TYPES OF SPEECH ACT
Reported by GROUP 2 ( ARTIST)
By the end of the lesson, you will
have been able to
• ➤ define speech acts;
• ➤ distinguish types of speech act;
• ➤ recognize that communicative competence requires understanding
of speech acts;
• ➤ demonstrate effective use of communicative strategy in a variety of
speech situations;
• ➤ apply learning and thinking skills, life skills, and ICT literacy in
understanding the types of speech acts; and
• ➤ reflect on your learning on the types of speech acts.
DEFINITION OF SPEECH ACT
• A speech act is an utterance that a speaker makes to
achieve an intended effect. Some of the functions which
are carried out using speech acts are offering an apology,
greeting, request, complaint, invitation, compliment, or
refusal. A speech act might contain just one word or
several words or sentences. For example, “Thanks” and
“Thank you for always being there for me. I really
appreciate it” both show appreciation regardless of the
length of the statement.
THREE TYPES OF SPEECH ACT
• 1. Locutionary act - is the actual act of uttering.
“Please do the dishes.’
•2. Illocutionary act - is the social function of what is said. By
uttering the locution “Please do the dishes,” the speaker requests
the addressee to wash the dishes.
3. Perlocutionary act- is the resulting act of what is said. This
effect is based on the particular context in which the speech act
was mentioned. “Please do the dishes” would lead to the addressee
washing the dishes.
Performatives
• Austin also introduced the concept of performative utterances: statements
which enable the speaker to perform something just by stating it. In this
manner, verbs that execute the speech act that they intend to effect are called
performatives. A performative utterance said by the right person under the
right circumstances results in a change in the world. Note that certain
conditions have to be met when making a performative utterance For example,
the phrase “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” when uttered by an
authorized person such as a judge will have the actual effect of binding a
couple in marriage. However, if the same statement is uttered to the same
couple in the same place by someone who is not authorized to marry them as
in the case of the accompanying picture, a robot then there is no effect
whatsoever because a condition was not met.
Searle’s Classifications of
Speech Act
• 1. Assertive -a type of illocutionary act in which the
speaker expresses belief about the truth of a proposition.
Some examples of an assertive act are suggesting, putting
forward, swearing, boasting, and concluding. Example: No
one makes better pancakes than I do.
• 2. Directive -a type of illocutionary act in which the
speaker tries to make the addressee perform an action.
Some examples of a directive act are asking, ordering,
requesting. Inviting, advising, and begging. Example
Please close the door.
• 3. Commissive -a type of illocutionary act which commits
the speaker to doing something in the future. Examples of
a commissive act are promising, planning, vowing, and
betting. Example: From now on, I will participate in our
group activity.
• 4. Expressive -a type of illocutionary act in which the
speaker expresses his/her feelings or emotional reactions.
Some examples of an expressive act are thanking,
apologizing, welcoming, and deploring. Example: I am so
sorry for not helping out in our group projects and letting
you do all the work.
• 5.Declaration- a type of illocutionary act which brings a
change in the external situation. Simply put, declarations
bring into existence or cause the state of affairs which
they refer to. Some examples of declarations are blessing,
firing, baptizing, bidding, passing a sentence, and
excommunicating. Example You are fired! By saying that
someone is fired, an employer causes or brings about the
person’s 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.
THAT’S ALL THANKYOU FOR
LISTENING
