Oral Communication

in Context
Quarter 1 – Module 7:
Speech Acts
Oral Communication in Context
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 7: Speech Acts
First Edition, 2020

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Oral Communication in
Context
Quarter 1 – Module 7:
Speech Acts
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to Module 7 of the Oral Communication in Context for Grade 11

Supplementary Learning Materials for the First Quarter, which focuses on the
Speech Acts.

This module was collaboratively designed, developed, and reviewed by educators from
public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher, or facilitator in helping the
learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their
personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st-century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies
that will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module. You
also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage their
learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as they
do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to Module 7 of the Oral Communication in Context for Grade 11

Supplementary Learning Materials for the First Quarter, which focuses on the
Speech Acts.

The hand is one of the most symbolized parts of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action, and purpose. Through our hands, we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner is
capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and skills
at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

This will give you an idea of the skills or

What I Need to Know competencies you are expected to learn in
the module.
This part includes an activity that aims to
What I Know check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.
This is a brief drill or review to help you link
What’s In the current lesson with the previous one.

In this portion, the new lesson will be

What’s New introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity, or a situation.
This section provides a brief discussion of
What is It the lesson. This aims to help you discover
and understand new concepts and skills.
This comprises activities for independent
What’s More practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.
This includes questions or blank
What I Have Learned sentences/paragraphs to be filled in to
process what you learned from the lesson.

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 This section provides an activity that will
What I Can Do help you transfer your new knowledge or
skill in real-life situations or concerns.
This is a task which aims to evaluate your
Assessment level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.
In this portion, another activity will be given
Additional Activities to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of
the lesson learned. This also tends to the
retention of learned concepts.
This contains answers to all activities in the
Answer Key module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not
alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain a deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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 What I Need to Know

This module was crafted with an earnest desire to help you understand what
communication is and to guide you in developing as an effective communicator. It
aims to help you master speech acts. The scope of this module permits it to be used in
many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse
vocabulary level of students. There are self-reflection questions after each concept is
discussed to make you reflect on your own experiences as a communicator in different
contexts.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. define speech acts;
2. distinguish types of speech act; and
3. demonstrate effective use of communicative strategy in a variety of speech
situations.

What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet
of paper.

1. _____ is the act of transmitting messages.

a. speech act b. perlocution c. illocution d. locution

2. _____ is a word, expression, or phrase used by a person or group in certain

situations.
a. locution b. illocution c. perlocution d. speech act

3. _____ is the social function of what was said.

a. locution b. illocution c. perlocution d. speech act

4. _____ is an action performed by the speaker in producing an utterance.

a. locution b. illocution c. perlocution d. speech act

5. _____ is the state of mind or action brought about by saying something.

a. locution b. illocution c. perlocution d. speech act
 6. A _____ makes the receiver do something.
a. directive b. assertive c. declaration d. commissive

7. A _____ engages the speaker to carry out a future course of action.

a. assertive b. directive c. expressive d. commissive

8. Threatening, vowing, and promising are examples of _____.

a. commissive b. declaration c. assertive d. directive

9. Christening, promoting, and firing are examples of _____.

a. commissive b. declaration c. assertive d. directive

10. The sentence “Thank you for listening.” is an example of:

a. assertive b. directive c. expressive d. commissive

11. The signage “NO ID, NO ENTRY.” aims to _____.

a. inform b. order c. scare d. warn

12. _____ is the act of producing sounds or making symbols.

a. Phatic b. Rhetic c. Phonic d. Performative

13. _____ does not carry the same illocutionary act as the rest.
a. Can you turn out the light?
b. Will you turn out the light?
c. Turn out the light.
d. It’s too bright.

For nos. 14-15. Choose the correct letter to determine the speech act.

A. elocutionary act B. illocutionary act C. perlocutionary act

14. Speaker A: I’m thirsty.

15. Speaker B: Here’s some water.

Lesson

7 Speech Acts
Human communication is not limited to words alone. Our words only form 7% of our
communication, while the tone of our voice accounts for only 38%. The remaining 55%
is our body language (Mehrabian, 1967). What does this mean? Let us discover the
intricacies of sending messages, decoding these, and providing feedback in the
following lesson.

What’s In

In the previous modules, you have learned what communication is, its nature,
and its functions. You have also learned about effective communication strategies.
In this module, we will explore the different contexts in which we communicate on a
day-to-day basis. Are you ready?

Notes to the Teacher / Parent

Make sure that the learner has finished the section What I Know
before proceeding to the next part. It is desired that you try out
some of the communication activities with the learner.

What’s New

Activity 1
Read the following sentences and check if you can make sense out of the meaning
behind each utterance.

1. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Who among the following has the
right to make the pronouncement legal and binding?
a. A priest b. A judge c. A captain d. A teacher
 2. What do you think does the speaker mean when s/he says, “Can you turn on
the light?”
a. The speaker wishes to now if you are capable of turning the light on.
b. The speaker is requesting you to turn on the light.
c. The speaker is making a suggestion.
d. The speaker is asking a question.

3. Your friend who has not had lunch asks you, “Is that sandwich delicious?”.
What do you think does he mean to say?
a. May I have some of that?
b. How does your sandwich taste?
c. Where did you get that sandwich?
d. I doubt that your sandwich is any good.

4. Based on the previous item, what would you do?

a. I will explain how the sandwich is prepared.
b. I will describe how the sandwich tastes.
c. I will tell him where I bought it.
d. I will give him some.

5. Which of the following is an expressive?

a. I promise to love and cherish you for the rest of our lives.
b. Please keep quiet! I’m having an online class.
c. My mom makes the best caldereta.
d. I apologize for making you wait.

What is It

Speech Act
A speech act can be defined as an utterance that serves a function in
communication. An utterance may be a word, statement, or sound a speaker creates
to achieve an intended effect. Speech acts can be in the form of a greeting, apology,
request, compliment, complaint, invitation, or refusal. In performing speech acts, we
use not only language but also our knowledge of the culture in which that language is
used.

When we perform speech acts, we express a certain attitude which

characterizes our utterance. If the audience was able to identify the attitude with the
speaker’s intent, only then can you consider the speech act to be a success!
Types of Speech Acts
J. L. Austin developed the Speech Act Theory in 1962. According to him, there are
three types of speech acts in every utterance:

1. Locutionary Act
This is the act of saying something or making a meaningful utterance that can
be understood. When performing this, we are also performing acts such as
asking a question, making a declaration, giving warning or assurance,
criticizing someone, or describing something.

There are three sub-acts to a locutionary act:

a. Phonic Act is the physical act of producing a certain string of vocal sounds or
a set of written symbols.
b. Phatic Act is the act of forming a coherent string of sounds or symbols in a
particular language.
c. Rhetic Act is the act of uttering the words in the sentence with a specific
meaning and reference.

2. Illocutionary Act
This refers to the actions performed by the speaker in producing an utterance.
These acts are linked to the speaker’s motivations. Here, context is a main
consideration for the listener to be able to effectively decode the illocutionary
act performed by the speaker.

The following locutionary acts carry the same illocutionary act:

Can you turn on the light?

Will you turn on the light? I am r equesting
Could you turn on the light? you to turn on the
Would you turn on the light? light.
Can’t you turn on the light?
Won’t you turn on the light?

All the elocutionary acts are indirect requests which intend to make a request.
 Searle (1975) placed illocutionary acts into five categories:

Categories of Purpose Language Example

Illocutionary Functions
Acts
COMMISSIVE To commit the ● Threatening ● Thank you for
speaker to carry ● Vowing being here today.
out some future ● Promising ● I apologize for
course of action having offended
you.
ASSERTIVE To ● Asserting ● Almost a year has
communicate ● Concluding passed since I last
information ● Stating saw him.
● Claiming ● We go online for a
● Telling short discussion
● Describing twice a week.
● Requiring
● Suggesting
DECLARATIVE For the speaker ● Christening ● I now pronounce
to effect ● Blessing you husband and
immediate ● Bidding wife.
changes and ● Firing
bring into ● Pronouncing a
existence the couple as
state of affairs husband and
to which it wife
refers ● Declaring war
DIRECTIVE To make the ● Ordering ● Bring out a whole
receiver do ● Requesting sheet of paper.
something or ● Commanding ● Kindy mute your
carry out an ● Defying mic when it’s not
action ● Challenging your turn to speak.

3. Perlocutionary Act
It is an action or state of mind which is brought about by, or because of saying
something. In other words, it is the hearer’s response to a speaker’s utterance.

Examples:
a. In a noisy classroom, the teacher suddenly begins to count loudly from 1 to
10. The pupils quiet down when they hear her. (In counting, the teacher
performed a perlocutionary act to order the students to be quiet; the effect is
the silence that followed.)
b. “I’m not feeling too good today. I can’t join you at the cinema,” Carla says.
Instead of leaving to watch this movie which he has been waiting for all
 month, Luis stayed with her and cooked her some chicken soup. (The
perlocutionary effect of Carla’s statement is Luis’s decision to stay to cook
her chicken soup.)

Observe the following chart to better understand the difference between the speech
acts.

Locution Illocution Perlocution

(utterance) (intent) (effect)
social function of what
actual act of uttering response to what is said
was said

Speaker requests
"Please stay at The addressee
the addressee to
home." stays at home.
stay at home.

The speaker The people at

"I'm home!" announces his home greet the
arrival. speaker.

The addressee
may lend their
"Do you have an Speaker borrows
pen, refuse to, or
extra pen?" a pen.
say they don't
have one.
 What’s More

Activity 2
Identify the illocutionary act category of the following sentences. Write the letter of
your choice on a separate sheet.

A. Assertive B. Expressive C. Directive D. Declaration E. Commissive

1. Congratulations on completing junior high with honors!

2. I promise to provide all homes with solar power.
3. Everyone is required to enroll online or through the dropbox method.
4. You may come in.
5. I’m sure he’ll be back again because he’s been here five times asking if the
ring is still available.
6. Would you like a biscuit?
7. Why don’t you see a doctor?
8. I am certain that I saw the burglar last night.
9. Apprehend all violators!
10. You’ll need to wear a uniform during an expressive online class?
11. Remote learning requires even more discipline and commitment than
traditional learning.
12. I promise to follow the schedule.
13. I am impressed by the passionate simplicity of the plan to continue education
for the youth.
14. Please get in touch with your teachers to better understand points that need
to be clarified.
15. This court finds the defendant not guilty.

Activity 3
Complete the following chart:

Situation Locutionary Illocutionary Perlocutionary

Act & Act Act
Performer
EXAMPLE: Locutionary Act: explaining/instr (use this fan
“The aircon isn’t working,” “The aircon isn’t ucting instead)
Lyka said as she handed working.” Joanna will fan
Joanna a fan. Performer: herself.
LYKA
1. The Malacañang
enforces a
nationwide
community
quarantine with the
President’s
declaration, “I am
placing the whole
country under
community
quarantine from
March 16 to April
15.”

2. Your mother is
cooking lunch when
the doorbell suddenly
rings. “There’s
someone at the
door,” she said.

What I Have Learned

Answer the following on a separate sheet of paper.

Arrange the following keywords to discuss SPEECH ACTS.

expressive motive directives elocutionary act

sounds utterances illocutionary act commissives

effect sentence speech acts meaningful

perlocutionary
assertive declarations symbols
act
 What I Can Do

Answer as directed. Write your answers on a separate sheet.

A. Choose three communication situations and note utterances. Complete
the chart below with examples from your chosen contexts:
during a family meal from a text message
during an online class from a television commercial
during a video chat from a movie
during bonding time with siblings from a news report

Locution (utterance) Illocution (intention) Perlocution

(response)

B. What is the implication of the Speech Act Theory in the way that we
communicate?

C. How will this knowledge help you improve as an effective communicator?

 Assessment

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet
of paper.

1. Which of the following is untrue? Meaning occurs when a speaker intends…

a. to produce an effect on the audience.
b. for sounds to have an impact on the audience.
c. that his intention to be recognized by the audience.
d. that his audience reacts mother/respond to his utterance.

2. Which of the following BEST completes the statement: Speech acts are…
a. utterances made by a speaker.
b. sounds and symbols that carry meaning.
c. meaningful utterances that express a speaker’s feelings.
d. meaningful utterances that are only considered effective when the
audience acknowledges them.

3. It refers to a word, expression, or phrase used by a person or group in certain

situations.
a. locution b. illocution c. perlocution d. speech act

4. This refers to the actions performed by the speaker in producing an utterance.

a. locution b. illocution c. perlocution d. speech act

5. Complete the following statement: Indirect requests are examples of…

a. locution b. illocution c. perlocution d. speech act

6. This refers to the state of mind or action brought about by saying something.
a. locution b. illocution c. perlocution d. speech act

7. The purpose of this speech act is to communicate information.

a. directive b. assertive c. declaration d. commissive

8. The purpose of this speech act is to express the speaker’s emotion or attitude
about an event or proposition.
a. assertive b. directive c. expressive d. commissive

9. Ms. Santos wants to encourage her students to practice using English in class
and at the same time make them feel reassured about it. The best illocutionary
act would be:
a. Assertive - Practice makes perfect.
b. Directive - Speak English at all times.
c. Directive - Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
d. Commissive – I promise not to get mad if you commit an error.
 10. Which of the following can be considered an illocutionary act?
a. Subject yourself to temperature check before entering the premises.
b. Please wash your hands thoroughly.
c. Observe social distancing.
d. Fire!

11. The sentence “I apologize for my rude behavior.” is an example of:

a. assertive b. directive c. expressive d. commissive

12. The warning “DO NOT CROSS HERE. DEADLY.” aims to…
a. inform b. order c. scare d. warn

For numbers 13-15. Choose the most desirable response given the following
communication situations:

13. “Could you turn down the volume? I’m trying to concentrate,” your elder sibling
asks you as he is reading a textbook.
a. What? I don’t complain when you’re making noise.
b. Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll just use my earphones.
c. Wait, I’ll just finish this song.
d. Don’t even think about it.

14. “Is there any fish sauce?” Philip asks his mother.
a. Mother says, “You won’t find it unless you look for it.”
b. Mother points with her mouth towards the fish sauce.
c. The mother passes him the fish sauce.
d. Mother says, “Are you blind?”

15. Joe has an urgent matter to discuss with Sheryl, another member of his
research group. He says:
a. “Send me a PM.”
b. “Let’s talk later; I have an urgent matter to discuss.”
c. “Clear your afternoon. I have something important to say.”
d. “Could you spare some time? We need to discuss something about our
paper.”

Additional Activities

Observe how speech acts work in various contexts at home, on the television, or in
movies that you watch. Try to spot the same locution being uttered in different
contexts and differentiate the illocution and perlocution depending on the situation.
What I Know What's More Assessment
1. a Activity 2 1. b
2. a 1. B 2. d
3. b 2. E 3. a
3. A
4. b 4. b
4. C
5. c 5. A 5. b
6. a 6. C 6. c
7. d 7. A 7. b
8. a 8. A 8. c
9. b 9. C 9. c
10. c 10. A 10. d
11. d 11. A 11. c
12. c 12. E 12. d
13. c 13. B 13. b
14. C
14. a 14. c
15. D
15. c 15. d
Activity 3
What's New 1. Locutionary Act -
Activity 1 “I am placing the
1. a, b, c whole country under
2. b community
3. a quarantine from
4. d March 16 to April 15.”
5. d / Performer: the
President;
lllocutionary Act:
declaring;
Perlocutionary Act:
citizens will abide by
the guidelines
2. Locutionary Act -
“There’s someone at
the door.” /
Performer: mother;
lllocutionary Act:
requesting;
Perlocutionary Act:
addressee opens the
door
Answer Key
References

Sipacio, Philippe, John Fresnillo, and Anne Richie Balgos. 2016. Oral
Communication in Context for Senior High School. Quezon City: C&E.

Zoleta, Maria Antonieta G., and Thea Pamela Pauline A. Javier. 2016. Oral
Communication for Senior High School. Manila : Mindshapers Co, Inc.

n.d. https://carla.umn.edu/speechacts/definition.html.
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Schools Division Office-Quezon City

Email Address: sdoqcactioncenter@gmail.com

Telephone No.8352-6806/6809; Telefax-3456-0343.