By: Dr. Felicia N. Utorodewo
Humans use language to communicate. In communicating, the language used is grouped into four types of language activities, namely (1) narration; (2) description; (3) exposition; and (4) argumentation. When we ask children to share their activities at school, for example, we are asking them to tell about their activities. The child will narrate nonfiction in accordance with what he experienced with friends, teachers, officers, traders in the school environment that he met that day. The following describes this language activity one by one.
Narration is a language activity that tells a story. We can tell stories based on personal experiences, observations, and information gathering. Stories like this are called nonfiction stories. In the nonfiction story the character, setting, and event really do exist. Included in nonfiction stories are biographies, travel stories or adventures. In addition, we can also tell stories based on the results of imagery. A story is called fiction if the character, setting, and event does not exist or does not really happen. Everything is designed. Included in fiction are fairy tales, fables, folklore, myths.
Description is a language activity that describes the shape of the object being observed, both in terms of its shape, nature, taste, or pattern by relying on the senses. So, the main tool used in doing the description is the senses: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, fingers. Then, supported by other information. Of course, description is a nonfiction type of writing. However, if we imagine a place or situation in a fictional story, we create a fictional type description.
Exposition is a language activity that provides exposure, explanations, information, or understanding of a matter. Often, this type of language is called explanation. To compile an exposition, we must gather information, both by reading reference books and through interviews with interviewees. In addition, the exposition can be arranged based on the results of research or experiments in the laboratory. Therefore, exposition is always a language activity that is nonfiction or actually happens.
Argumentation is the activity of language in the form of discussion to convince others, prove one’s opinion or position, or persuade other parties to accept personal opinion. Of course, to convince others, we must arrange strong and logical evidence (to make sense) so that other people believe in our opinions. Proof that can be arranged based on references, interviews, research, or experiments, as we arrange exposition or explanation. The difference is that in arranging an exposition, we explain procedurally a matter. For example, food recipes, fan use manuals, rules of medicine use, and so on. Meanwhile, in compiling arguments, we use exposition to convince others of our opinions.
In reality, we don’t use the four language activities separately or independently. In narration, we will slip description and exposition. In arguing, the evidence is arranged by telling the results of the field, describing the atmosphere of the field or the results of an experiment, and explaining how something happened. Of course, we also often watch movies or read books combining fiction and nonfiction, such as science fiction or historical fiction.
.
References
Cowley, Sue. 2012. The Road to Writing. London: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Hefni, Zizi. 2012. Panduan Mudah Mengarang untuk SD. Jogjakarta: Diya Press.
Marahimin, Ismail. 2008. Menulis Secara Populer. Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya.
Wishon, George E. Dan Burks, Julia M. 1968. Let’s Write English. New York: American Book Company.
Wiyanto, Asul. 2004. Terampil Menulis Paragraf. Jakarta. Penerbit PT Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia (Grasindo).
This column is presented by:
