Eksploring Casual and Informal Speech Style Among Elementary School Children: Insights From Teacher Perspectives

By: Mashayu Putri Gani; Supervised by: Muziatun, S.Pd, M.App. Ling, PhD

The elementary school environment has various challenges in language use that are felt by students and teachers, one of which is the students' casual and informal speech styles. Speech style is the way a person conveys or communicates language. This speech style includes several aspects such as word use, intonation, speed in communication. The use of this speech style can vary or depend on the context, audience and purpose, for example in a public environment it is better to use a formal speech style, while when with friends or family it is better to use a more casual and informal speech style.

The use of casual and informal speech styles often occurs among students but only among fellow students, but sometimes they switch in class to using formal language or good and correct Indonesian, casual or informal speech styles among students have characteristics such as the use of mixed language, including local dialects (Gorontalo and/or Manado) and Indonesian. The following are examples of sentences or words that students use in class and with fellow students:

Students in class usually use good and correct Indonesian or usually known as formal language because they are required to use and learn to use formal words in the school environment, for example when in class sometimes students also use standard words in Indonesian such as "Ibu guru, saya izin ke kamar kecil" which means "Teacher, please allow me to go to the restroom. 

Next, students also use code mixing in class, for example saying the words "saya lagi mo makan" which is mixed with the standard words or on the subject using the word "saya" in Indonesian which means "I" and on dialect verbs "lagi mo makan" in Malay Gorontalo which means I want to eat, this mixed sentence is used by students in class. 

Furthermore, students also use code switching, that is, when students are outside of class, they use casual and informal style language changes to fellow students. An example of the use of the word change among students is the word "Aku" becomes "Kita". and "You" becomes "Ngana" yang dimana kata tersebut merupakan dari bahasa melayu manado dan Gorontalo.

The occurrence of a speech and informal speech style in students can be caused by the surrounding environment, therefore teachers try to teach students to pay more attention to their speech style, especially to older people and so that students know better when they should use a casual (informal) speech style. and formal by looking at the surrounding environment.