Interpersonal Metaphor in Teacher’s Talk: A Case Study in Panca Budi Kindergarten Medan

Abstract

This study investigates the use of interpersonal metaphors in teacher talk at Panca Budi Kindergarten in Medan from the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). The research focuses on how teachers use interpersonal metaphors in their classroom conversations to shape communication, guide interactions, and enhance student engagement. The main issue addressed in this study is how interpersonal metaphors are employed in teacher talk at Panca Budi Kindergarten and their impact on classroom dynamics. The aim of this study is to explore the use of interpersonal metaphors in teacher talk in the classroom at Panca Budi Kindergarten, based on Michael Halliday (1960) that focused on using various mood forms in declarative, imperative, and interrogative sentences. This study seeks to uncover how these metaphors are used to promote collaboration, assert authority, and encourage student participation in the learning process. The study adopts a qualitative approach, analyzing data collected through classroom observations and audio recordings. The data were analyzed using the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) perspective to understand the use of interpersonal metaphors in teacher talk. The analysis includes identifying and classifying sentence forms in declarative, imperative, and interrogative moods, as well as the frequency of metaphor use. The results show that teachers strategically employ interpersonal metaphors to promote collaboration, assert authority, and encourage student participation, creating a more dynamic and inclusive classroom environment. The analysis of the data reveals five instances of metaphorical coding. Four of these are metaphorical coding of commands executed in the interrogative mood, and one is a metaphorical coding of a statement executed in the imperative mood. These findings indicate that the teacher's communication style is primarily focused on providing clear and direct instructions, yet it also reflects the use of metaphorical language in their interactions.