Scribd
Upload
107 views2 pages

Understanding Speech Acts Theory

This document discusses speech act theory, which proposes that speaking a language involves performing speech acts. It summarizes that speech acts have three components: locutionary act (the actual words spoken), illocutionary act (the intention or purpose of the speaker), and perlocutionary act (the effect on or reaction of the listener). The document provides examples of different illocutionary act categories (assertive, directive, commissive, expressive, declaration) and uses examples to illustrate the three components of a speech act.

Uploaded by

Gwyneth Malaga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
107 views2 pages

Understanding Speech Acts Theory

This document discusses speech act theory, which proposes that speaking a language involves performing speech acts. It summarizes that speech acts have three components: locutionary act (the actual words spoken), illocutionary act (the intention or purpose of the speaker), and perlocutionary act (the effect on or reaction of the listener). The document provides examples of different illocutionary act categories (assertive, directive, commissive, expressive, declaration) and uses examples to illustrate the three components of a speech act.

Uploaded by

Gwyneth Malaga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Speech Acts

The speech acts started out as a theory proposed by John Austin and later on extended by John
Searle. According to experts, speaking a language is performing a speech act. It also referred to ways in
which words are used to represent not only information but also to carry out actions John Austin in 1962
Introduced the concept of performative utterances. These are statements which enable the speaker to
perform something by stating it.

Speech Acts:
a. Locutionary- What is actually said. The exact and actual words uttered that make up the
statement, idea, or message. Locutionary is classified into 3:
- Phonic – the process of producing or making sounds
- Phatic 0 the structural and syntactic arrangement of the sounds
- Rhetic – The act of speaking with a definite sense

b. Illocutionary – The intention of the speaker when the statement is uttered. John Searle (1962)
further classified the illocutionary acts into five distinct categories:
- Assertive – used when stating a fact or information, asserting, denying, confessing, admitting,
and notifying
- Directive – used when attempting to get or make the receiver do something or perform an
action, requesting, ordering, forbidding, warning, advising, suggesting, insisting,
recommending
- Commissive – used when committing the speaker to do a future action, promising, vowing,
volunteering, offering, guaranteeing, pledging, etc.
- Expressive – used when stating the speaker’s feelings about a situation, apologizing,
congratulating, welcoming, objecting
- Declaration – used when changing the status of an entity (object or person), appointing,
naming, resigning, baptizing

c. Perlocutionary – The effect of the statement to the receiver of the message or the reaction of the
listener to the message he or she received.

Ex.
Locutionary (Statement) Illocutionary (Intention) Perlocutionary (Reaction)
I am sad. The speaker wants the receiver The listener will try to make the
or listener to know how he or other person happy.
she feels at the moment.
The class is rowdy. The speaker intends to tell the The students returned to their
students to behave. seats and stopped talking.

Let’s Check
Complete the table by providing the missing information.

Locutionary (Statement) Illocutionary (Intention) Perlocutionary (Reaction)


All the students are required to
attend the assembly.

Let’s bake some cookies for the


school faire.

Study your lessons.

You might also like