MODULE 3 Communicative Competence

Strategies in Various Speech

Situations
CONTENT STANDARD: The learner…

recognizes that communicative competence requires understanding of speech

context, speech style, speech act and communicative strategy.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD: The learner…

demonstrates effective use of communicative strategy in a variety of speech

situations.

LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

1. Responds appropriately and effectively to a speech act (EN11/12OC-Ifj-20)

LESSON 3
 TYPES OF SPEECH ACT

What is speech act?

SPEECH ACT is a spoken word, phrase, or sentence that performs a
function of language. Such spoken words are called utterances and they are
smallest units of oral language. Utterances are unbroken pieces of speech that
have a beginning, middle, and end. They may be followed by silence. They are
the products of verbal communication only. They can only be represented by
written language. But while written words can carry the meaning, they cannot
necessarily perform the same function.

There are three types of speech Act

1. LOCUTION (Utterance)
In locution one performs speech act. A speech act is a real-life interaction.
It can be one word like “Hi” or many words like “Hello, how are you today?”.
Locutionary act requires not only knowledge of the meaning of words but also the
appropriate context given the culture in which they are spoken.
Locution can be more difficult when learning a second language. The
speaker may not only be unfamiliar with the meaning of the requisite words
themselves, but also the idiomatic expressions and social conventions. The
tendency would be for the speaker to fall back on what he is used to in his first
language and obey the social norms of his own culture, believing that they apply
to all. Locution can be used for greeting, invitation request, refusal, compliment,
promise, and apology.
Locutionary Act refers to the actual utterance of the speaker.
Ex. When you ask someone, “Can you pass the salt?” – the literal meaning
concern the hearer’s ability to pass the salt.
Two types of Locutionary Act
a. Utterance acts – where something is said (or a sound is made) and which
may not have any meaning.
b. Propositional acts – where a particular reference is made.

2. ILLOCUTION (Intention)
 To understand the context of speech act, we must not only understand the
meaning of the words themselves, but also their function. A second important
way to analyze this is to study the intention of the speaker.
This intention is a pragmatic illocutionary force. Promises, commands, and
willing an inheritance to someone fit this intention.
Illocutionary Act refers to the intended utterance by the speaker (performance).
Ex. “Can you pass the salt?” – In illocution, it is being interpreted by the receiver
that the speaker requested him to pass the salt.
Illocutionary acts are classified into five distinct categories:
 Assertive – it is an act in which the speaker expresses belief about the
truth of proposition. Some examples are suggesting, swearing, boasting,
concluding, and putting forward.
Ex. No one makes better sandwich than I do.

 Directive – it is an act in which the speaker tries to make the addressee

perform an action. Some examples are asking, ordering, requesting,
inviting, advising, and begging.
Ex. Would you make me a cup of tea?

 Commissive – It is an act which commits the speaker to doing something

in the future. Some examples are promising, planning, vowing, betting.
Ex. I promise to come at eight and cook and nice dinner for you.

 Expressive – it is an act in which the speaker expresses his/her feelings or

emotional reactions. Some examples are thanking, apologizing,
welcoming, deploring.
Ex. Thank you for your kind offer.

 Declarative – it is an act which brings a change in the external situation.

Some examples of declarations are blessing, firing baptizing, bidding,
passing a sentence and excommunicating.
Ex. I bequeath all my property to my beloved fiancée.

3. PERLOCUTION (Response)
After making a speech act, and clarifying one’s intentions, it remains to be
seen if the speech act had the intended effect. The perlocutionary effect is the
psychological impact of a given speech act. Thus, unlike the locutionary and
illocutionary acts, the focus of perlocution is on the recipient of that effect.
Perlocutionary Act refers to the actions that result from the locution or what we
bring about or achieve by saying something such as convincing, persuading,
deterring, or surprising.
Ex. “Can you pass the salt?” – if illocutions cause listeners to do something, they
are perlocutions.
In this way, the speech act starts with the intention of the speaker (illocution)
which is then transmitted or amplified by utterance (locution) and which evokes a
response (perlocution in the listener.
Locutionary Act What we say…
Illocutionary Act What we mean we say it…
Perlocutionary Act What we accomplish by saying it…

REMEMBER: A speaker can use different locution acts to achieve the same
illocutionary force or use one locution for many different purposes. For instance,
when you ask someone, “Could you water the plants?” The literal meaning
concerns the hearer’s ability to water the plants whereas its illocution is to
request the hearer to water the plants for the speaker. If illocutions cause the
listeners to do something, they are perlocutions; in this case, the hearer is
watering the plants

Activity #1
Directions: Decide which type of speech act is represented by each of these
statements. Write the letter of your answer on the space provided before the
number.
_____1. Your teacher says, “For our class tomorrow, please read pages eight to
seventeen.”
a. Utterance
b. illocutionary
c. propositional
d. perlocutionary
_____2. While talking to a group of friends, you mention that you recently went to
hear your favorite singer at a local club.
a. Utterance
b. Illocutionary
c. Propositional
d. Perlocutionary
_____3. You and your sister are talking about a television show that you both
watched the other night. You say, “what did you think about Luke’s reaction to
Laura’s news?”
a. Utterance
b. illocutionary
c. propositional
d. perlocutionary
_____4. When you discovered that the grade you got on your math exam is “85”,
you let out a sigh of relief.
a. Utterance
b. illocutionary
c. propositional
d. perlocutionary
_____5. When someone shouts ‘fire’ and by that act causes people to exit a
building which they believe to be on fire,
a. Utterance
b. illocutionary
c. propositional
d. perlocutionary

Activity #2
Direction: Write a short skit for each given situation showing how you will
approach the people involved and what will you say to them (5points each)
1. Your classmate got the highest score in Entrance Examination.

2. You were confronted by your mother for staying at your friend’s house
every night.

3. You showed the action research that you made and asked for your
groupmates’ approval, but you think it needs revision and do not like it.

References
Website:
Javier, Margie T., (2020-2021) Oral Communication - Q1 Module 7 Speech Act
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/philippine-normal-university/analysis/oral-
communication-q1-module-7-speech-act/16498197

Kleist, R. J., Effective Oral Communication Senior High School 2016