Module 1 - SPEECH ACTS

John L. Austin (1962) espoused the speech act theory, and this was
developed by Searle (1969). Austin divided the speech act into the three
types, which are Locution, Illocution and Perlocution. A Locutionary
Speech Act occurs when the speaker perform an utterance (locution), which
has a meaning in the traditional sense. An Illocutionary Speech Act is the
perfomance of the act of saying something with a specific intention. A
Perlocutionary Speech Act happens when what the speaker has an effect
on the listener. The theory therefore, tells us that words by themselves may
not have simple fixed meanings, but are influenced by the situation, speaker
and listener.
Activity 1: (ConFaceSsion)
Choose your partner, and make a simple conversation containing the
three types of speech acts. Perform it in front.

Rubric for Activity

Creativity 50%

Confidence 25%

Audience Impact 15%

Overall Impact 10%

Total 100%
 Module 2 – TYPES OF SPEECH ACTS
A. LOCUTIONARY
This act happens with the utterance of a sound, a word, or even a phrase
as a natural unit of speech.
It has sense, and most importantly, for communication to take place, has
the same meaning to both the speaker and the listener.
The act of performing words into utterances that make sense in a
language with correct grammar and pronunciation.
Locution- a form of expression; a phrase, an expression, excerpted from
Oxford Talking Dictionary 1998.
Examples of Locutionary Acts:
“Doh!” (favorite expression of TV cartoon character Homer Simpson)
“What?”( When someone is surprise)
“It’s a bird!” (When people see Superman in the sky)
Activity 1:
Based on the definition and examples, come up with other examples of
locutionary acts.

Rubric for Activity

Creativity 50%

Grammar 25%

Audience Impact 15%

Overall Impact 10%

Total 100%

B. ILLOCUTIONARY

 It is an intended communicative action with the speaker, bound to

certain convention (the illocutionary act can only be achieved if
there is a convention in society that makes it possible).
 It is not just saying something itself by the act of saying something
with the intention of:
a) stating an opinion, confirming, or denying something;
b) making a prediction, promise, a request;
c) issuing an order or decision; or
 d) giving advice or permission.

The speech act uses the illocutionary forces of a statement, a

confirmation, a denia, a prediction, a promise, a request, etc.
Illocution- it is an action performed by saying or writing something.
e.g. ordering, warning, promising.
Examples of Illocutionary Acts:
There’s too much homework in this subject. (opinion)
I’ll do my homework later. (promise)
Go do your homework! (order)
Illocutionary Classification
1. Declarative- Speech acts that change the world via their
utterance/word.
Example:
A. Priest: I now pronounce you husband and wife.
B. Referee: You’re out!
C. Judge: I sentence you to six months in prison!
2. Expressive- speech acts that state what speaker feels.
- the speaker makes words fit the world (of feelings).
Example:
A. I’m really sorry!
B. Congratulation!
C. Oh, yes, great, mmm, ssahh!
3. Directive- speech acts that speaker use to get someone else to do
something.
- Command, orders, request, suggestion => can be positive or
negative.
-The speaker attempts to make the world fit the word (via
hearer).
Example:
A. Gimme a cup of coffee. Make it black.
B. Could you lend me a pen, please?
 C. Don’t touch that.
4. Commissive- speech acts that speakers use to commit themselves to
some future action.
- Promises, threats, refusals, pledge => can be performed
alone or by group.
- The speaker undertakes to make the world fit the words
(via speaker).
Example:
A. I’ll be back.
B. I’m going to get it right next time.
C. We will not do that.
5. Assertive- speech acts that state what speaker believes to be the case
or not.
- fact, assertions, conclusions, descriptions => representing
the world as he believes it is.
- the speaker makes the word fit world (of belief).
Example:
A. The earth is flat.
B. Chomsky didn’t write about peanuts.
C. It was warm sunny day.

TABLE OF SPEECH ACTS CLASSIFICATION

SPEECH ACTS DIRECTION OF FIT S=Speaker,

TYPE
X= Situation

Declarative Words change the world S causes X

Assertive Make word fit the world S believe X

Expressive Make word fit the world S feels X

Directives Make the word fit the world S wants X

Commissives Make the word fit the world S intends X

Activity 1: (ADEXCODE) Based on Austin’s (1962) and Searle’s (1969)
theory, Cohen (1996) suggested five categories of speech acts.
 Give students the table below which includes a definition and a
description of speech acts and the typical verbs used to perform them.

Assertives Directives Expressives Commissives Declaratives

The speaker The speaker The speaker The speaker is The speaker
is committed attempts to expresses an committed to a alters outward
to the truth of get the attitude about (future) course status or
the hearrer to do a state of of action condition of
proposition something affairs an object or
situation,
solely by
making the
utterance

Assertions suggestions, Apologies promises decrees

requests,
claims complaint threats declarations
commands
propositions thanks offers

Examples of Examples of Examples of Examples of Examples of

verbs: verbs: verbs: verbs:
verbs:
command,
affirm, deny, dare, apologize, swear, vow, baptize,
believe, challenge, deplore, guarantee, sentence,
conclude, ask, insist, thank, pledge, resign
report request congratulate, promise
regret,
welcome

 Ask the students, in pairs, to discuss situations where they would use the
different types of speech acts, or actual ones they can remember. They
should write down examples and share with the whole group.
(Alternatively, it could be an experiment with different contexts/situations
for one speech act. Eg. Promises in marriage service, to teachers about
homework or parents about tidiness, politicians and elections promises
etc.)

Rubric for Activity

 Creativity 40%

Grammar 30%

Unity and Coherence 20%

Relevance to the Topic 10%

Total 100%

Activity 2: What Am I? (Think-Pair-Share)

Choose a partner in this activity. Complete the following table with
information related to Searle’s classification of speech act.
Example:

Classification of Specific situation Example

speech act

Assertive Priest bought a new “I ’m the only one in the

gadget, and he shows it school who has this new
off to his friends. iPhone model”

Your turn!

Classification of Specific situation Example

speech act

Assertive

Directive

Commissive

Expressive

Declarative

Activity 3: Skit Act (Group Activity)

 Students will group themselves with five members each. Within 15
minutes, prepare a three to four minute creative skit which shows at least five
examples of speech acts classification. Integrate politeness.

Rubric for Activity

Ability to convey the central theme 25%

Creativity 25%

Confidence 15%

Props and costumes 15%

Audience Impact 10%

Overall Impact 10%

Total 100%

C. PERLOCUTIONARY
This is seen when particular effects is sought from either the speaker, the
listener, or both. The response may not necessarily be physical or verbal and
is elicited by:
inspiring or insulting;
persuading/convincing; or
deterring/scaring.

The effect that an utterance has on the thoughts, feelings, or attitudes of

the listener.
Perlocution- an act of speaking or writing which aims to effect an action
but which in itself thus not effect or constitute the action, as persuading,
convincing.
I was born a Filipino, I will live a Filipino, I will die a Filipino. (Inspiring)
It is the bleak job situation that forces Filipinos to find jobs overseas.
(Persuading)
Texting while driving kills- you, your loved ones, other people! (Deterring)
Activity 1: (Pick-Think-Scene) The class will be divided into three groups.
Pick a certain scenario, and in five minutes, make a dialogue, then perform it
in front of the class.
Topics:
1. You saw a child who was bullied by his classmates. What will you
do to inspire him?
2. Your group of friends will be having an outing, and one of your
friends has a financial problem. How will you convince him to join?
3. Your brother often smokes cigarette. How will you deter him to stop
smoking?

Rubric for Activity

Relevance to the Topic 25%

Creativity 25%

Confidence 15%

Props and costumes 15%

Audience Impact 10%

Overall Impact 10%

Total 100%
Module 3 - COMMUNICATION ETHICS WHEN POSTING ON FACEBOOK

COMMUNICATION ETHICS

The US National Communication Association (NCA, 1999) discusses their

Credo for Ethical Communication, stating that, Ethical Communication is
fundamental to responsible thinking, decision-making, and the development of
relationships and communities within and across contexts, cultures, channels,
and media.
Moreover, ethical communication enhances human worth and dignity by
fostering truthfulness, fairness, responsibility, personal integrity, and respect
for self and others. They believe that unethical communication threatens the
quality of all communication and consequently the well-being of individuals
and the society in which we live.

Four Ethical Principles of Communication (NCA, 1999):

1. It advocates truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as essential
to the integrity of communication.
2. It endorses freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and
tolerance of dissent to achieve the informed and responsible decision-
making fundamental to a civil society.
3. It condemns communication that degrades individuals and humanity
through distortion, intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the
expression of intolerance and hatred.
4. Communicators should accept responsibility for the short- and long-
term consequences of our own communication and expect the same of
others.
Activity 1 (Answer Me!) (Individual Activity)
Answer the following questions comprehensively.
1. Why is it important to be ethical in communicating today?
2. Is honesty still a virtue valued today? Why or why not?
3. When you think of the people today who are posting in facebook, would
you say that they have been communicating in an ethical manner?
Expound.
4. Why do people communicate in an unethical manner?
5. What consequences can you think because of communicating in an
unethical manner especially in social media, specifically, facebook?
Activity 2: (Applied Ethics and Speech Acts!) (Group Activity)
Divide the class into four groups. Each group should prepare a skit that
will show one speech act and a principle, and what could happen when it is
violated. Groups are encouraged to get real-world examples using facebook.
1. Group 1 should take up locutionary, and first ethical principle
2. Group 2 should take up illocutionary, and second ethical principle
3. Group 3 should take perlocutionary, and third ethical principle
4. Group 4 should take perlocutionary, and fourth ethical principle

Rubric for Activity

Ability to convey the central theme 25%

Creativity 25%

Confidence 15%

Props and costumes 15%

Audience Impact 10%

Overall Impact 10%

Total 100%