Ugly Duckling and Me, the Lion King, and Brother Bear)
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A STUDY OF WORD FREQUENCY IN SELECTED CHILDREN MOVIES (UGLY DUCKLING AND ME, THE LION KING, AND BROTHER BEAR) Risma Auliana Muhammadiyah University of Jember [email protected] ABSTRACT For decades, movie has been widely observed in many terms but, in educational field, movies do not seem always applicable. In Indonesian context, for example, learning English using movie for the beginners can be more distressing and wasting time. On the other hand, especially for vocabulary development, the use of movies can be further employed. Language used in the movies can be analyzed using corpus-based approach to provide more useful information such as for English learners, Teachers and materials developers. The research questions motivate the present study includes (1) What are the most frequent words in each movie? and (2) How are the semantic representations of the most frequent used in the movie? This research was qualitative in nature and applied corpus-based approach. By conducting a corpus-based analysis of a variety of texts from one genre of movie language, this study explores how the most ferquent words reflected different linguistic representations. Using SCP program, the corpus forming the basis of analysis consists of various texts from three Children movies – Ugly Duckling and Me, The Lion King and Brother Bear. The result of this research proved that pronouns are the most frequent vocabulary used in the movies. The domination of pronouns overrides nouns in the position of subject and object. It might give important information of the position of pronouns in real context and situation and thus its portion in language teaching should be taken into account. Concerning the semantic representation of the words, it is informed that the use of the most frequent words can make the situation in the classroom more personal and more likely for the speaker to respond. Therefore, it may indicate that in spoken language, by using ‘pronoun’ there will be an intimate interaction between the speaker and the listener. The the present study suggest that 1) the next researchers can analyse other corpus with larger scale and may focus on other aspects of vocabulary instead of pronouns 2) Words frequency and their semantic representation should be taken into account to create good vocabulary material 3) The students of English as a second/foreign language can frequently practice pronouns in real conversation. 1. Background of the Research ; Khalil 2016). In fact, in educational For decades, movie has been field, movies do not seem always widely observed in term of its applicable. in Indonesian context, for effectiveness for English teaching example, learning English using and how to use it for instructional movie for the beginners can be more purposes (Albiladi, Abdeen, Lincoln distressing and wasting time. On the 2018 ; SoHee 2019), and analyzed in other hand, especially for vocabulary the field of discourse (Masters 2019 development, the use of movies can be further employed. Movies technique of frequency to examine language can be served as authentic the influence of the country where material for vocabulary reference. the newspaper is published on its Further, it is generally agenda and coverage using a corpus believed that movie is one of of about 7 million words of news effective media for language articles. Luo (2014), by comparing teaching, but it is hardly realized word frequency of college English that the movie provides sources for learners in China and English teaching material and material students, he found that the English development. Few scholars could learners need to read ten times as clearly tell the language used in the much as reading in the class to meet movie, and what effects they have the fluency of the English if they pick on English vocabulary acquisition. In up the vocabulary accidently fact, word frequency plays an through reading. Toriida (2016) went important role on vocabulary further by providing guide for learning, especially to those learning English instructors and material English as a foreign language. But developer to create and develop unfortunately, so far, such studies their own corpus based on the word could still hardly be found in the frequency. This present study fields of foreign language vocabulary provides a model for selecting acquisition in Indonesia today. appropriate vocabulary material for Fortunately, using corpus- instructional purpose, especially based approach, word frequency has lexically-based English teaching and been analyzed and treated in learning and give a new path of easy different ways. Chen (2018) for access to effective vocabulary example, analysed frequent phrases acquisition and usage. in English learning textbook. It In this case, the availability of implies the need of more detail digitally stored texts on the internet source of vocabulary-based learning. has opened a new possibility for Similar to this study, Syarifuddin access to large corpora of written (2017) suggested that teachers and language. This opens the possibility textbook writers should present to obtain frequency estimates for vocabulary types according to words in languages without an frequency levels and to overview the existing frequency list. It can be seen nature of each type and how each how internet sources can be used to should be dealt with in the language get access to texts from different program. In discourse field, Haider language registers. Materials can be (2016) used the corpus linguistic downloaded anywhere of various context. However, the problem is their students, especially school how to find spoken word corpora. In teachers. The result of this research this present study, movies may be can be served as an important guide the most possible source of for preparing suitable vocabularies transcribed spoken text. This type of those go frequently with pronouns corpus has two potentially and how to find suitable method to interesting features. First, it deals familiarize the students with active with spoken interactions between use of pronouns in natural and real people in a visible setting. Second, context. Further, English teachers for many people movies comprise an can base their vocabulary material important part of their language on the importance of word choices input. and how they use them effectively in This research questions the classroom. motivate the present study: The use of concordance in 1. What are the most frequent this research may also can be words in each movie? adapted in selecting good material 2. How are the semantic for the students. As the pronouns representations of the most are the most frequent words, they frequent used in the movie? can be of vital consideration in creating good material for the The result of the present students, especially for beginners study may be served as reference for focusing on subjects related to other researchers as well as similar movies. Besides, Curriculum inspiration considering that the and material developers can also present study only use a small prepare good material which is corpus and lack of focus. Thefore, based on context and appropriate the next researchers can analyse for the students. other corpus with larger scale and The students of English as a may focus on other aspects of second/foreign language can take vocabulary instead of pronouns. advantage practically when corpus- They can analyse more movies, based material are provided for English text book or English test them. They can frequently practice items for students in Indonesia pronouns in real conversation. Based which emphasizes on, for example, on the findings, the students should adjective or verb. For the English start their learning with the most teachers, the result of this research frequent pronouns such as I, you, can be served as optional guide for me, my and your. preparing suitable vocabularies for Movies such as Ugly Duckling film, and the fifth animated film and Me, The Lion King and Brother produced during a period known as Bear do not only useful as media of the Disney Renaissance. Brother English teaching or become the Bear is a 2003 American animated object of discourse analysis. comedy-drama film produced by Language used in the movies can be Walt Disney Feature Animation and analyzed using corpus-based released by Walt Disney Pictures. It approach to provide more useful is the 44th Disney animated feature information such as for English film. learners, Teachers and materials developers. In this case, the analysis 2. Research Method of words of the movies can provide This research was qualitative authentic words used by native in nature and applied corpus-based speakers of English which are ideally approach. By conducting a corpus- suitable for the needs of the based analysis of a variety of texts students which do not always have from one genre of movie language, access to authentic English. this study explores how the most The discussion was restricted ferquent words reflected different to the languages used in three linguistic representations. The selected children movies. It means corpus forming the basis of analysis that the researcher selected the consists of various texts from three movies not based on certain Children movies – Ugly Duckling and philosophical reasons. Rather, the Me, The Lion King and Brother Bear. movies were choosen in term of The selected texts included the assesibiliy and the wellknownment dialogue in each movie. to the Indonesian children. The In the investigation of the three selected movies are Ugly movie script Corpus, using corpus Duckling and Me, The Lion King and analysis software (Scp) to identify Brother Bear. frequent words, as well as The Ugly Duckling and Me is “keywords,” or unusually frequent a 2006 Danish-British-French words as compared to a reference animated film intended for family corpus. In order to capture only the audience, especially for kids. The meaningful lexical items, high Lion King is a 1994 American frequency function words (e.g.