The Role of Speakers' Mood Choices in the Presentation of Vocabulary in TikTok English Learning Videos (A Qualitative Descriptive Design)

Abstract

This study investigated the role of speakers' Mood choices in contributing to the presentation of vocabulary in TikTok English learning videos. Previous studies on the Mood system focused on classroom interaction and textbook dialogue, while previous studies on vocabulary in TikTok examined vocabulary through classification or students' perceptions, without applying Mood system analysis to examine how speakers’ Mood choices contributed to the presentation of vocabulary. To address this gap, the study identified the Mood system in the selected clauses from four TikTok English learning videos, determined the resulting Mood types (declarative, interrogative, and imperative), and examined how these Mood choices contributed to the presentation of vocabulary. This study employed a qualitative descriptive design. Data were collected through documentation from four TikTok English learning videos that were selected through purposive sampling. The four videos were transcribed, and twelve clauses were selected from the transcriptions for analysis using the Mood system framework within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) by Gerot and Wignell (1994). The findings showed that declarative Mood was the most frequently used type, appearing in six clauses and providing information about vocabulary meanings and use, while interrogative Mood appeared in three clauses to ask questions related to vocabulary and its meaning, and imperative Mood appeared in three clauses to direct viewers to learn, comment, or use the vocabulary. These findings indicated that speakers selected different Mood types depending on the speech function needed in the presentation of vocabulary, with each type contributing differently to the process. This study concluded that the Mood system was applicable to analyzing spoken language on digital platforms such as TikTok, extending its application beyond classroom interaction and textbook materials.