Speech Act Flashcards
an utterance that serves a function in communication. We perform this when we offer an apology, greeting, request, complaint, invitation, compliment, or refusal. It might contain just one word, as in “Sorry!” to perform an apology, or several words or sentences: “I’m sorry I forgot your birthday. I just let it slip my mind.” It includes real-life interactions and requires not only knowledge of the language but also an appropriate use of that language within a given culture.
- Communication in its wider sense
- When words are actions
- Words have power, it can lead someone to do something
- Regards language as a sort of action instead of as a medium for conveying and expressing idea
Speech Act
Who proposed the speech act?
John Langshaw Austin in his book “How to Do Things with Words” (1962)
and it was further developed by John Roger Searle
Kinds of Utterances
Constative and Performative
statements or utterances that describe or depict facts or states of affairs and so may be either true or false. In other words, they are utterances or prejudices in that they are used to describe or state something, and which thus are true or false.
- Stating something
- Conveys a message
- What is
Constative Utterances
sentences which not only describe a given reality but also change the social reality they are describing.
- Inspires other to do something
- Does something
- Performing a baptism
- Authority
Performative Utterances
Classification of Speech Acts
Locution, Illocution, Perlocution
Classification of Speech Act
- the semantic or literal significance of the utterance
- the act of producing a meaningful utterance
- More on constatiive
- What is said or the actual words
- asking/answering
- Announcing a verdict
- Give info/criticism
- identifying/describing
- based on situation
Locution
Types of Locution
Utterance Act and Propositional Act
Type of Locution
- pertains to the word or string words that may not have a particular meaning
Utterance Act
Type of Locution
- referring or predicating in an utterance. Does not have to be complete sentence, nor does it have to intend anything
Propositional Act
Classification of Speech Act
- the intention of the speaker
- social function
- The meaning one wishes to communicate or convey
- The act that a speaker performs in saying the utterance
- Pertains to “what is done in uttering the words”
Illocution
Types of Illocution (by Searle)
expressives, declaration, assertive, directive, commissive
Type of Illocution
- express a speaker’s emotions and attitudes
- thanking, apologizing, welcoming, etc
expressives
Type of Illocution
- bring about a change in the situation, appointing, baptizing, declaring, firing, nominating
declaration
Type of illocution
- speaker expresses belief about the truth of a proposition
-convey info regarding something, concluding,etc - suggesting, putting forward, swearing, boasting
Assertives