NOTICE OF THESIS EXAM HEILDA 202100010001

---

NOTICE OF THESIS EXAM

 

HEILDA

202100010001

 

 

JANUARY 10, 2025, 1:00 PM

Building C, Room 706

 

Adviser           : Dr. Engliana

 

Examiners     : Dr. Luciana, M.Ed. & Dr. Anna Marietta da Silva

 

Title

EMOJIS AND SOCIAL MEANING-MAKING IN WHATSAPP: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS AND SOCIAL SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS

 

Abstract

The use of emojis as a language component in online communication has grown significantly in both frequency and functional diversity. Emojis are no longer merely decorative part of language but are now used to enhance the meaning of sentences. Combined with other language components, such as words or punctuations, they provide an emotional layer often absent in online interactions. However, in the absence of gestures and body language, emojis can also lead to misinterpretation, particularly when users lack awareness of their meanings or when cultural and contextual differences are present. This study aims to classify sentences used in a WhatsApp group based on Halliday’s metafunctions—Ideational, Interpersonal, and Textual—to analyze how they contribute to the interpretation of emojis. Additionally, it examines how emojis help maintain social relationships and mitigate criticism in the daily communication. The research employs a qualitative approach, drawing on Halliday’s metafunctions and Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory. Findings reveal that the Interpersonal metafunction is the most frequently used, emojis often take on different meanings depending on sentence context, and emojis are frequently employed to soften criticism.

Keywords: emojis, systemic functional linguistics, politeness theory