INTERPERSONAL MEANING IN TEACHER-STUDENT TALK: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study investigates interpersonal meaning in teacher–student talk in an Indonesian junior high school EFL classroom from a Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) perspective. The study focuses on how mood structures and modality choices are used to enact interpersonal roles, relationships, and power distribution during classroom interaction. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected through classroom observation and audio recordings of English lessons in a Grade VIII class at SMPN 1 Pematang Siantar. The recorded interactions were transcribed and analyzed based on the interpersonal metafunction of SFL, particularly mood types and modality values. The findings reveal that classroom interaction is predominantly teacher-dominated. The teacher frequently uses declarative, interrogative, and imperative moods to explain content, elicit responses, and manage classroom activities. High-modality expressions are commonly employed by the teacher to convey authority and obligation, while students tend to use low modality and produce minimal responses. These patterns reflect unequal interpersonal roles and reinforce an Initiation–Response–Feedback (IRF) interaction structure. The study highlights the importance of teachers’ linguistic choices in shaping classroom interaction and suggests that greater awareness of mood and modality use may support more balanced and interactive EFL classrooms.