SPEECH ACT THEORY
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This document discusses speech act theory, which was proposed by philosophers John Austin and John Searle. They believed that language is used not just to inform but also to perform acts. Austin distinguished three acts in a single speech act: the illocutionary act is the intended function of the utterance, the locutionary act is the literal meaning of words used, and the perlocutionary act is the effect on the listener. Searle later classified illocutionary acts into five categories: directives, commissives, representatives, declaratives, and expressives. The document provides examples to illustrate each category.
SPEECH ACT THEORY
- 3. This concept was proposed by John Langshaw Austin in 1962 one of the founders of pragmatic and later developed by John R. Searle in 1969, both philosophers of language, they believe that langauge is not only used to inform or to describe things, it is often used “to do things”, to perform acts. In other words actions performed via utterances are generally called speech acts.
- 4. He further distinguished three acts in one single speech act or event we perform. 1. illocutionary Act 2. Locutionary Act 3. Perlocutionary Act
- 5. iIlocutionary acts are the real actions which are performed by the utterance. We form an utterance with some kind of function in mind. This communicative force of an utterance is known as illocutionary force. (Intention/desire of the speaker)
- 6. Locutionary act is the basic act of utterance, or producing a meaningful linguistic expressions. We can say performing an act of saying something or physical utterances of words.
- 7. Perlocutionary act is the effect produced on the listner when they listen a locutionary act or this is the hears response.
- 9. This theory was further classified by John Searle. He states that the taxonomy used by Austin is defective, especially in its lack of clear criteria for distinguishing one kind of illocutionary force from another.
- 10. Searle divides illocutionary acts into five basic types. 1. Directive 2. Commissive 3. Representative/Assertive 4. Declarative 5. Expressive
- 11. It is conversation between 1st and 2nd person here the speaker tries to make the hearer do something, with such words as: ask, order, command, request, beg, plead, pray, entreat, invite, permit, advise, demand etc. Ex: Give me your pen. Leave the town immediately.
- 12. Here the speaker commits himself or herself to the future course of action, with verbs such as: guarantee, promise, swear, refuse, threating etc. Ex: I will repay the money. I swear to tell the truth.
- 13. Here the speaker asserts a proposition to be true, using such verbs as: affirm, believe, conclude, deny, report, state. etc Ex: The earth is round. I think, he is saying the truth.
- 14. Here the speaker alters the external status or condition of an object, situation or context solely by making the utterance. Ex: Class dismissed. You are fired. We find defendant not guilty.
- 15. Here the speaker expresses an attitude to or about a state of affairs, using such verbs as: thanks, congratulate, apologize, praise etc. Ex: I am sorry for being late. What a great day! Congratulation!