Speech Act Theory
How SAT Began:
SAT did not start as a linguistic
enterprise; it rather began as a
philosophical investigation of the
power of words in language. The
two philosophers whose names are
associated with SAT are John
.Austin and John Searle
What is Speech Act Theory?
Speech act theory treats an utterance as an act
performed by a speaker in a context with
respect to an addressee.
‘It was for too long the assumption of
philosophers that the business of a ‘statement’
can only be to ‘describe’ some state of affairs,
or to ‘state some fact’, which it must do either
truly or falsely.’ Austin, 1962.
A theory of language based on John
Austin's ‘How to Do Things with Words’
1962, the major premise of which is that
language is as much a mode of action as
it is a means of conveying information.
As John Searle puts it, “All linguistic
”.communication involves linguistic acts
Speech act theory attempts to explain how
speakers use language to accomplish
intended actions and how hearers infer
.intended meaning form what is said
Levels of Speech Acts:
According to Austin, performing speech
acts involves performing:
- A locutionary act (لكالمي33لفعلا33)ا: the act of
producing a recognizable, grammatical
utterance in the language.
- An illocutionary act (إلنشائي33لفعلا33)ا: the
attempt to accomplish some
communicative purpose.
A perlocutionary act: the effect produced -
.by the utterance in a given context
It should be noted that while phonology,
syntax, and semantics focus on the
locutionary act, pragmatics focuses on the
illocutionary act, the aspect of the speech
act which specifies what the language is
.being used for in a given situation
In other words, a locutionary act has meaning; it
produces an understandable utterance. An
illocutionary act has force; it is informed with a
certain tone, attitude, feeling, motive, or
intention to achieve a purpose. A
perlocutionary act has consequence; it has an
effect upon the addressee. By describing an
imminently dangerous situation (locutionary
component) in a tone that is designed to have
the force of a warning (illocutionary
component), the addresser may actually
frighten the addressee into moving
(perlocutionary component). These three
.components, then, are not altogether separable
Types of Illocutionary Acts:
Assertive: like claims and suggestions
Directive: requests and commands
Expressive: thanks and apologies
Comissive: promises and vows
Declarative: decrees and declarations
Speech Acts application in literature
‘And what am I to do on the occasion?’
‘Tell her that you insist upon her marrying him.’
‘Come here, child,’ cried her father. ‘I have sent for you
on an affair of importance. I understand that Mr.
Collins has made you an offer of marriage. Is it true?’
Elizabeth replied that it was. ‘Very well—and this
offer of marriage you have refused?’
‘I have, Sir.’
‘Very well. We now come to the point. Your mother
insists upon your accepting it. Is not it so, Mrs.
Bennet?’
‘Yes, or I will never see her again’
‘An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From
this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents.
—Your mother will never see you again if you do not
marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you
do.’
