A Language Appraisal of Hotel Web Pages in Indonesian Five Starred Hotels: Interpersonal Meaning

Abstract

In this research, I can identify the interpersonal meaning of the hotel in Indonesian webpages five starred hotels. The theory of Martin and White called Appraisal theory is used to identify the interpersonal meaning of hotel homepages realized on lexical choices of speaker/writer opinion about their hotel product. Those linguistic resources are negotiated evaluations of hotel product to construct solidarity in order to persuade the reader to purchase the hotel. The appraisal theory Martin and White (2005) is used to examine the interpersonal meaning of the hotel homepage texts. This theory. examines three parameters of appraisal. They are (1) attitude, that consists of effective, appreciation and judgment, (2) graduation that consists of focus & force and (3) engagement that consists of monogloss and heterogloss. I examine the interpersonal meaning of ten hotel homepages retrieved on 2015 – 2016. The texts contain 1.606 words. It consists of 628 nouns and 203 adjectives. I examine the evaluation language of the text through the clause that is containing an adjective, adverb, and nominalization. Based on the appraisal theory, Martin & White (2005), the interpersonal meaning of ten hotel homepages construe by the attitudinal of the appreciation reaction region. While the result of attitudinal analysis of appreciation is 95%, judgment is 1% and affective is 4%. The results of 5 (five) appreciation analysis are appreciation reaction quality 44%, appreciation of impact 11%, appreciation of composition of Balance 6%, appreciation composition of complexity is 3% and appreciation of valuation is 35%. The result of graduation and engagement is used to strengthen the interpersonal meaning of hotel as means of graduation resource is used to amplify the hotel attitude in the text and engagement is used to engage the voice of the hotel to the reader through the lexical choice. Graduation employs force and focus. The employment of force and focus are used to asses the amplification of the quality of the hotel product. Force employs the intensification of superlatives maximization and comparative to amplify by scaling up the sense of superiority. The employment of methapors is used to amplify the quality and build a nice relationship to the quest by giving them space to consider the quality of the hotel product before they decide to purchase them. The hotel also uses the quantification to amplify the quantity, size and scope facilities and services to strengthen the credibility. It makes feeling confidently, secure and convenient for guest to stay at that hotel. While for focus employs the specificity and authenticity. It tends to imply the unique of hotel location and hotel product and amplify the reputation of the hotel. Under circumstances of engagement, the hotel uses one tone voice, monoglossic to deliver their opinion, because of course, it is promotional text. The hotel vision missions stated that they always do upgrading their hotel products. While the result of this research that is showing 44 % dominantly on the appreciation of quality. It implies that the interpersonal meaning of many Indonesian hotels is focused on promoting the quality of facilities and services. It has an impact to arouse the desire of the customer having a feeling of “I want it“. The word "it" could be replaced by an object (object or things) in detail. The examples are (1) I want to stay in Javanese style rooms and Suite rooms, each with magnificent balcony and surrounded by a tropical garden, (2) I want to taste Indonesian culture of living etc. The detail explanation of things in the text could align the reader which means in order to persuade the reader to purchase hotel products.