A Pragmatic Social Verbal Project: Character Language for the National Harmony
Authors: Jumanto Jumanto , Asmarani Rahmanti , Ramayanti Ismarita , Harunasari Siti Yulidhar , Aryanto Bayu , Zulfiningrum Rahmawati 
Published: April 2024

This article has explored use of the Indonesian language pragmatically within its related theories, and formulated the so-called character language for the national harmony. This descriptive qualitative research employed three main methods, i.e. observation, literature review, and auto-expert judgments and applied two types of assumptions in the development of a new theory, i.e. the empirically logical assumptions and the theoretically critical assumptions. The results of actual and potential data under researchers’ observation and the related theories were then analyzed through a coding technique, which consisted of three steps: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding to come to and present a structured form of the project, the distant and the close Indonesian languages as the main aspects of the character language. The project for the national harmony was then visualized and accounted for towards its predicted efficacy or eligible application through a six-phase projection, namely (1) in-family interaction phase, (2) in-classroom teaching-learning process phase, (3) in-school evaluation phase, (4) in-school re-evaluation phase, (5) in-public verification phase, and (6) in-society selection phase. Each phase with all the parties or the agents involved in this social verbal project was described and justified for its efficacy to contribute to the national harmony. Theoretically, this research develops the application of politeness or face-saving paradigm in pragmatics, while empirically, this research aims to encourage safe verbal interactions towards the national harmony, or international harmony to some extent.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the Indonesian language pragmatically within its related theories, and to formulate the so-called character language for the national harmony.

Theoretical Framework: In this pragmatic social verbal project, the Indonesian language is pragmatically formulated into Distant Indonesian Language (DIL) and Close Indonesian Language (CIL). DIL is spoken to superiors or used in the formal setting, while CIL is spoken to close people or used in the informal setting. The formulation of DIL and CIL is based on the theories of negative and positive face, negative and positive politeness strategies, respect and solidarity politeness, and politeness and camaraderie. Meanwhile, the formulation of superiors (and strangers) and close people is based on the theories of types of hearer with the aspects of power and solidarity.

Method: This descriptive qualitative research employed three main methods, i.e. observation, literature review, and auto-expert judgments and applied two types of assumptions in the development of a new theory, i.e. the empirically logical assumptions and the theoretically critical assumptions. The results of actual and potential data under researchers’ observation and the related theories were then analyzed through a coding technique, which consisted of three steps: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding to come to and present a structured form of the project, the distant and the close Indonesian languages as the main aspects of the character language.

Results and Discussion: The project for the national harmony was then visualized and accounted for towards its predicted efficacy or eligible application through a six-phase projection, namely (1) in-family interaction phase, (2) in-classroom teaching-learning process phase, (3) in-school evaluation phase, (4) in-school re-evaluation phase, (5) in-public verification phase, and (6) in-society selection phase. Each phase with all the parties or the agents involved in this social verbal project was described and justified for its efficacy to contribute to the national harmony.

Research Implications: Theoretically, this research develops the application of politeness or face-saving paradigm in pragmatics, while empirically, this research aims to encourage safe verbal interactions towards the national harmony, or international harmony to some extent.

Originality/Value: This character language project proposition has potential contributions for the (inter)national harmony, among others, as pragmatic behaviors or good manners against hate speech and hoaxes, for a guideline for text interactions in the virtual world, and metaphorically as the clothes that we wear in public or in private, within formal or informal situations.