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Types of Speech Act

Speech acts are utterances that convey meaning and cause listeners to take action. They include apologies, greetings, requests, complaints, invitations, compliments, and refusals. There are three types of speech acts: locutionary acts involve saying something with a traditional meaning, illocutionary acts involve saying something with a specific intention like making a statement or request, and perlocutionary acts aim to change feelings, thoughts, or actions in listeners. John Searle further classified illocutionary acts into five categories: assertives express beliefs, directives try to make listeners perform actions, commissives commit speakers to future actions, expressives convey feelings, and declarations bring about changes.

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2K views4 pages

Types of Speech Act

Speech acts are utterances that convey meaning and cause listeners to take action. They include apologies, greetings, requests, complaints, invitations, compliments, and refusals. There are three types of speech acts: locutionary acts involve saying something with a traditional meaning, illocutionary acts involve saying something with a specific intention like making a statement or request, and perlocutionary acts aim to change feelings, thoughts, or actions in listeners. John Searle further classified illocutionary acts into five categories: assertives express beliefs, directives try to make listeners perform actions, commissives commit speakers to future actions, expressives convey feelings, and declarations bring about changes.

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regina.rms
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SPEECH ACT

What is SPEECH ACT?


• Speech act are the speakers utterances which convey meaning and make listeners do
specific things (AUSTIN, 1962) or to achieve an intended effect.
• Some of the functions which are carried out using speech acts are offering an apology,
greeting, requests, complaint, invitation, compliment, or refusal.
Examples:
1. “Thanks” or “Thank you for everything, I appreciate it.”
• Both shows appreciation regardless of the length of the statement.
2. “I am hungry!”
• Expresses hunger, request for something to eat.
Types of speech act:
1. A locutionary speech act occurs when the speaker performs an utterance (locution),
which has a meaning in the traditional sense.
2. An illocutionary speech act is the performance of the act of saying something with a
specific intention.
3. A perlocutionary speech act happens when what the speaker says has an effect on the
listener.
Locutionary Speech Act
• This act happens with the utterance of a sound, a word, or even a phrase as a natural
unit of speech.
• What is required for the utterance to be locutionary act is that is has sense, and has the
same meaning to both the speaker and listener.
Example:
“What?” (When someone is surprised)
Illocutionary Speech Act
• In an illocutionary speech act, it is not just saying something itself, but the act of saying
something with the intention of: stating an opinion, confirming, or denying something
• Making a prediction, a promise, a request
• Issuing an order or a decision
• Giving an advice or permission
Examples:
There’s too much homework in this subject. ( Opinion )
I’ll do my homework later. ( Promise )
Go do your homework. ( order )
Perlocutionary Speech Act
• This is seen when; a particular effect is sought from the speaker, the listener, or both.
• The response may not necessarily ne physical or verbal and elicited by: Inspiring or
insulting, Persuading or convincing, Deterring or scaring.
• The aim of perlocutionary speech act is to change feelings, thoughts, or actions.
Examples:
“I was born a Filipino, I will live and die as a Filipino.” (Inspiring)
“It is the bleak job situation that forces Filipinos to work abroad.” (Persuading)
“Texting while driving kills- you, your loved ones, and other people.” (Deterring)

> As response to Austin’s Speech Act Theory, John Searle (1976), a professor from University of
California, Berkeley, classified illocutionary act into five distinct categories
1. ASSERTIVE > a type of illocutionary act in which the speaker expresses belief about the
truth of a proposition. Examples are suggesting, putting forward, swearing, boasting,
and concluding.
Ex. 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. Examples are asking, ordering, requesting, inviting, advising, and
begging.
Ex. Please close the door.
3. COMMISSIVE > a type of illocutionary act which commits the speaker to doig something
in the future. Examples are promising, planning, vowing and betting.
Ex. In sickness and in health, until death do us part.
4. EXPRESSIVE > a type of illocutionary act in which the speaker expresses his/her feelings or
emotional reactions. Some examples are thanking, apologizing, welcoming and deploring.
Ex. I am sorry for not helping out in our group projects.
5. DECLARATION > a type of illocutionary act which brings a change in the external
situation. Some examples are blessing, firing, baptizing, bidding, and passing a
sentence.
Ex. You are fired!
I now pronounce you as man and wife.

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