AN ANALYSIS OF ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS AND IMPLICATURES IN UNDERSTANDING TOEFL SHORT CONVERSATION

Abstract

Listening comprehension is found to be among the most difficult tasks for the

learners due to several reasons. Mostly, test-takers find difficulty in interpreting

the intended meaning of the utterances in the TOEFL examination. To understand

the intended meaning which is implied in and beyond the utterance itself, the test

takers must have background knowledge of the context of the utterances. Based

on the problems faced by the test takers above, this study gives some solutions in

understanding the short conversation in TOEFL so they can draw conclusion of

the intended meanings. The writer uses illocutionary acts and implicatures in

analyzing the problems found in TOEFL short conversation. Based on the

analysis, this study concludes that TOEFL short conversations consist of four

illocutionary acts classifications of five. There are Directive, Expressive,

Assertive and Commisive. Most of the illocutionary acts found in TOEFL short

conversations are directive, assertive and expressive. Meanwhile, Commisive is

sometimes found in TOEFL short conversations. This study also gets the data of

the implicatures on the utterance in TOEFL short conversations. There are some

implicatures that can help the test takers in understanding the intended meaning

of the utterance in TOEFL short conversations. Thus to understand the intended

meaning on the utterances, the test takers can interpret the meaning by applying

the illocutionary act theory and the implicatures. The illocutionary will help the

test taker to identify the types of the utterance and then can understand the

intended meaning of the utterance. The implicatures will explain what a speaker

can imply, suggest, or mean, as different from what the speaker literally says.