speech act

(john l. austin)
---Speech acts are the speaker's utterances which convey meaning and make
listeners do specific things (Austin, 1962).
---According to austin (1962), when saying a performative utterance, a speaker is
simultaneously doing something.
example:
"I am hungry."
-expresses hunger
-request for something to eat

8 As stated by Austin (1962), Speech acts are the speaker’s utterances or the action
of saying something to convey meaning and causes the listeners do a specific action.

When saying a performative utterance, a speaker is at the same time doing something
(Austin, 1962). Austin claims about performatives that “they do not ‘describe’ or
‘report’ or constate anything at all, are not ‘true or false’; and the uttering of the
sentence is, or is a part of, the doing of an action, which again would not normally be
described as, or as ‘just’, saying something” (Austin 1976:5).
http://www.glottopedia.org/index.php/Performative
We perform speech acts when we offer :

Apology

greeting

Request

complaint

invitation,

Compliment

refusal

(john searle)
---Speech acts are characteristically performed in the utterance of sounds or the
making or marks.
---What is the difference between just uttering sounds or making marks and
performing a speech act?
One difference is that the sounds or marks one makes in the performance of
a speech act are characteristically said to have meaning, and a second
related difference is that one is characteristically said to mean something by
those sounds or marks.

3 types of speech act:

1. Locutionary act
*(austin, 1962)
A locutionary speech act occurs when the speaker performs an utterance
(locution), which has a meaning in the traditional sense.

---This 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 a locutionary act is that is has
sense, and has the same meaning to both the speaker and the listener.
---ex.
"What?"
-when someone is surprised
https://www.slideshare.net/EjeSeastres/oral-comm-types-of-speech-act

*(austin, 1962)
---The production of a string of sounds linked to a conventional meaning is
by itself aform of action –the act of saying something; it is called
locutionary act.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288973396_Speech_Acts
Austin (1962) stated that a locutionary speech act is the production of a string of
sounds when the speaker performs an utterance (locution), which has a meaning in
the traditional sense. This happens with the utterance of a sound, a word, or even a
phrase as a natural unit of speech. The required utterance for locutionary act is that
is has sense, and has the same meaning to both the speaker and the listener.

2. Illocutionary act
*(austin, 1962)
An illocutionary speech act is the performance of the act of saying
something with a specific intention.
---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
---ex.
"There's too much homework in this subject."(opinion)
"I'll do my homework later."(promise)
"Go do your homework!"(order)

https://www.slideshare.net/EjeSeastres/oral-comm-types-of-speech-act

*(austin, 1962)
---The act performed in saying something –informing, asking,
commanding –is called anillocutionary act and the speaker’s
intention is referred to as its illocutionary force.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288973396_Speech_Acts

An Illocutionary speech act is the performance of the act of saying something with a
specific intention (Austin, 1962). According to Austin (1962), The act performed in
saying something like informing, asking, commanding is called an illocutionary act
and the speaker’s intention is referred to as its illocutionary force.
3. Perlocutionary act
*(austin, 1962)
A perlocutionary speech act happens when what the speaker says has an
effect on the listener.
---This is seen when a particular effect is sought from either the speaker, the
listener, or both.
---The response may not necessarily be physical or verbal and elicited by:
-Inspiring or insulting
-Persuading or convincing
-Deterring or scaring
---The aim of perlucotionary speech act is to change feelings, thoughts, or
actions
--- Examples:
“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)

https://www.slideshare.net/EjeSeastres/oral-comm-types-of-speech-act
 *(austin, 1962)
---the effects obtained in the addressee by saying something –effects
like convincing, amusing and saddening –are perlocutionary acts.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288973396_Speech_Acts

A perlocutionary speech act happens when what the speaker says has an effect on
the listener mentioned by Austin (1962). The aim of perlucotionary speech act is to
change feelings, thoughts, or actions. This is seen when a particular effect is sought
from either the speaker, the listener, or both.

The response may not necessarily be physical or verbal and elicited by:
-Inspiring or insulting
-Persuading or convincing
-Deterring or scaring
The five basic kinds of illocutionary acts are: representatives (or assertives),
directives, commissives, expressives, and declaration

Searle (1975) has suggested a classification of Illocutionary speech acts into five
main categories, depending on the speaker’s attitude and intended results:

1.Declaratives
*(Searle, 1975)
---the speaker brings about the state of affairs represented in the proposition by
successfully performing the speech act(christening, resigning, etc.)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288973396_Speech_Acts

*(Searle, 1975)
---They change the state of the world in an immediate way.
ex.
``You are fired, I swear, I beg you''

http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/projects/milca/courses/dialogue/html/node66.htm
l
J. R. Searle. A taxonomy of illocutionary acts. Language, Mind and Knowledge,
Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, pages 344-369, 1975.

2.Commissive:
*(Searle, 1975)
---the speaker commits her/himself to doing some future action. (promising,
swearing, guaranteeing, etc.)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288973396_Speech_Acts

*(Searle, 1975)
---They commit the speaker to doing something in the future. The different kinds are:
promising, planning, vowing, betting, opposing.
ex.
"I'm going to Paris tomorrow''

http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/projects/milca/courses/dialogue/html/node66.htm
l
J. R. Searle. A taxonomy of illocutionary acts. Language, Mind and Knowledge,
Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, pages 344-369, 1975.

Assertives or expressive by searle

Or informatives by tsui

3. Informatives

* (Tsui, 1986)
Tsui (1986) defined Informatives as acts in which the speaker represents or
expresses beliefs, value judgements, feelings and thoughts. The response prospected
by this subclass is an acknowledgement of whatever beliefs, judgments, feelings and
thoughts that have been conveyed. The acknowledgement may be in the form of an
appreciation or an acceptance of whatever has been expressed, or an indication that
the message has been received or understood.
ex.
Informatives differ from both Req'uesti ves and
Directives in that they prospect a verbal response, or a
non-verbal surrogate of the verbal response, such as a
laugh, nod, eye-brow raising etc. which indicates that the
message conveyed is accepted, appreciated or understood
<see 2 below for example).

2. [Data C/Tape 1/Side A/#11

H: I'll give you ten dollars.
S: Oh. ~ H: My finance my financial situation is improving.
S: <<laughs)) Are you
[
~ H: My wife gave me a hundred dollars. She
says this to me, she controls all the money, alright, I'll
give you a hundred dollars, this is the LAST one you're
getting this month - till pay day.
S: Oh no. <<laughs>>

https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/7569/1/Tsui_1986_PhD_Vol1.pdf

note: Informattves include many of the acts which have been

identified as 'Verdictives' and 'Expositives' by Austin,
or 'Assertives' by Searle, such as 'state', 'inform',
'predict' 1 'report', 'criticize' 1 'praise' etc, as well as
those which have been identified as 'Behabitives' <Austin)
or 'Expressives' <Searle), such as 'thank' , ' apologize',
'congratulate' etc. The following are some examples of
Informatt ves.
Assertive:
*(Searle, 1975)
-the speaker presents the propositional content as a representation of a state of
affairs in the real world(reporting,
announcing, answering, etc.);
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288973396_Speech_Acts

*(Searle, 1975)
-They commit the speaker to something being the case. The different kinds are:
suggesting, putting forward, swearing,
boasting, concluding.
ex.
``No one makes a better cake than me''.
http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/projects/milca/courses/dialogue/html/node66.htm
l
J. R. Searle. A taxonomy of illocutionary acts. Language, Mind and Knowledge,
Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, pages 344-369, 1975.

Expressive:
*(Searle, 1975)
-the speaker manifests
her/his attitude towards the propositional content (apologizing, thanking,greeting,
etc.)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288973396_Speech_Acts
*(Searle, 1975)
-They express how the speaker feels about the situation. The different kinds are:
thanking, apologising, welcoming,
deploring.
ex.
`I am sorry that I lied to you''
http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/projects/milca/courses/dialogue/html/node66.htm
l
J. R. Searle. A taxonomy of illocutionary acts. Language, Mind and Knowledge,
Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, pages 344-369, 1975.

4. Requestives

*Fraser considers' request' , ' ask', ' command ' , ' invite', ' order' , 'instruct'' beg' as
belonging to the category of ' Requesting' which is characterized as " the speaker's
desire for the -hearer to b ring about the state of affairs expressed in the
proposition. " <1975: 192).

*Searle
It brings request, invite , permit together with command and order under Directives,
whose illocutionary point is to get the hearer to do something, the sincerity
condition is want and the propositional content is always that the addressee does
some future action referring to Searle (1975).

5. Directives:
Searle (1975) stated that the speaker attempts to get the hearer to take a particular
course of action. The different kinds are: asking, ordering, requesting, inviting,
advising, begging.

*(Searle, 1975)
-the speaker attempts to get the hearer to take a particular course of action(ordering,
requesting, advising, forbidding, etc.);

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288973396_Speech_Acts

*(Searle, 1975)
-They try to make the addressee perform an action. The different kinds are: asking,
ordering, requesting, inviting, advising, begging.
ex.
"Could you close the window?''

http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/projects/milca/courses/dialogue/html/node66.htm
l
J. R. Searle. A taxonomy of illocutionary acts. Language, Mind and Knowledge,
Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, pages 344-369, 1975.

*Searle <1975) characterizes 'directives' as attempts by the speaker to get the

hearer to do something. The attempts may be modest as when the speaker suggests
or invites the addressee to do it, or they may be very " fierce" attempts as when the
speaker insists.