TEACHING FILLERS TO IMPROVE

STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL IN INTRODUCTION MATERIAL

OF ELEVENTH GRADE OF MA MATHALIBUL HUDA JEPARA

Final-Test Assignment

Submitted as an Assignment of Discourse Studies

By:

Hanik Nurul Faizah

0203519037

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

GRADUATE PROGRAM
UNIVERSITAS NEGERI SEMARANG
2020
Abstract

This paper aims to introduce the way to teach fillers in improving students’ speaking skill
in introduction material of eleventh grade students of senior high school. Speaking foreign
language is not easy. The lack of vocabularies, grammar rule or inappropriate information
can be reasons for someone are not fluent in delivering their ideas. From those reasons
teaching fillers is considered important. This study is descriptive study which describe the
planning can be done by teacher in teaching fillers in EFL classroom. Based on the
literature review the writer gains that video can be media in teaching fillers of introduction
material for students of eleventh grade in MA. Mathalibul Huda Jepara.

INTRODUCTION

Learning speaking English is not easy. Moreover, English is still considered as a

foreign language. As Santos and Pablo (2006) stated that it requires many efforts in
understanding and applying the foreign language, commitment in learning, and developing
the awareness as each language has its own rules. It is true when learning foreign language
takes place in a context where the target language does not commonly use foreign
language outside the foreign language classroom. According to Holmes (2013) and Chaika
(2008), people need to develop not only the linguistic competence but also the appropriate
communicative competence as well in communicating any foreign language. Therefore,
understanding how to pronounce words correctly, use the appropriate grammar, and
choose a proficient vocabulary does not guarantee the success to be able to speak a foreign
language.

Since speaking foreign language is not easy, sometimes people make some pauses
during speaking. In fact, many spontaneous speakers of various languages have pauses on
their speaking which are taken when needed (Erten, 2014). This phenomenon is commonly
called filler. Fillers are a moment when someone pause their speaking to think what they
want to say without give the impression if we finish our speaking. In daily conversation,
people often use uh, er, um, ah, ehm, well, I mean, you know, or similar expressions.
According to Baalen (2001), these kinds of utterances are called fillers. He also describes
the fillers as sounds or words or phrases that could appear anywhere in the utterance and
could be deleted from the utterance without a change in content. Clark and Tree (2002)
claim that fillers serve a communication function, having a place in the speakers’
vocabulary. Fillers are not the main message; they just help to have a meaning in
sentences.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Fillers

Fillers are discourse markers speakers use when they think and/or hesitate during
their speech. Clark and Fox Tree (2002) claimed that fillers served a communicative
function, having a place in the speaker’s vocabulary. Nonetheless, they are not for primary
message in a communication. They rather convey collateral messages. In other words, the
use of a filler only helps the meaning. It’s not the meaning in the communication.
Nevertheless, according to Clark and Fox Tree (ibid), fillers can be used to convey a
variety of interpersonal messages such as ‘holding the floor’. However, according to
Corley and Stewart (2008), considering fillers in the sense of communication function is
not that certain. Fillers are used when the speaker is uncertain about his next utterance or
he has choices to make in his utterance, but this does not prove that the speaker signals
there will be a delay in his speech due to a uncertainty. In fact, it may be hard to determine
why a speaker hesitates by using some fillers. Seemingly, considering such a complex
process in his brain during the speech, being certain about why he hesitates is not quite
possible. If this process is working in the brain of an L2 speaker, things may be even more
complex.

Types of Fillers

Clark (1977) stated that Filled pause is a hesitation in spontaneous speech partly or
wholly taken up by a speech sound like ah, err, uh, et. Similarly, in 1983, Brown and Yule
defined filled pauses as pauses which usually appear in the form of sounds or words and in
some places of the sentence. Moreover, filled pauses are the gap between words and
forward planning and thinking about what the speakers want to say (Carter, Goddard,
Reah, Sanger, & Bowring, 1997). Based on those definitions about filled pauses, the
researcher concludes that filled pauses are any utterances produced by a speaker when she
plans to say something. Furthermore, Rose (1998) categorizes filled pauses into two types;
those are an unlexicalized filled pause and a lexicalized filled pause.
 According to Stenstrom (1994), fillers are categorized into two types; those are a
silent pause and a filled pause. On the other hand, Rose (1998) also divides the filled
pauses into two types. The first one is an unlexicalized filled pauses and the second is a
lexicalized filled pause.

Silent pauses are pauses that appear in strategic places of the sentences (Stenstrom,
1994. According to Wu (2001), silent pauses define as the unfilled pauses when they occur
in the middle of phrases and words. As in Wu’s definition, Matthei and Roeper (1983) also
argue that silent pauses tend to occur within phrases of the sentence. This statement is also
supported by Brown and Yule (1983) that silent pauses are pauses which usually precede
the utterance and help the speaker to plan to put the words into the utterances. They also
define silent pauses as extended pauses because they usually extend between 3.2 to 16
seconds and cause the speakers to provide sufficient information to the hearers. Therefore,
silent pauses are pauses which are not filled with any sound or utterance.

Unlexicalized filled pauses are non-lexemes (non-words) filled pauses which

speakers use to indicate hesitation while the speaker thinks what to say next utterances
(Rose, 1998; Baalen, 2001). In addition, Baalen (2001) also gives some examples of
unlexicalized filled pauses, such as ehm, uh, err, ee, ah, um, and so on. The definition of
unlexicalized filled pauses is also supported by Juan (2006), he says that ehm, uh, err, ee,
ah, um and other vocalizations which belong to unlexicalized filled pauses are the easiest
sounds which made while having a speaking. Afterwards, he calls them as "neutral vowel
sounds”.

According to Rose (1998), claim that lexicalized filled pauses are fillers in the form
of word or short phrases, such as like, well, yeah, sort of, you know, if you see what I mean,
and so on. On the other hand, Baalen (2001) also states a similar statement that lexicalized
filled pauses consist of the phrases you know and I mean which are mostly used when a
speaker is grouping for words but does not want to give up the claim to the floor.
Furthermore, she suggests that one type of the fillers is like (when it is not used as verb or
preposition) and well (not in the initial position). Stenstrom (1994) also notes that one type
of fillers, which is similar to the lexicalized fillers, is verbal fillers, such as well, I mean,
and sort of.

From those definitions of the types of fillers from Stenstrom (1994) and Rose
(1998), the researcher summarized the types of fillers into three; they are a silent pause, an
unlexicalized filled pause, and a lexicalized pause. In order to investigate the filler words,
the researcher just used the unlexicalized filled pause and lexical filled pause in this study.

The Function of Fillers

Based on Schiffrin (1978) Fillers have various functions which depend on the situation
of the speaker. Clark and Fox (2002) Tree claimed that fillers served a communicative
function and had a place in the speaker’s vocabulary. Nevertheless, they do not define as
primary message in a communication. In other words, the use of a filler only helps the way of
speaking, not the meaning in the communication. However, Corley and Stewart (2008)
describe that deliberating fillers in the sense of communication function is not certain.
Therefore, fillers are used when the speaker is uncertain about his/her next utterance or he/she
has choices to make in his utterance. There are at least five functions of fillers that will be
explained further. They are empathizing, hesitating, mitigating, editing term, and time-creating
devices.

The first function of fillers is as mitigating devices. Baalen (2001) revealed that fillers
can mitigate utterances in order not to hurt the addressee's feelings. She also highlights the
fillers as a solidarity marker or politeness device. She explained that protecting face needs is
an important function of fillers because face needs are the need to feel liked (positive face
needs) and the need to have one's personal space respected (negative face needs). Fillers as
like well, ehm, eer, and okay can be functioned as mitigating or politeness devices.

The second function of filler is as hesitation devices. Stenstrom (1994) defined a mark of
hesitation as one of the functions of fillers. Foss and Hakes (1978) hesitations are pauses
which increase in the places of a sentence when a speaker has difficult decision in using the
words. Matthei and Roeper (1983) and Wu (2001) clarified that these fillers occur when the
speaker must stop and think about what he/she will say next and when he/she is putting a
sentence together. Most of filled pauses (ee, em, err, uhm, ah, hm, et cetera) are used as the
breathing pauses, such pauses generally match semantic-syntactic boundaries
(Stenstrom:1994).

The third function of fillers is editing term is also one of the filler functions. According
to Baalen (2001), fillers are used to correct the speech errors in the utterances’ speakers. In the
other word, the speaker is aware if he/she makes a speech error. Then, he/she wants to correct
it. I mean, um, ehm, uh, huh, ee, et cetera can indicate the speaker's awareness of the speech
error followed by her/his attempt to correct it.

Another function of fillers is used as time-creating devices. Fillers give some time for
the speaker to think about what to utter next. Stenström (1994) argued that the common form
of fillers used as the time-creating devices is the lexical repetition. Moreover, lexical repetition
consists of two types. The first is single words repetition. It means that the speaker repeats a
single word in his/her turn. The second is clause partial repetition. It is the clause repetitions
which appear in his/her turn. All repetitions in the utterances function as the fillers in order to
give some time for the speaker to plan what to say next.

Video in English Language Classrooms

Wang (2015) mentioned that there are three goals of teaching English with video
materials: The first is to facilitate the development of EFL learners’ language skill. It means
that the video can provide a lot of information for the learners, get their attention to focus on
the material in the video, and improve their comprehensive linguistic competence. The second
is to cultivate students’ competence of intercultural communication. When the video is
presented in the classroom, it does not only give information about the language, but the
learners also can learn about culture of English native speakers. Then, it can support the
learners’ communicative competence in English. The third is to cultivate students’ aesthetic
values and ability to appreciate English videos of Artistic values. In this case, the video does
not only present information about what the students have watched, but it is expected to make
the students have aesthetic impressions of the video in their mind. It can encourage them to
have deep thinking and critical review. So, the students can get a lot of benefits from the
video.

Teaching Fillers in Introduction Material Using Video

Introduction is considered as the important material in speaking English. It is usually

taught in the beginning of semester. As the experts above have mentioned that fillers can be
functioned as sign of empathizing, hesitating, mitigating, editing term, and time-creating
devices. In addition, filler is used to make the speaking sound fluent as like as native.
 To design the teaching filler, researcher uses P-P-P (Presentation, Practice- Produce)
lesson plan in teaching eleventh grade of MA Mathalibul Huda Jepara. At Presentation Session
teacher gives and drill some questions related to questions answer of introduction.

What is your name?

What is your full name?

Where do you go to school?

What are you?

Where were you born?

How old are you now?

What is your hobby?

What is your ambition?

Etc

In the session of Practice teacher ask students to have conversation in pairs for many times. It
is continued by having students write the answer of those questions in form of paragraph.
Teacher writes in the white board and guides how to give opening and closing in the
introduction

“Good afternoon everybody, I would like to introduce my self to you,

Hello my name is ………..

My full name is……

I am students

I go to MA Mathalibul Huda
I’m eleventh Class

I was born in Jepara

I was born on June 2005

I’m fifteen years old

My hobby is..

My ambition…

Etc

Well I that is all about it, thanks for your attention. Thank you

Teacher gives around ten minutes for students to prepare themselves before pointing
them one by one to introduce themselves in front of class. After the ten minutes teacher goes
on calling students’ name one by one until 5 students. In this session sure there will be some
students who forget about the next part will they convey. This is the chance for teacher to
show a video for a while. The video is about native speakers who introduce themselves.
However, before playing the video teacher instructs students to look for something that can be
learned. After watching the video, teacher asks students to give their opinion related what they
can learn from the video. After having discussion and listening some ideas from some
students, teacher continues explaining the contain of the video and what actually they can learn
of it, it is about “The Use of Filler” which include its type and function. Teacher explains that
it is better that students use fillers than to be silent and say nothing. After explaining, teacher
plays back the video and asks students to identify what fillers use by the native speaker within
the video in introducing herself. Teacher continues the lesson by pointing some students to
stand up introducing themselves from the place. Teacher observes as well the improvement of
students’ speaking after giving explanation of fillers.

As the production teacher gives a task for students to make Video which contains of
introducing themselves and their family. The video has to be uploaded on their social media
and tag the teacher to give score. As we know that students are smart in using social media for
fun, then we can involve it as part of teaching and learning.
CONCLUSION

Teaching fillers for leaners of EFL is important. Since speaking English is not easy,
students will find hesitation or time to think for further utterance, then to make their speaking
sound smooth and fluent filler is needed to be introduced. There are many types of fillers such
as ehm, uh, err, ee, ah, um. The function those fillers can be as empathizing, hesitating,
mitigating, editing term, and time-creating devices. Teaching fillers may be done in various
ways. However, writer chooses video as the media to teach fillers in introduction material of
eleventh grade MA Mathalibul Huda. Writer design to use PPP lesson plan. After knowing the
use of fillers writer expect students can introduce themselves and their family fluently and
confidently.
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