AN ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE STYLE IN MILLIE BOBBY BROWN’S SPEECH ON UNICEF’s YOUTUBE CHANNEL

This research aims to find out the types of language style and their functions
used in Millie Bobby Brown’s speech titled “Child’s Right.” The method used
in this research was qualitative research. The data was obtained from Brown’s
speech which was aired in November 22th, 2019. The data were analyzed
using Martin Joos’s theory in Sutherland (2016) to identify the types of
language style, and Holmes’s theory (2013) to determine the language
functions. The data consisted of 62 utterances taken from one speech script.
The findings showed that there were two language styles used in the speech,
namely formal style and casual style, and a total of 79 language functions
identified. The speech predominantly used the formal style. Considering the
speech’s context, which addressed topics such as children's rights, mental
health, and online safety, it was delivered in a serious social setting, making
the use of formal language more appropriate and professional. Moreover,
among all the language functions found in the speech, the referential function
was the most dominant. This is because the primary goal of the speech was to
inform the audience about the seriousness of children’s issues, such as
bullying and mental health risks. Finally, future researchers who are interested
in the same topic are suggested to analyze several speeches from different
speaker in more varied contexts, such as public speaking in business, politics,
and other areas.
Keywords: Language Style, Language Function, Millie Bobby Brown, Speech
at UNICEF.