PERBANDINGAN BAHASA SURAT PEMBACA DALAM MAJALAH KAWANKU DAN HAI

Abstract

The background of this research was due to the fact that communication processes involve two sides – speakers and hearers, in which the delivered massages are tied within discourses. Letters from readers, as a means used by readers to express “something” to mass-media management or other readers, are in line with mass-media characteristics. “Kawanku”, a magazine for female teenagers with its motto: “unbeatable fun girl” and “Hai”, a magazine for male teenagers with its motto: “karena kita luar biasa” have certain similarities and differences in their language use.

This study aimed to compare the topic, language use, and communicative acts in letters from readers found in the magazines “Kawanku” and “Hai”.

The research was descriptive in nature. It described the data – 60 letters from readers in Chit-Chat “Kawanku” and 58 letters from readers in Memo “Hai”, which comprised 10 editions of each magazine namely, no. 40 up to no. 49 published in September –  Desember 2007.

The data analysis showed (1) due to the topic, domestic artists/celebrities and foreign music groups were dominant in “Kawanku”; while, opinions and the contents of the magazine were dominant in “Hai", (2) concerning the language use, especially the  orthographic writings, the titles of the letters in “Kawanku” were written  in small letters; whereas, those in “Hai” were written in capital letters; the use of colloquial language was of no distinction in the two magazines; the use of abbreviations and acronyms in “Hai” was striking, such as SMS; the use of foreign language was rather different in the two magazines. Japanese was used in “Kawanku”, but “emoticons” was used in “Hai”, (3) in relation to communicative acts, courtesy was maintained in “Kawanku”; it was realized with opening and closing greetings; meanwhile, in “Hai” the intention of letters was stated straightforwardly and there were criticisms as well as severe complaints.