. (Pre-invitation)

Lea : (listen) (go ahead)

Aki : Mother says come with us to village. (Invitation)

Aki : Be dark soon, Not safe here.

Lea : (Permit to her mom) (Accept)

This conversation happens when Lea and Paula meet with Aki’s mother in Amazon, actually this conversation is between Aki’s mother and Lea, because Aki’s mother doesn’t know about English so Aki be an interpreter. Lea has a book that given by her grandmother and the cover of the book there is the symbol of Aki’s tribe. “This is symbol of my tribe.” Aki’s mother says, it is a pre-sequence in invitation, then Lea listens and little shock why she has the Aki’s symbol. Aki’s says Mother says come with us to village, be dark soon, Not safe here.” It is the invitation by Aki to Lea and then Lea takes permit to her mom.

C. Pre-sequences in Announcement

Pre-sequence is also commonly used in giving an announcement. The pre-sequences that are uttered before the speaker utters the point is to give announcement, whether the response go-ahead or stop. Below is the example of pre-sequences in announcement in Lea to the Rescue Movie.

Lea : My name is Lea Clark, and my presentation is on Brazil (Pre- announcement)

Students : Listen (Go ahead)

Teacher : (smile and nod the head) (Go ahead)

Lea : I visited there last summer with my family to see my brother Zac, who works at an animal sanctuary. Brazil is the largest country in South America. The official language is Portuguese. Sixty percent of the Amazon's rainforest is in Brazil, but those are just the book facts. To really learn about Brazil, you must go there. (Announcement)

This conversation happens when Lea wants to present her presentation about her adventure in Brazil. Before she gives the announcement to her friends she uses pre-sequence in announcement. She says “My name is Lea Clark, and my presentation is on Brazil” she introduces herself, then her friends listen, and then she gives the announcement by telling her story “I visited there last summer with my family to see my brother Zac, who works at an animal sanctuary. Brazil is the largest country in South America. The official language is Portuguese. Sixty percent of the Amazon's rainforest is in Brazil, but those are just the book facts. To really learn about Brazil, you must go there.”

Luis : You know, there's a club down the street he likes, Noites Quentes. (Pre announcement)

Carol : Do you think he could have been there Tuesday night? (Go ahead)

Luis : It's possible; they open at 9:00. (Announcement)

Police : We'll be there (accept)

Carol : Thank you, Luis. Thank you, Bruno.

This conversation happens in Zac’s office when Carol and the police know that the last calling in Zac’s hand phone is from the office, and apparently Luis who called Zac, and Luis says “You know, there's a club down the street he likes, Noites Quentes.” It is pre-sequence in announcement that Luis uses, he uses to give the information after the utterance and Carol says “Do you think he could have been there Tuesday night?” it means the conversation goes ahead, and Luis gives the information that Zac possible goes to the club, he says “It's possible; they open at 9:00.” And the Police says “We'll be there” it means that the information is accepted.

The Functional Features of Pre-Sequences

Levinson (1983) in “pragmatics” discusses in detail, pre- sequences are built to prefigure the specific kind of action that they potentially precede, in other word pre-sequences are the utterance that utter by someone to speaker’s face before giving the main point what he or she wants in the next sequence, either in request, invitation or announcement. Based on the finding of the data, there are five forms of pre-sequences. The forms of pre-sequence could be in the form of Declarative sentence, interrogative sentence, imperative sentence, and exclamatory sentence.

A. Declarative Positive Sentence

Declarative sentences are primarily used to convey information under the form of statement such as “the book is red”, “the sky is blue” etc. in other word, this form of sentence is declare a statement to convey information. A declarative expresses some statement in the affirmative or negative form. Positive (Affirmative) sentences are sentences in which the subject is present and generally precedes the verb; the predicate is in the positive (affirmative), form. Negative sentences are sentences in which the subject is present and generally negating the verb.

In other way, people are making pre-sequence by uttering declarative statement related to the notifying, expressing wishes, guessing, introducing, reminding an expressing, surveying and confirming. Below is the example of Declarative positive sentences in Lea to the Rescue Movie.

Lea : My name is Lea Clark, and my presentation is on Brazil

Students : Listen

Lea makes pre-sequences by uttering declarative statement about introducing. Lea informs her name, and her presentation about what. This conversation is about pre-sequence in announcement; it is used by Lea to give an announcement or information after uttering the utterance.

Reporter : Lea, hi, I'm doing a piece for the Post Dispatch

Lea : (nod the head)

Reporter makes pre-sequence by uttering declarative statement about notifying, it is interpreted as pre-sequence in request. Reporter notifies Lea that she is doing a piece for the Post Dispatch.

Interrogative Sentence

Interrogative sentences (or Questions) express lack of information on a specific point and request the listener to supply missing information such as, “did you eat a cake?” are you a teacher? Etc, this form can called as question. In some case, people make pre-sequence by uttering interrogative statement related to the explaining, notifying, surveying, guessing, suggesting, begging, warning, availability confirming, offering, and persuading. And the writer found eighteen data in form of interrogative sentence. Below is the example of interrogative sentences in Lea to the Rescue Movie.

Lea: Did you hear my report?

Zac: (listen)

Lea makes pre-sequence by uttering interrogative statement about confirming. Lea utters “did you hear my report?” it is interpreted as pre-sequence in announcement. Lea confirms Zac did he hear her report.

Carol : Hello. Excuse me, do you speak English?

Carol makes pre-sequence by uttering interrogative statement about confirming. Carol utters “Hello. Excuse me, do you speak English?” It is interpreted as pre-sequence in announcement, Carol confirms the hearer of the phone, is the hearer can speak English?

Imperative Sentence

Imperative sentences (or Commands) are specialized for requesting action under the form of orders, invitations. For example “close the door!” this forms can also called a command or request someone to do something. In other way, people are making pre-sequence by uttering imperative statement related to the persuading and begging. And the writer found two data in the form of imperative sentence. Below is the example of imperative sentences in Lea to the Rescue Movie.

Zac : So come on

Lea : (seriously)

Zac makes pre-sequence by using imperative statement about persuading, Zac persuades Lea to agree for what Zac speak by saying so come one, it is interpreted as pre-sequence in request.

Aki : Shoes off, more easy

Paula : (silent)

Aki makes pre-sequence by using imperative statement about begging, Aki begs Paula to shoes off, Aki utters “Shoes off, more easy” it is interpreted as pre-sequence in request. Paula is just silent and does what Aki said.

CONCLUSION

This study concluded that pre-sequences are the utterances that uttered by someone to the speaker’s face before given the main point what he or she wants in the next sequence, either in request, invitation or announcement. The study found fourty data of pre-sequence, that consist of twenty data of pre-sequence in request, nineteen data of pre-sequence in announcement and one datum of pre-sequence in Invitation. All of the data are the utterances by the characters of Lea to the Rescue movie that include pre-sequence. While the writer analyzed the types of pre-sequences, the writer also analyzed the syntactic features of pre-sequences.

Based on the finding of the data, there are five forms of pre-sequences that usually people use to utter pre-sequences. The forms of pre-sequence could be in the form of declarative sentence, interrogative sentence, imperative sentence, and exclamatory sentence. The study found twenty data in the form of declarative sentence, eighteen data in form of interrogative sentence, two data in the form of imperative sentence and none of data in the form of exclamatory sentence. It could be in the form of declarative sentence about explaining, notifying, expressing wishes, guessing, introducing, confirming and reminding an expressing, interrogative sentence about explaining, notifying, surveying, guessing, suggesting, begging, warning, availability, confirming, offering, and persuading imperative sentence about persuading and begging.

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