LESSON 11: Speech Acts
force behind the speech. It
Speech Act
● refers to the act of using
language to perform a specific
function or intention during
communication.
Core Assumptions and Statements
● According to Searle, to
understand language one must
understand the speaker's
intention. Since language is
intentional behavior, it should
be treated as a form of action.
Thus Searle refers to statements
as speech acts. The speech act is
the basic unit of language used
to express meaning, an
utterance that expresses an
intention.
● Speech is not just used to
designate something, it actually
does something. The speech act
stresses the intent of the act as
a whole. According to Searle,
understanding the speaker's
intention is essential to capture
the meaning.
Four Types of Speech Act
1. Utterance Acts
2. Propositional Acts
3. Illocutionary Acts
4. Perlocutionary Acts
Utterance Acts
● Refers to the basic act of
producing spoken or written
language, regardless of the
specific intention or illocutionary
involves the physical act of
articulating words, phrases, or
sentences, as well as the
transmission of linguistic
information.
● Examples:
○ "Magandang araw." (Good
day.)
○ "Pasensya na at wala
akong naiambag." (I'm
sorry for not
contributing.)
○ "Kamusta ka?" (How are
you?)
Propositional Acts
● are a type of speech act that
involves conveying information,
expressing propositions, or
referring to objects, events, or
concepts through language.
● Examples:
○ “Ang langit ay kulay blue."
(The sky is blue.)
○ "Sa Pilipinas, maraming
magagandang isla." (In
the Philippines, there are
many beautiful islands.)
○ "Ang simbahan ay
matatagpuan sa kanto ng
kalsada." (The church can
be found at the street
corner.)
Illocutionary Acts
● are a category of speech acts
that represent the speaker ' s
communicative intentions or
the illocutionary force behind a
statement. These acts are about
 the functions or purposes of
speech beyond the literal
meaning of the words used. In
other words, illocutionary acts
focus on what a speaker intends
to achieve with their speech,
such as making a promise,
giving a command, asking a
question, making a statement,
or expressing an emotion.
● Examples:
○ Magbibigay ako ng regalo
sa birthday mo." (I
promise to give you a gift
on your birthday.)
○ "Pakiabot ang libro."
(Please hand me the
book.)
○ "Ano ang pangalan mo?"
(What is your name?)
Perlocutionary Acts
● are a type of speech act that
focuses on the effects or
reactions that speech or
communication elicits from the
listener or recipient. In other
words, perlocutionary acts
emphasize the impact or
response that the speaker’s
words or actions have on the
person or audience they are
addressing. These effects can be
both verbal and non-verbal and
can include emotional reactions,
changes in the listener’s beliefs
or attitudes, or actions taken by
the listener in response to the
communication.
● Examples:
○ “May kwento ako. Bakit
ang unggoy ay umakyat
sa puno? Kasi gusto
niyang mang-banana
split!" (I have a story. Why
did the monkey climb the
tree? Because it wanted
to have a banana split!)
○ "Kailangan nating
magtanim ng puno para
sa kalikasan." (We need to
plant trees for the
environment.)
○ "Nagpapakabait siya para
sa ikauunlad ng kanyang
pamilya." (He behaves
well for the betterment of
his family.)
Two Types of Rules When Speakers
Perform Acts
1. Constitutive Rules
2. Regulative Rules
Constitutive Rules
● are a set of rules that create or
define new forms of behavior or
practices, providing a framework
for understanding how specific
actions should be interpreted or
performed within a given
cultural or social context.
● Examples:
○ “Sa aming kultura, ang
pagsuot ng puting damit
ay isang simbolo ng
kalinisan." (In our culture,
wearing white clothing is
a symbol of cleanliness.)
○ "Ang ritwal na ito ay
nagpapakita ng aming
pananampalataya sa mga
ninuno." (This ritual
 demonstrates our faith in
our ancestors.)

Regulative Rules
● are a set of rules that govern or
regulate behaviors that already
exist, specifying how individuals
should act within established
societal norms or conventions.
● Examples:
○ “Dapat mong tularan ang
magulang mo sa
pagsunod sa mga
alituntunin sa bahay."
(You should emulate your
parents in following the
household rules.)
○ "Ating pinapayagan ang
mga estudyante na
magsuot ng tamang
uniporme sa paaralan."
(We allow students to
wear the appropriate
uniforms in school.

Scope and Application

● Speech act theory has
contributed to the rules
perspective in communication
because it provides a basis for
examining what happens when
speakers use different definition
and behavior rules.
● By analyzing the rules used by
each speaker, researchers can
better understand why
conversational
misunderstandings have
occurred.