Culturalistics: Journal of Cultural, Literary, and Linguistic Studies
Vol 10, No 1 (2026): Culturalistics: Journal of Cultural, Literary, and Linguistics Studies (June 20

Identifying language style used by the main characters in the movie Lost in Translation

Siti Dwi Wulandari (Department of English Language and Literature, Universitas Airlangga, Jl. Airlangga No.4 - 6, Airlangga, Gubeng, Surabaya, Indonesia 60115)
Yuni Sari Amalia (Department of English Language and Literature, Universitas Airlangga, Jl. Airlangga No.4 - 6, Airlangga, Gubeng, Surabaya, Indonesia 60115)



Article Info

Publish Date
09 Aug 2026

Abstract

Language styles in communication can be categorized by their degree of formality. This phenomenon can be seen in both real life communication and different types of media that involve social interaction. One media that showcases the diverse language styles people use in their communication is movies. This study aimed to analyze the language styles employed by the main characters in the film Lost in Translation using Martin Joos’ theory of language styles and identified the social factors influencing these styles using Janet Holmes' framework. To conduct the study, the researchers applied a qualitative descriptive method. The data was obtained from a conversation involving two main characters of Lost in Translation movie, named Bob Harris and Charlotte. The findings reveal 67 data of language styles in the movie, categorized as follows: 4 formal styles (5.9%), 8 consultative styles (11.9%), 45 casual styles (67.9%), and 10 intimate styles (14.9%). Furthermore, 94 data of social factors influencing language style were identified, there are 23 data of participant (24.4%), 49 data of topic (52%), 4 data of setting (4.2%), and 18 data of function (19%).

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Journal Info

Abbrev

culturalistics

Publisher

Subject

Humanities

Description

Culturalistics: Journal of Cultural, Literary, and Linguistic Studies is a peer-reviewed triannual scientific journal published by Department of Linguistics, Diponegoro University, Indonesia. It publishes articles in the field of cultural, literary, and linguistic ...