SPEECH ACT

NATURE
• relate to actions done by saying them
• a term coined by John Austin in his
book, “How to do Things in Words”
• it also refer to the moments in which
statements occur in the
communicative act within a given
context.
NATURE
• also termed as performative
language
• we tend to perform or act on
whatever we just said
• according to JL Austin, speech acts
are constative utterances
• it describes reality that can be judged
as true or false.
• it is also performative in nature
 SPEECH ACT THEORY

• LOCUTIONARY
• ILLOCUTIONARY
• PERLOCUTIONARY
LOCUTIONARY
• Act of making a meaningful
utterances
• speaking part of speech act
• the utterance of a sound, a word, or
even a phrase.
• it must have a sense and the same
meaning to both speaker and the
listener
• also known as the utterance act
LOCUTIONARY

EXAMPLE:
 “Duh!”
“What?”( when someone is
surprised)
ILLOCUTIONARY
• It is a way by which a sentence
is used to express an attitude
with a certain function
• the acting part of speech act
• it is an act of saying
something with an intention
( illocutionary force)
 ILLOCUTIONARY
1. Stating – an opinion, confirmation,
or denying something
2. Making- a prediction, a promise or
a request
3. Issuing- an order or a decision
4. Giving- advice or permission
ILLOCUTIONARY
JOHN SEARLE’S CATEGORIES

 ASSERTIVE- commit the speaker to

the truthfulness of a condition or
situation such as when he / she
asserts, concludes, deduces, or swears
that something is true.
ILLOCUTIONARY
JOHN SEARLE’S CATEGORIES

 DIRECTIVES- are attempts by the

speaker to make the listener do
something.
 this is shown through commands,
requests, begs, invites, entreats,
pleads and insists the listener to do
something.
ILLOCUTIONARY
JOHN SEARLE’S CATEGORIES

 COMMISIVE- commit the speaker

to a future action such as when the
speaker guarantees, pledges, assures,
swears, or promises to do something
ILLOCUTIONARY
JOHN SEARLE’S CATEGORIES

EXPRESSIVE- show a speaker’s

attitude toward a situation.
 this includes apologizing,
congratulating someone, thanking
someone, or comforting someone
ILLOCUTIONARY
JOHN SEARLE’S CATEGORIES

DECLARATIVES- make something

true by saying it (constative)
 this is done by someone who are in
authority or position to do such as a
jugde, a policeman, the president, etc.
ILLOCUTIONARY
EXAMPLES:
I now pronounce you as husband
and wife.
You are free to go.
 I declare you the winner
ILLOCUTIONARY

DECLARATIVES- doing something

by just saying it (performative)
Examples:
 I sentence you to five years in
prison.
 I nominate Josephine for class
president.
PERLOCUTIONARY
 this is seen when a particular
effect is sought from either
the speaker or the listener or
both.
 the response may not
necessarily be physical or
verbal
PERLOCUTIONARY
 it can be elicited by:
- inspiring/ insulting
- persuading/ convincing
- deterring/ scaring
 its aim is to change feeling,
thoughts or actions
PERLOCUTIONARY
EXAMPLES:
 “I was born a Filipino, I will
live a Filipino, I will die a
Filipino.”( inspiring)
 “It is the bleak job situation
that forces Filipinos to find
jobs overseas.”( persuading)
PERLOCUTIONARY
EXAMPLES:
 “Texting while driving kills –
you, your loved ones, other
people.”( deterring)
PERLOCUTIONARY
NOTE!:
 Perlocutionary force should
coincide with illocutionary
force if not breakdown in
communication occurs.
PERLOCUTIONARY
EXAMPLE:
Employer: Are you doing
anything?
Employee: I’m sorry. I’ll do
something now.
Written Output:
• Transcribed in a TV drama (Filipino, Korean,
American) identify Speech act through the lines/
dialogues of characters given in specific context.
• Put in a whole sheet of paper
Line/ Dialogue Speech Act

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