Systemic Functional Linguistics: Analyzing the Theme System and Thematic Progression in Indonesian University Students’ English Writing

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the English writing assignment of Indonesian college students. This study focuses on the use of theme system and thematic progression in the text which was produced by the learners in Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya. This study used the systemic functional linguistics as approach in teaching and learning in writing class. This study used the qualitative approach with descriptive qualitative as the method. It was conducted because this study observed about the writing assignment which would be elaborated descriptively. The data were taken by using the purposive sampling. The participants were 3 rd year students which consisted of twenty students. The observation and interview were conducted as instrument in data collection. There were several steps conducted in analyzing the data. They were first, the students' pre-writing assignment were read carefully by the researcher. Then, those writing assignment were classified in to three classifications, they were low, middle and high achiever. Those pre-writing assignments were analyzed based on the SFL's theory about theme system and thematic progression. Then, the students' post-writing assignment were read intensively by the researcher. Then, those post-writing assignments were classified based on the previous classification. Then, those were analyzed based on SFL's theory in theme system and thematic progression. Finally, it is inferred that there is the significant process between writing assignment and systemic functional linguistics approach. The students can construct the message or information in the clause by using the theme system which will be turned to be the larger text. The student (high and middle learners) can produce the text cohesively and coherently by applying the thematic progression. In the other hand, there is several texts which produced by the low learners is not understandable to be read.