Register on the Documenter “Becoming”: Sociolinguistics Study

International Journal of English Linguistics, Literature, and Education (IJELLE) Vol. 6, No. 2, December 2024, pp. 170-180 ISSN 2686-0120 (print), 2686-5106 (online) 170 http://journal.univetbantara.ac.id/index.php/ijelle/index Register on the Documenter “Becoming”: Sociolinguistics Study Rudi Ebenheazer Siallaganaa,1,*, Ervina CM Simatupang b,2 a,b English Department, Widyatama University, Cikutra 204A, Bandung, Indonesia *; 2 * Corresponding Author 1 Received 18 July 2024; accepted 30 December 2024; published 31 December 2024 ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to categorize the various registers and examine the ethnographic communication variables in the documentary movie titled Becoming. A descriptive qualitative analytic strategy was employed in this study. The information was derived from interviews featured in the documentary Becoming. The study employed three theoretical frameworks related to Sociolinguistics: the register type theory proposed by Joos (1967), the ethnography of communication components theory from Hymes (1974), and the context theory from Cutting (2002). Around 22 data points collected from the discourse in the documentary Becoming were analyzed in this study. The results showed that one frozen register, seven formal registers, three consultative registers, seven informal registers, and four intimate registers were identified in the research. A total of 109 communicative ethnography elements were identified from the 22 data points. The elements most frequently present in the data were instrumentation, setting and scene, and setting. Participants, endpoints, acts of sequences, keys, and genres were the other aspects observed. KEYWORDS Registers Sociolinguistics Ethnography This is an openaccess article under the CC–BY-SA license 1. Introduction Language is a communication tool in society that influences the social environment. Language phenomena can be found both in spoken and written form, as well as in any activity that uses standard or non-standard forms. This is studied in the field of Sociolinguistics, which is the science that studies the characteristics and variations of language, as well as the relationship between its users and the functional characteristics of language variations in a society. In communicating, the use of language is generally related to social and cultural values. There are two factors, namely social factors and cultural factors that influence the way a person communicates, especially in the use of various languages or registers owned by each particular community. Language is a system, meaning it is made up of several stable and pattern-able components. As a system, they are likewise systemic, in addition to the systematic language. Systematic meaning is the arrangement of words not at random or arbitrarily, but rather in accordance with a predefined pattern (Moats, 2020). As though A person's language variety also depends on the level of formality. This affects the speech a person conveys to the person they are talking to. Social factors and cultural factors that appear in a person's language variety can be studied in communication ethnography. Ethnography of communication examines the role of language in people's communicative behavior, the way language is used in societies with different cultures. The following are examples of factors that can influence someone in communicating: situation (setting), participants (participants), and function (function). Language plays a very important role for society in various activities such as politics, working together, or connecting with other people in everyday life. The role of language and culture that influences it can also be found in films. Documentary films can be an object of register research and communication ethnography. Some linguists, on the other hand, would rather limit the meaning of the term register to language that is distinctive to a group or circumstance and is sometimes referred to as jargon (Nurani, 2014). Documentary film is a film genre that displays reality or facts recorded doi :10.32585/ijelle.v6i2.5507 171 International Journal of English Linguistics, Literature, and Education (IJELLE) Vol. 6, No. 2, December 2024, pp. 170-180 ISSN 2686-0120 (print), 2686-5106 (online) based on social reality. Michelle Obama's documentary film entitled Becoming (2020) tells the story of Michelle Obama's life while on tour for her memoir with the same title, Becoming. Directed by Nadia Hallgereen, the documentary film Becoming shows the life of Michelle Obama and looks back at several moments in her life that was meaningful to Michelle Obama. This is interesting to examine from the use and variations of language used by Michelle Obama, when she served as First Lady of the United States, until she went on her book tour. The documentary film Becoming shows communication events that occur repeatedly, especially activities carried out by Michelle Obama in a certain period of time. Understanding speech variations is essential to preventing misunderstandings between speakers in society whenever communication occurs. It implies that speakers need to be aware of how language functions. Language function refers to the way people utilize their language, which is already constrained by social or cultural conventions. The comprehension of social norms, which are related to how individuals utilize appropriate language in particular communication contexts by identifying the parties involved in the conversation. People have developed a standard language to serve as a guide for communication in every community on the planet (Budiarsa, 2017). There are several linguistic and non-linguistic elements that can impact the phenomena of language use. One aspect that is inherent in language is the linguistic factor. Syntax, morphology, and phonology are examples of linguistic factors. Non-linguistic elements include things like social, cultural, educational, and economic background that might affect how people use language. In addition, situational considerations such as who speaks what, to whom, when, where, and about what issues have an impact on language use (Annisaurrohmah, 2012). The problem identification in this proposal is formulated are: (a) what type of register is found in the Becoming documentary film? (b) What ethnographic factors of communication emerge in the Becoming documentary conversation? The primary objective of this study is to ascertain the many register types that are present in the documentary film Becoming. Later on, the objective is to examine the anthropological aspects of communication at the point in the documentary Becoming where the register is used. It is intended that this study will further the discipline of sociolinguistics, particularly as it relates to communication ethnography and registers. Additionally, it is intended to broaden the perspective of English majors and researchers interested in anthropology and communication regist (...truncated)