Speech Acts

Question 1

What are the different Types of Speech Acts?

Answer 1

Representatives:

• describe the world
• Dortmund is a city in Germany.

Directives:

• give orders, direct people
• Open that window there!

Declarations/declaratives:

• change the world via the utterance
• I pronounce you husband and wife.

Commissives:

• commit the speaker to doing something
• I promise that I will help you with your maths.

Expressives:

• express the feelings of the speaker
• I am really, really sorry about this.

Verdictives:

• speaker judges or assesses other people’s acts.
• Combines representations and declarations: You are out!

-> All utterances are types of speech acts
-> Shows intentions
-> Combination of several speech acts:

• I am tired (represenatitive: they are tired) (directive: please stop talking)

Question 2

What are the three dimensions of speech acts?

Answer 2

Locution:

• the act(ion) of saying something

Illocution:

• the communicative intention involved in saying something.

Perlocution:

• the communicative result achieved through saying something, getting the addressee to understand the communicative intention and react accordingly

Example: “It is very hot in here”

• Locution: It is very hot in here
• Illocution: The speaker wants the hearer to open a window
• Perlocution: The hearer will open a window

Question 3

When do Speech Acts work?

Appropriateness (felicity) conditions

Answer 3

Propositional content condition:

• The content of the speech act is correctly expressed and appropriate for speech act.

Preparatory condition:

• The context is conventional; the outcome is desired

Sincerity condition:

• The speaker must be sincere in what they are saying (= not lying).

Essential condition:

• The speaker really wants the result (e.g. not joking).

Question 4

What are the 4 maxims that regulate cooperation?

Answer 4

Maxim of quality:

• Only say things that are true. Don’t say anthing that you lack evidence for.

Maxim of quantity:

• Make contribution as informative as required. Not less or more.

Maxim of relation:

• Be relevant. Do not change the topic.

Maxim of manner:

• Avoid obscurity of expression, avoid ambiguity, be brief and orderly.
• umm… aahh… violates
• sarcasm

Question 5

What are Flouting maxims?

Answer 5

Floutung maxims = disregarding maxims without breaking conversation (Indirect Speech Acts)

E.g.

• Do you like pizza?
• Is the pope Catholic?
• Flouting Maxim of relation but still cooperative

E.g.

• How do you like summer.
• Well, I love getting soaked wet in the rain every time i go out!
• Flouting maxime of manner but still cooperative (Irony)