FISS. Vol. 3, No.

2, July 2023

A Systemic Functional Linguistic Study

on Language Use of Indonesian Students
in Writing
Yuzaki Adam Alwasilah, Wawan Gunawan
Indonesian education university

Bandung, West Java, 40153, Indonesia

zackalwasilah@upi.edu

Indonesian education university

Bandung, West Java, 40153, Indonesia
wagoen@upi.edu

ABSTRACT
Language is a form of cultural wealth of a nation. Analysis of the use of a language is an interesting
topic to study. The current manuscript implement Systemic functional linguistics (SFL) theory which
focuses on exploring the social and cultural context of language use in a piece of writing. SFL it self
is an approach to linguistics that considers language as a social semiotic system which focuses on
the function of language in social contexts and the choices that language users make. This paper is
intended to analyze students’ recount text writing in SFL perspectives, and how teachers can assist
students in solving writing problems. Specifically this study hopefully can identify in what aspects
that Indonesian students usually made some errors, based on three metafunctions from SFL
perspective. The finding shows that most of the students did errors in the use of tense, generic
structure, and grammatical errors. Thus, Transition-Action-Details (TAD) could be used as one of the
strategies in teaching writing, especially writing recount text in Indonesian context.

Keywords: recount text, STAD strategy, systemic functional linguistic, task-based learning

1. Introduction
insists on the interrelation of
Systemic functional
form and meaning. This field of
linguistics is the study of the
study was developed in the 1960s
relationship etween language and
by British linguist M.A.K. Halliday
its functions in social settings.
(b. 1925), who had been
Also known as SFL, systemic
influenced by the work of the
functional grammar, Hallidayan
Prague School and British linguist
linguistics, and systemic
J.R. Firth (1890-1960).
linguistics. Systemic functional
Nordquist (2021) mentioned
linguistics treats grammar as a
that according to Halliday (1975),
meaning-making resource and
language has developed in

110
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

response to three kinds of social- Since the genre-based

functional 'needs.' The first is to approach is used in the process of
be able to construe experience in learning activities, many students
terms of what is going on around are required to understand some
us and inside us. The second is to of the text that is usually provided
interact with the social world by in the genre-based approach.
negotiating social roles and They are descriptive text, recount
attitudes. The third and final need text, procedure text, and
is to be able to create messages exposition text. This genre is
with which we can package our viewed as a staged, objective
meanings in terms of what is New social process achieved primarily
or Given, and in terms of what the through language in systemic
starting point for our message is, functional linguistics. Curriculum
commonly referred to as the activities such as explaining,
Theme. Halliday (1978) calls describing, arguing, reviewing,
these language functions recounting, and storytelling are
metafunctions and refers to them proposed to engage students in
as ideational, interpersonal and using language for social
textual respectively. purposes (Cakrawati, 2018).
"Halliday's point is that any The main goal of this approach
piece of language calls into play is to help teachers direct students,
all three metafunctions in understanding the text not only
simultaneously." (Muntigl & as a group of sentences but also as
Ventola, 2010). One of the SFL a tool for achieving
object which can be analyse as a communication goals. As stated
part of language wealth is genre- by Martin (1990) and Swales
based approach usage in certain (1990) That genre is a goal-
context which focuses on oriented communication activity.
exploring the social and cultural Thus, the genre could be defined
context of language use in a piece as either verbally or in writing
of writing. text which depicts the relation

111
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

between language and its social meet student's needs related to

function. 2016 (Dirgeyasa). It also language and writing in second
corresponds to Martin's (1993) language contexts.
definition of genre as "a staged, Recount text is one of the texts
goal-oriented social process that that are usually provided.
integrates field (the subject- Recount, according to
matter of the text), mode (the Derewianka (1990), is a
channel of communication being development of a sequence of
used – whether written or events in which writers recreate
spoken), and tenor (participants) an experience. Meanwhile, we
choices in predictable ways." could say that personal and
Associated with a genre in EFL historical recounts are products
classrooms, there will be term of the process of writing the story
genre pedagogies or genre-based through the process of sequencing
approaches faced by the people and events in time and
educators. According to Hyon space, according to Knapp's genre
(1996) and Najmi (2015), a genre- model (Knapp & Watkins, 2005).
based approach focuses on the In general, a recount will focus
relationship between text genres on specific participants, the use of
and their contexts. Since the time sequence, the use of simple
benefit of a genre-based approach past tense, the use of action verbs
is to help them understand the (material process), the presence
ways structural and language of time (circumstances of time),
features of written text can and also the use of third-person
influence meaning-making. Genre pronouns and passive voice. Since
pedagogies could have a special recount text required several
role in implementing the goals of aspects and is not easy to be
a genre-based approach. implemented. Thus, educators
According to Tardy (2011), genre have an important role in
pedagogies can assist teachers in scaffolding which relate to the
providing targeted instruction to pedagogies.

112
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

This paper is intended to use in a piece of writing. The

analyze students’ recount text context determines the purpose of
writing in SFL perspectives, and a text, its overall structure in
how teachers can assist students terms of language features, and
in solving writing problems text features, which are
through a pedagogical plan. This frequently in the form of
study was supposed to provide linguistic conventions (Hammond
detailed insights into students' and Derewianka, 2001; Hyon,
writing problems. Teachers are 1996).
expected to design a pedagogical This method emphasizes the
plan that will effectively help importance of readers and the
students overcome the recurring linguistic norms that a piece of
problem found in writing recount writing must adhere to in order to
text after diagnosing their be accepted by its audience
problems. (Muncie, 2002). Based on this
approach, every student is
1.1. Genre-based approach
required to be able to produce a
A genre-based approach text with good grammar and
prioritized the relationship content, in reaching successful
between text genres and their communication in the English
contexts (Hyon, 1996). It also language.
aimed to assist a student in In this approach, the teacher's
participants in their academic, role is seen as authoritative
professional, and broader instead of authoritarian (Rothery,
communities (Hammond and 1996). Through a variety of
Derewianka, 2001). The genre- activities, the teacher provides
based approach has the following systematic guidance and careful
characteristics. support to students, allowing
The genre-based approach them to eventually take control of
focuses on exploring the social written genres. Simultaneously,
and cultural context of language he or she values the contributions

113
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

of students to the teaching- activity in which the

learning process. writer/speaker was personally
For second language novice involved.
student writers, the genre-based In terms of generic structure,
approach emphasizes explicit the personal experience recount
teaching of the genre's linguistic is divided into three stages:
conventions (Christie, 1990). It is Orientation, Event Series, and Re-
stated that students are orientation/CODA functionally
impossible to create a text unless organized in the generic structure
they have already been taught stages listed below (Martin,
clearly about the linguistic 1993): Orientation the Order of
aspects regarding language Events Re-orientation (optional
features and schematic structure. element) indicates the sequence
of structural elements. In a
1.2. Recount Text
personal anecdote recount, the
According to Derewianka
past tense is the language feature
(1990) and Gerot & Wignel
used to describe activities (Martin
(1995), the purpose of recount
& Rose, 2008; Christie, 2005;
text is to inform and entertain by
Martin & White, 2005).
telling what happened or retelling
In this study, writing
events. Similarly, Butt et al.
instruction was organized into six
(2006) stated that the function of
stages based on the framework of
recount text is to tell what
the SFL genre-based approach,
happened, written statement the
which is widely used in language
series of events, and assess their
teaching writing and linguistic
relevance in some way.
analysis of students' work at
Derewianka (1990) classified
school. (Thompson, 2014). Six
recount text into three different
stages were designed for the
types: personal, factual, and
'teaching cycle' applied
imaginative. The first type's
innovation: 1) Developing Field
specific purpose is to recount an
Knowledge, 2) Text Modeling, 3)

114
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

Text De-contextualization and through the Interpersonal

Organization, 4) Joint Metafunction, according to
Construction, 5) Text Halliday (1994:68), and it is
Independent Construction and 6) concerned with clauses as
Text Linking (Christie & Maton, exchange. According to Eggins
2011). (2004), is a meaning strand that
emerges in a text and is the
1.3. Recount Text in realization of the speaker's
Metafunction Perspective utterance of his relationship with
the readers or speakers, as well as
The interpersonal
his attitude toward the subject
metafunction, the ideational or
matter.
experiential metafunction, and
The overall structure of each
the textual metafunction are the
text will differ due to the purpose
three general functions of
of the text, and the language
language, according to SFL
features of the text will differ due
theory. Thompson (2014), sees
to the text's different registers. It
language as a function that works
means that the tenor, field, and
in clauses in a text to realize
mode of the text differed
meaning in three types of
depending on the situation
meaning: ideational or
(Derewianka, 1990). Referring to
experiential, Interpersonal, and
the recount text that was
textual.
produced by the students whose

1.3.1. Interpersonal friends are the target readers,

Metafunction personal pronouns and personal

feelings will be seen in the text.
Interpersonal metafunction
The field of text will refer to the
deals with social relationships.
circumstance where they are
Users of language establish,
taking place. The mode will be
negotiate, and assume their
referring to the way of
position in social relationships

115
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

communication used by the Textual metafunction refers to

participants. the language used in the context
and the role of language in
1.3.2. Experiential
creating coherent discourse. The
Metafunction
other words it is linking with the
Experiential metafunction structure of the theme and rheme.
refers to the language that The theme is an aspect that
explained the experience. provides a starting point; it's
Meanwhile, experiential what the clause will be about. In
metafunction views language as a addition, the theme is recognized
collection of resources organized in declarative and non-
into elements, as well as the declarative clauses, expounding
aspects in which those units the subject is not always the
interact with one another theme of every clause.
(Thompson, 2014). By analyzing a Language performs a textual
text through experiential purpose and has textual
metafunction, the readers will get definitions. The distinction of two
the intended message of the elements of textual metafuction
writers. emerges in order to analyze
Transitivity is one of the ways textual definitions. Theme is the
to analyze the experiential first aspect, and Rheme is the rest
metafunction by referring to a of the clause (Butt, 2003).
system in describing the clause. According to Butt (2003), there
Material, mental, relational, and are three types of themes:
verbal processes are the four a. Topical Theme
main types of processes. Every clause, according to
Behavioral and existential Eggins (2004), has a single
processes are following two types topical theme. Topical
of processes. theme is referred to as a
simple theme by Butt
1.3.3. Textual Metafunction
(2003) because it only

116
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

contains an experiential study. Qualitative research,

element. Unmarked and according to Fraenkel (2012), has
marked topical themes are the following characteristics:
the two types of topical 1. The researcher is the key
themes. A subject is usually instrument, and the natural
an unmarked theme, setting is a direct source of data.
whereas a prepositional 2. Information is gathered
phrase or an adverb is through the use of words and
usually a marked theme. images.
b. Textual Theme 3. Both the process and the
The textual theme is product are important to the
experiential researchers.
interpretations with a 4. Researchers have a proclivity
collective whose purpose is for deductive analysis of their
to connect our message to data.
the previous text, and A case study was used as the
conjunctions are usually design for this project. A case
found at the start of study, according to Yin (1994), is
clauses. an empirical investigation which
c. Interpersonal Theme is used to examine a current
The interpersonal theme phenomenon in real-life events
denotes the type of and the non-distinguishable
interaction that is limits among phenomena and
occurring among speakers, contexts. The main goal of a case
and it is normally used in study is to gain a thorough
interrogative clauses. understanding of a situation, and
it can also be used to answer

2. Method descriptive and explanatory

questions (Hamied, 2017).
A qualitative research
As a result, the purpose of this
approach was used to conduct this
study was to look into an 11th

117
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

grade student's difficulty writing imperative mood. According to

a recount text. This research was students writing, there was only
carried out in one of Cimahi's declarative mood that used, to tell
vocational schools. Systemic his holliday experience. It implies
Functional Linguistics (SFL) that the pupil is attempting to
perspectives were used to analyze convey information about their
student writing. In order to solve experiences to the readers in the
the problem, solutions were also form of a recount text. It
proposed. corresponds to the most common
type of recount text, which is
3. Results of the Research
written in declarative sentences.
and Discussion
There are 10 clause founded in
According to the findings, there the students writing text. The
are a number of issues that pronoun 'We' was frequently used
students are facing. Systemic as the subject by the students. The
Functional Linguistics analysis, pronoun 'I' is the other subject in
generic structure, writing the text, and it is only used in one
mechanics, and grammar were clause. There are, however,
used in the analysis. clauses in the text that have no
subject like: (5) Unfortunatelly
a. Interpersonal Metafunction
bad weather cause a dark view.
Interpersonal metafunction Conjunctions link the clauses in
deals with social relationships. It the preceding phrases. It could be
could be found in the Mood and deduced that the student is still
Modality structure. Mood type, having difficulty organising
Subject and Finite, and modality compound or complex sentences
analysis are all part of the mood in subject aspects.
analysis. The Finite Element Method is
There are three types of moods another component of mood
that can be found in a text: analysis. The term "finite" can
declarative, interrogative, and refer to a point in time when an

118
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

event occurred. As previously There are 2 clauses that use

stated, because a recount text is material process in students
intended to recount a past writing. This process used by the
experience, the text's students to inform the readers
characteristics must be in the past about the activities in the event.
tense. There are four clauses that The examples of material process
used present tense by the student, found in the text are:
as follows: (1)Last week my friend and I went
(2) We use the train to go there to Batukaras
(5) Unfortunatelly bad weather (4) When we arrived, We
cause a dark view immediately went to beach to see
(8) Because we can see a beautiful sunset
beach and buy some merchandise The clause went and arrived can
The clause above, shows that be used to identify material
some of students still confused in processes. The readers are able to
using past tense to their writing tell what kind of activities the
consistently. author engaged in during his
vacation based on the example.
b. Experiential Metafunction

The role of language in c. Textual Metafunction

communication to convey insights In a text, the textual

and perspectives to portray what metafunction provides
is occurring is the subject of information about the writer's
experiential or ideational notion. It could be decoded by
metafunction analysis. To looking for patterns of repetition,
determine experiential meaning conjunction, and thematization
in the text, transitivity analysis is (Thompson, 2014). Theme and
used, which consists of three Rheme analysis can be used to
components: participant, process, create thematicization in a text.
and circumstance. Topical, textual, and
interpersonal themes are the
119
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

three types of themes. In the table The student appears to be

below, Theme's findings in the having trouble in connecting the
student's recount text can be sentence. The repetition did not
seen. exist in the text in order to keep
readers' attention on the main
Types of Them
idea in the text. As a result, it can
Unmarked Topical Theme 4 cluase
be concluded that the text's still
Marked Topical Theme 6 clause
Textual Theme - need to develop. Furthermore, the
Interpersonal Theme -
text still suffers from a lack of
Table 1 coherence and cohesion.
We used train To go
there 3.1. Analysis Based on the
Textual Unmarked Rheme Structure of the Text,
Topical
Theme
Mechanics of Writing, and
Grammatical Errors
Table 2
a. Generic Structures of
Last week My Went to
Recount Text
friend batukaras
and I
Orientation, series of events,
Textual THEME: Rheme
Marked and re-orientation are the three
Topical
parts of a recount text.
Table 3 -Orientation

We can reach the conclusion (1) Last week, my friend and i

from the findings and examples went to batukaras

above that the majority of themes (2) We use the train to go

in the text are labeled as topical there

themes. A topical theme that is (3) It takes 4 hours to get there

not the subject of the clauses is -Series of event

referred to as a marked topical (1) when we arrived

theme. (2) We immediately went to

the beach to see sun set

120
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

(3) Unfortunately bad weather There are also some errors in the
cause a dark view, so we cant see aspects of writing in the recount
the sun set text written by the student.
(4) Although we failed to see Capitalization and punctuation
sun set were the aspects that contains
(5) We still happy because we some erorr.
can see a beautiful beach and buy (1) Last week, my friend and i
some merchandise went to batukaras
(6) We really enjoyed he (3) Unfortunately bad weather
holiday cause a dark view, so we cant see
(7) It makes our mind fresh the sun set
The student did not use capital
The clauses in the text are
letters to write the word I and the
listed in the table above. The
name of the place, such as
orientation chapter starts with
"Batukaras," as shown in the
the participants' introductions
clauses above. The writer also did
and the event's setting. The
not write the comma (,) to
author wrote about several events
indicate a break between some
that occurred during his vacation
parts of the sentences.
in the second part. The sequences
in the event, was well-orgenized c. Grammatical Errors
but there is not well transition in
A very well text with proper
clause 3 to 4 in the serires of
grammar will aid the writer in
event section. At the end of the
conveying the message to the
text there was also re-orientation.
audience. It also aids readers'
b. Mechanics of Writing comprehension of the text. The
grammartical errors found in the
The phrase "writing
form of tenses. Some of the
mechanics" refers to the technical
sentence used present tense,
aspects of writing like spelling,
instead of past tense.
punctuation, and capitalization.

121
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

(2) We use the train to go The first stage of TAD strategy

there is transition. Transition,
(3) Unfortunately bad weather according to Peha (2003), is a
cause a dark view, so we cant see short phrase such as "Then,"
the sun set "After a while," or "In the
(5) We still happy because we Beginning" that helps introduce
can see a beautiful beach and buy each new action in these
some merchandise sequences. This step can aid in the
The clause above shows some smooth flow of writing from one
grammatical erros that appeared paragraph to the next. As we
in the text by students. know that from the student
writing, the flow not really
d. Pedagogical Implication
smooth from one sentence to
Educators need to understand another. Thus this step could be
strategies and techniques that applied in the process of teaching
will improve students' writing recount text.
competence to find solutions with The next stage is action. Action,
students' writing. Based on the according to Peha (2003), is a list
blunder that arised in the of true events (what happened) in
stundents writing product, good the order of events. As a result,
strategy is required. Teachers the writer in this scene requires
have to find good approach to the event to define the action in
avoid some blunders. Transition- order to figure out what is going
Action-Details (TAD) could be on. This approach could help
used as one of the strategy in students to get their purpose of
teaching writing, especially the text, and also could help them
writing recount text, the consistency in the use of past
students' writing skills in Recount tense.
Text can be effectively facilitated Details is the last stage of this
through TAD strategy (Oshima & strategy. Muhsin (2016) defines
Hogue, 1997). detail as "the way to support data

122
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

and an activity in one sentence or deconstruction, and teaching

more in order to be completed." them how to construct their own
This stage is really important, writing not just to share
since the students having trouble information but also to meet the
in connecting the sentence. expectation of specific texts in the
Moreover, this approach could suitable context and situation.
help students to write Recount
References
Text by engaging their
imagination or experience.
Butt, D., Fahey, R., Feez, S., Spinks,
S., & Yallop, C. (2006). Using
4. Conclusion Functional Grammar: An
Explorer’s Guide (2nd Edition).
Sydney: Macquarie University.
Writing is one of the skills that
required skills that could help the Christie, F. (1990). Genre as Social
Processes. A plenary Paper
readers enjoy in reading our text. Delivered at the Meanjin
Reading Council Regional
Cohesive and coherent is a must,
Conference, Brisbane (March,
and to reach that aspects need 23-25), PP. 74-78.

hard work. Reading articles about Derewianka, B. (2015). The

writing could be one of solutions Contribution of Genre Theory
to Literacy Education in
in order to rich our knowledge. Australia. In J. Turbill, G.
Barton, & C. Brock (Eds.),
Following a thorough Teaching Writing in Today’s
examination of the text, it is clear Classroom: Looking back to
looking forward. (pp. 69–86).
that the student may have Norwood, Australia: Australian
Literary Educators’
difficulty writing a text.
Association.
Especially in the use of tenses and
Dirgeyasa, I. W. (2016). Genre-Based
the connection between the Approach : What and How to
Teach and to Learn Writing.
paragragph. As a result, teachers
English Language Teaching,
would then play an essential part 9(9), 45–51.
https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v9
in the teaching and learning n9p45
process by offering quality text
Eggins, S. (2004). An introduction to
references for students, directing systemic functional linguistics
2 nd Ed. New York: Continuum.
those through text
123
 FISS. Vol. 3, No.2, July 2023

Halliday M A, HasanR. Language, Oshima, A., & Hogue, A. (1997).

Context and Text: Aspect of Writing Academic English. New
Language In Asocial-Semiotic York: Addison Wesley
Perspective (2nd ed). Oxford: Longman.
Oxford University Press; 1985.
Peha, S. (2003). Teaching that makes
Hamied, F.A., and Emilia, E. (2015). sense. Carrboro: Retrieved
Systemic Functional Linguistic from www.ttms.org.
Genre Pedagogy (SFL GP) in a
Tertiary EFL Writing Context in Rothery, J. (1996). Making changes:
Indonesia. TEFLIN Journal, Developing an educational
Volume 26, Number 2, July linguistics. In R. Hasan & G.
2015 Williams (Eds.), Literacy in
http://dx.doi.org/10.15639/tef Society. London: Longman.
linjournal.v26i2/155-182.
Thompson, G. (2014). Introducing
Hyon, S. (1996). Genre in Three Functional Grammar (3rd
Traditions: Implications for Edition). New York: Routledge.
ESL. TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 30,
pp. 693-732. Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study
research: Design and methods
Martin, J. R. (1997). Analyzing genre: (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Functional parameters. Sage Publications, Inc.
Institutions: Social processs in
the workplace and school (pp. First Author Yuzaki Adam Alwasilah was born
3-39). London: Cassell. in Bandung 11 of june 1995. He has 3 older
sisters and 1 younger sibling. He has a wife and
two daughters. In 2018, he graduated from
Muhsin, M. A. (2016). Analysing the Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia with a degree
students errors in using simple in English education. He also teaches at one of
present (A case study at Junior Cimhai's vocational schools.
High School in Makassar).
Pacific Science Review B: Second Author Wawan Gunawan, Ph.D.,
Humanities and Social teaches at the Education University of
Indonesia. In 2014, he completed his doctorate
Sciences, 2(3), 81-87.
at the University of Massachusetts. The title of
one of his publications is "Teaching to mean,
Muntigl P and Ventola E. (2010) writing to mean: SFL, L2 literacy, and teacher
"Grammar: A Neglected education."
Resource in Interaction
Analysis?" New Adventures in
Language and Interaction, ed.
by Jürgen Streeck. John
Benjamins.

Nordquist, Richard. (2021, October

18). Overview of Systemic
Functional Linguistics.
Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/s
ystemic-functional-linguistics-
1692022

124