TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS ON STURNIOLOTRIPLETS’ YOUTUBE VLOG ‘YOU ARE SKATING ON THIN ICE CAR VIDEO’

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the transitivity system, including processes, participants, and circumstances, used in the YouTube vlog “You’re Skating on Thin Ice – Car Video” by the Sturniolo Triplets. The purpose of this study was also to identify the types of transitivity processes and to determine the most dominant process found in the discourse. This research focused on how experiential meaning is constructed in informal digital communication through spontaneous spoken interaction. Using a qualitative descriptive method, the data were taken from a transcription of the vlog. The data were collected through documentation and analyzed clauses by clauses based on Halliday’s (1994) and Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2014) theories of Systemic Functional Linguistics, particularly the ideational meta function. Each clause was categorized according to its process of type, participants, and accompanying circumstances to reveal patterns of meaning representation. The findings showed that all six types of transitivity processes were present in the vlog, including material, mental, verbal, relational, behavioral, and existential processes. Among these, the material process was the most frequently used, indicating that the speakers mainly focused on actions and activities during their conversation. Mental processes also appeared frequently, reflecting the speakers’ thoughts, feelings, and personal evaluations. Verbal and relational processes supported interaction and description, while behavioral and existential processes occurred less often. In conclusion, this study shows that experiential meaning in informal digital discourse is largely constructed through action-oriented and subjective expressions. The findings highlight the relevance of transitivity analysis in understanding everyday spoken language in online media.