Speech Act Theory। Speech Act Terminology/Types। Classification of Speech Acts।

Summary

Speech act theory, rooted in J.L. Austin's work, explores how utterances function as actions in communication. It categorizes utterances into locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts, focusing on the speaker's intentions and effects on the listener. The theory identifies five main speech acts: representatives, directives, commissives, expressives, and declarations, each serving distinct communicative purposes and impacting the state of affairs or the listener's actions.

Takeaways

• 📚 Speech Act Theory is a linguistic concept that explores the meaning of words and their role in communication.
• 🗣️ The term 'speech act' originates from J.L. Austin's work and his 1955 lectures at Harvard, emphasizing words as actions.
• 💬 Speech Act Theory views utterances not just as verbal expressions but as actions that can change the behavior of both speakers and listeners.
• 🎭 The theory categorizes language as a form of acting, serving a function in interpersonal communication.
• 🗣️🔊 A locutionary act involves the speaker producing meaningful sounds or words in a proper order.
• 🤔🗣️ An illocutionary act is closely tied to the speaker's intentions, such as stating, questioning, promising, requesting, and commanding.
• 📜 Austin described the illocutionary act as an utterance with a specific intention and purpose in mind.
• 🔄 A perlocutionary act is performed with the intention of influencing the hearer, affecting those who receive the meaningful utterance.
• 🔢 Speech Act Theory classifies speech acts into five categories: representatives, directives, commissives, expressives, and declarations.
• 📝 Representatives, or assertives, commit the hearer to the truth of the proposition, including asserting, concluding, and reporting.
• 🏛️ Declarations, or declaratives, cause immediate changes in the institutional state of affairs, often relying on extra-linguistic institutions.
• 🤝 Commissives involve the speaker committing to a future action, such as promising, offering, or vowing.
• 📢 Directives are the speaker's attempts to get the addressee to perform an action, including ordering, requesting, and commanding.
• 💌 Expressives convey the speaker's psychological or mental state, such as thanking, congratulating, apologizing, and deploring.

Q & A

What is Speech Act Theory?

Speech Act Theory is a linguistic concept that explores the idea that words have meaning and are used as actions in communication. It analyzes the role of utterances in relation to the behavior of speakers and hearers in interpersonal communication.

Who is credited with the development of Speech Act Theory?

J.L. Austin, a Cambridge philosopher, is credited with the development of Speech Act Theory, which he introduced in his William James lectures delivered at Harvard in 1955.

How does Speech Act Theory view language in communication?

Speech Act Theory views language as a form of acting that serves a function in communication, where utterances are seen as actions that can change the state of behavior of both the speaker and the listener.

What is a locutionary act according to Austin?

A locutionary act is an act where the speaker says something and produces certain noise or utters words in a proper order that must carry meaning, sense, and reference.

What is an illocutionary act and how is it connected to the speaker's intentions?

An illocutionary act is an act closely connected with the speaker's intentions, such as stating, questioning, promising, requesting, and giving commands. It is uttered by the speaker with a specific intention and purpose in mind.

What is the purpose of a perlocutionary act?

A perlocutionary act is performed with the intention of producing a further effect on the hearer. It is an act that has an impact on those who hear a meaningful utterance.

What are the five basic kinds of speech acts as promoted by Searle and Vanderveken?

The five basic kinds of speech acts are representatives, directives, commissives, expressives, and declarations.

How do representative acts function in Speech Act Theory?

Representative acts, or assertives, commit the hearer to the truth of the expressed proposition. They involve stating facts and include asserting, concluding, affirming, believing, concluding, denying, reporting, etc.

What changes do declarations bring about in the institutional state of affairs?

Declarations affect immediate changes in the institutional state of affairs and often rely on elaborate extra-linguistic institutions. They alter the external status or condition of an object or situation solely by making the utterance.

What commitments do commissive acts involve?

Commissive acts commit the speaker to some future course of action. They involve promising, offering, guaranteeing, pledging, swearing, vowing, undertaking, and warranting.

How do directive acts operate in communication?

Directive acts are attempts by the speaker to get the addressee to do something. They are illocutionary forces that get things done by the addressee and include ordering, requesting, asking, begging, challenging, commanding, daring, inviting, and insisting.

What does an expressive act express and include which examples?

An expressive act expresses a psychological or mental state of the speaker. It includes thanking, congratulating, apologizing, appreciating, deploring, detesting, regretting, thanking, and welcoming.