Speech Style

This refers to the distinctive

manner in terms of our
choice of words and the
nonverbal gestures. Our
speech styles depends to
whom we are talking.
 1. INTIMATE
• private
communication
• reserved for close
family members, or
intimate people

• Ex. husband and wife,

boyfriend and
girlfriend, siblings,
and parent and
children
 2. CASUAL
• informal language
used by peers and
friends.
• uses slang, vulgarities
and colloquialism
• group language
•Ex. buddies, chats,
emails, blogs, letters to
friends
 3. CONSULTATIVE
• semi-formal and with
societal expectations
• professional discourse
•Ex. superior and
subordinate, doctor
and patient, lawyer
and client, teacher
and student
 4. FORMAL
• used in formal settings
• one-way in nature
• language follows a
commonly accepted
format
• impersonal and formal
• Ex. sermons, speeches,
pronouncements made
■ by judges,
announcements
 5. FROZEN
• rarely or never
changes
• “frozen” in time and
content (relatively
static)
• most formal
• Ex. The Pledge of
Allegiance, the Lord’s
Prayer, the Preamble,
laws, marriage
ceremonies
SOURCES:

■ https://www.worldfinance.com/wealth-management/how-
thai-life-insurance-is-successfully-pioneering-the-use-of-
sadvertising
■ https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/02/03/17840
52
■ /philippines-still-worlds-social-media-capital-study
■ https://wearesocial.com/blog/2020/01/digital-2020-3-
8- billion-people-use-social-media
■ https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/02/01/21/filipinos-
lead-the-world-in-time-spent-on-social-media-internet
TYPES OF SPEECH
ACT
 Imagine
this.
■ The flight attendant on a European airline
walked down the aisle with the coffee pot and
some cups. “Coffee, please” she said smiling to
the passengers. A young American smiled back
at her and said, “You’re the one who is serving
the coffee, Maam not me.” The flight attendant
blushed and seemed somewhat bewildered.

What happened here?

LET’S DEFINE!
■ intention- what one intends to
do or bring about

■ utterance- the action of saying

or expressing something aloud
 So, it’s a…

-literal linguistic meaning

-
-literal force of the act

-What did the person say?

 So, it’s an…
-utterance that considers
intonations and stresses
-
-social function (request, refuse, complain, beg)

-What did the person mean?

 I am
hungry.
This box
is heavy.
 Remember:
■ In colloquial language use, we don’t
really mean what we say. In these
cases the listener/reader must infer
our illocutionary acts since the
meaning is not directly expressed in
our message. The philosopher Searle
(1981) established a classification
which is useful for inferring the
illocutionary force or value of an
utterance in a given discourse.
Illocutionary and Perlocutionary
Acts have 5 points identified by
John Searle:
1.ASSERTIVE
2.DIRECTIVE
3.COMMISSIVE
4.EXPRESSIVE
5.DECLARATIVE
1. ASSERTIVE
■ utterances intended to tell you how
things are in the world. And, are either
true or false. These refer to
statements, descriptions,
classifications, explanations, and
clarifications.
e.g. The Philippines need to improve more
in Information and Communications
Technology.
2. DIRECTIVES
■designed to get the listener to
act in some way. These are
reprimands, instructions,
orders, requests, warnings.

e.g. Do not text while driving.

I dare you to eat that entire bowl of
coco crunch.
3. COMMISSIVES
■statements which compel the
speaker to act on something
like making promises, pledges,
vows, guarantees.

e.g. I will be here.

I’ll pick you up at 8PM.
4. EXPRESSIVES
■let speakers convey attitude or
psychological state. These are
apologies, condolences,
congratulations, greetings,
thanks.
e.g. I miss you so much.
I’m sorry to hear about your Mom’s
illness.
5. DECLARATIVES
❖utterances that change the world
by representing it as being so
changed. The speaker must have
contextual privileges. These are
baptizing, declaring war,
christening, firing from
employment.
e.g. I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
Let’s Try This!

Directions:
Identify the statement
whether assertive,
directive, commissive,
expressive, or declarative.
1.

A corrupt-free
government is
possible to
achieve.
2.

I feel sad when I

see children
sleeping on the
streets.
3.

The meeting is
adjourned.
4.

It warms my heart
every time I see old
couples holding
each other’s hands.
5.

You’re fired!
6.

I will watch a
movie with my
cousins this
weekend.
7.

Go out now!
9.

Using prohibited
drugs can
definitely ruin
one’s life.
10.

I swear to love
you ‘til the end
of time.
Who among of you have
witnessed this?
PERFORMATIVES
These are utterances said
by the right person under
the right circumstances
results in a change in the
world. In other words,
these are utterances that
intend to effect.
SOURCES:

■ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229530325_Two_
ways_of_defining_communication_strategies
■ http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/jltr/vol01/
05/14.pdf
■ https://www.slideshare.net/sacchie/types-of-communicative-
strategies
■ http://www.gavinjensen.com/blog/reality-and-the-uses-of-
language