Speech Act

DEFINITION OF
SPEECH ACTS
John Richard P. Lagradilla & Sheena Cabiles
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
01 THREE TYPES OF 02 SEARLE’S

SPEECH CLASSOFICATION OF SPEECH
ACT
WE WILL TALK
SPEECH ACT.
A UTTERANCE THAT A SPEAKER MAKES TO ACHIEVE AN
INTENDED EFFECT.
SPEECH ACT
Some of the th function which are carried out using speech acts are
OFFERING, AN APOLOGY, GREETING, REQUEST, COMPLAINT,
INIVITATION, OR REFUSAL. A speech act might contain just one word
or several words or sentence. For example, “Thanks you always for
being there for me. I really appreciate it” both show appreciation
regardless of the leght of the statement.
THREE TYPES OF
SPEECH ACT
This is where you section ends. Duplicate this set of slides as many times you need to go over all your sections.
J. L. AUSTIN
According to J. L. Austin (1962), a philipospher
of language amd the developer of the speech
act theory, there are three types of acts in
utterance, given by the right circumtances or
context.
THREE TYPES OF SPEECH ACT
Locutionary Act is the actual act of uttering.
“Please do the dishes.”
Illocutionary Act is the social function of what is said.

By uttering act the locution “please do the dishes” , the speaker request the addresses to wash
the dishes.
Prelocutionary act is the resulting act of what is said. This effect is based on the particular
context in which in the speech act was mentioned
“please do the dishes” woud lead to the addressee washing the dishes
There are also INDIRECT SPEECH ACTS which occur when there is no
direct connecton between the form of the utterance and the intended
meaning. They are different in force (i.e., intention) from the inferred
speech act.
For example, read the following utterance.
“Can you pass the rice?”
Inferred speech act: Do you have the ability to hand over the rice?
Indirect speech act: Please pass the rice.

Performative
Austin also introduced the concept of
performative utterances: statements which For example, the phrase "I now pronounce you
enable the speaker to perform something just husband and wife," when uttered by an
by stating it. In this manner, verbs that execute authorized person such as a judge will have
the speech act that they intend to effect are the actual effect of binding a couple in
called performatives. A performative utterance marriage. However, if the same statement is
said by the right person under the right uttered to the same couple in the same place
circumstances results in a change in the world. by someone who is not authorized to marry
Note that certain conditions have to be met them as in the case of the accompanying
when making a performative utterance. picture, a robot-then there is no effect
whatsoever because a condition was not met.
SEARLE’S
CLASSIFICATION
OF SPEECH ACT
This is where you section ends. Duplicate this set of slides as many times you need to go over all your sections.
JOHN SEARLE
As a response to Austin’s Speech Act
Theory. John Searle (1976), a professor from
the university of California, Berkeley,
classified illocutionary arts into five distinct
categories.
SEARLE’S CLASSIFICATION OF SPEECH ACT
ASSERTIVE – A type of Directive – A type of Commissive – a type of
illocutionary act in which illocutionary act in which illocutionary act which
the speaker expresses
the speaker tries to make commits the speaker to
belief about the truth of a
the addressee perform an doing something in the
proposition. Some
examples of an assertive
action. Some example of a future. Examples of a
act are suggesting, putting, directive act are asking commissive act are
forward, swearing, boasting, order, requesting, inviting, promising, planning,
and concluding. advising, and begging. vowing, and betting.
Example: Example: Example:
No one makes better Please close the door. From now on, I will
pancakes than I do. participate in our group.
SEARLE’S CLASSIFICATION OF SPEECH ACT
Declaration – A type of illocutionary
Expressive – A type of act in which brings a change in the
illocutionary act in which the external situation. Simply put
speaker expresses his/her declarations bring into existence or
feelings or emotional reactions. cause the state of affair which they
Some examples of expressive refer to. Some example of
act are thinking, apologizing, declarations are blessing, firing,
welcoming, and depioring. baptizing, bidding, passing a
sentence, and excommunicating.
Example:
Example: You are fired!
I am so sorry for not helping out in

By saying that someone is fired, an employer
our group projects and letting you
case causes or brings about the person
do all the work.
unemployment, thus changing his external
situation
Always keep in mind that speech acts include concrete
life interactions that require the appropriate use of
language within a given culture. Communicative
competence (i.e., the ability to use linguistic knowledge
to effectively communicate with others) is essential for
a speaker to be able to use and understand speech
acts. Idioms and other nuances in a certain language
might be lost or misunderstood by someone who does
not fully grasp the language yet.
THANK YOU!
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
[email protected]
555-111-222
mydomain.com

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DEFINITION OF

01 THREE TYPES OF 02 SEARLE’S

“Please do the dishes.”

Illocutionary Act is the social function of what is said.

“Can you pass the rice?”

Indirect speech act: Please pass the rice.

I am so sorry for not helping out in

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