SPEECH ACTS

You use words every single day in order to communicate with

others, but do you stop to think about these words as actions
themselves? This unit provides information regarding this
concept, which will help you better understand how utterances
also function as actions.
Speech acts are the speaker’s utterance that conveys
meaning and make listeners do specific things.
In this unit, you should be able to:
identify the three types of speech act;
distinguish speech acts from one another; and
respond appropriately and effectively to a speech act.
Whenever you say or utter something, you do so because of a particular purpose, and you are
expressing an intention. However, during the communication process, your intended meaning
may be misunderstood by the person you are speaking with. You may also find yourself in
situations in which you did not understand an utterance in the way that the speaker intended.
Thus, it is essential to know the types of speech act to foster effective communication when
engaging in conversations.
 “It’s warm in here,” says a student coming into the classroom. ’’

Analyze the statement. Write down the different interpretations that can be drawn
from it. Use the chart above as your guide.
 Language or words are used as a tool to convey messages, ideas, and opinions. However,
speech goes beyond the words that you literally say. Each time you speak, you are actually
doing something; that is, you are performing an action. This is referred to as a

SPEECH ACT​.
In 1962, John Langshaw Austin proposed the SPEECH ACT THEORY. This theory was further
developed by John Rogers Searle in 1969. It is based on the premise that words not only
convey information but that they can also carry out actions. Both Austin and Searle are
concerned with what the speaker means – which is the person’s intention–when that person
says something rather than what the utterance literally means in a language.
 The ​SPEECH ACT THEORY regards language as a ​sort of action instead of as a medium for conveying
and expressing ideas. This is often used in the field of philosophy of languages. Previously, it was
conceived that the very basic unit of communication is words, symbols, or sentences. However, the
speech act theory disagrees with this, stating that the very basic unit of communication is the production or
issuance of words, symbols, and sentences. These basic units serve as the building blocks of mutual
understanding between people and what they intend to communicate.
 KINDS OF UTTERANCES
The speech act theory also emphasizes utterances, believing that their meaning varies
from how the speaker expresses them and how the listener perceives them. Two kinds of
utterances are identified by this theory:
 CONSTATIVE UTTERANCES
describe a situation or insinuate assertions.
In the utterances above, the ​interlocutor​simply stated descriptions or
observations.
 PERFORMATIVE UTTERANCES
are words that incite action.
In these examples, the speaker wants the person he is speaking with to perform an
action, so he uses certain words in a certain context that direct the other person to
perform the intended action.
Later on, Austin found that there is no clear distinction between these two types of utterances.
For instance, saying “The door is open” may incite action, as the listener may take it to mean
that the speaker wants him or her to enter or exit the room through the door. Because of the
lack of clear distinction, Austin then reviewed the matter and created new classifications of
speech acts: ​locution, illocution,​and ​perlocution.
Taking into account only Austin’s first categories, identify whether the given sentence is a constative or performative
utterance.
______________​1. Run!
_____________2. Marlowe made apple pie.
_____________3. Please be there.
_____________4. She wears a blue gown.
_____________5. I like that.
A LOCUTIONARY ACT is defined as the act of​producing meaningful utterance​.
However, Searle replaced this concept with what he calls the​propositional act. It
pertains to the act of “ saying something” in the normal sense.
Locution could be performing one of the following functions:
• asking or answering a question • giving information, assurance, or warning
• announcing a verdict or an intention • pronouncing words;
• making an appeal • giving criticism • identifying or describing
TYPES OF LOCUTION

UTTERANCE ACT
This pertains to a sound that is made or something that is said, be it a single word or a
string of words that may not have a particular meaning. This is something that is said
without any intention to communicate meaning.
 In this case, the locution is the word “Hey!” It was not said with the intention of
communicating something. Instead, the utterance is just a result of a sudden reflex caused by
being caught off guard.
PROPOSITIONAL ACT
This pertains to an utterance performed when referring or predicating in an utterance. In
doing a propositional act, the speaker gains the chance to interact. If the listener
understands the speaker’s utterance and recognizes what the speaker is referring to, then
they may be able to share meanings. Note, however, that a propositional act does not
have to be a complete sentence, nor does it have to intend anything.
 Any utterance that specifies, points out, or identifies something is considered a
propositional act.
In this case, the words “Oh, a labrador!” denote a propositional act as you referred to the dog
even though you may have done so without the intent to start a conversation or
to communicate.
 Look for lines from a short film/teleserye/commercial. Choose at least 10 lines then classify
them as an utterance act or a propositional act. Analyze the locutionary act manifested in the
lines you cited.
ILLOCUTION ACT
​is the meaning one wishes to communicate or convey. It is the act that a speaker performs
in saying the utterance.
 CATEGORIES OF ILLOCUTION

The intended meaning in a speech act may depend on the context of ​where, why,
when, and how something is said​. In other words, this is related to the social function
that the utterance has. Illocutions can be classified into ​five major categories​:
EXPRESSIVES
These express a speaker’s emotions and attitudes toward a particular situation.
Expressive include apologizing, welcoming, thanking, and congratulating.
 “I’m grateful that you managed to
accommodate my request despite your
busy schedule.”

This example shows that the speaker expresses his gratitude to

someone for accommodating his request.
 “I apologize for everything my son has done. I hope you
can forgive him.”

In this example, the speaker expressed his apology for what his son has done to
someone else.
 “Congratulations and best wishes to you and your wife.”

This example expresses the speaker’s well wishes for the newlyweds.
DECLARATIONS
 These are speech acts that, upon being uttered, immediately bring about a
change in the situation. Examples include appointing, baptizing, declaring,
firing, and nominating.
 “I hereby pronounce you husband and wife.”
“You’re fired!” “As the managing partner, I appoint Mr.
Ross as the firm’s newest junior partner.”

The first example indicates the presider’s declaration that the groom and
bride are married; the second example indicates an employer firing an
employee; the third example shows a managing partner appointing a new
junior partner in a law firm.
ASSERTIVES
Basically, these convey information regarding something.
This could be in the form of concluding, stating,
describing, asserting, suggesting, and insisting.
 Rose: ​Jericho’s cat is missing.​​(1)
Justin: ​What does the cat look like?
Rose:​​It’s a persian cat, about three months old.​​(2)
Justin: ​I think we should look for the cat outside.​(3)
Rose: ​Okay.

The first example states that the cat is missing; the second example
describes what the cat looks like; the third example indicates a
suggestion on where to look for the cat.
DIRECTIVES
These are speech acts that cause the individual being addressed to do a
particular action. These include commanding, daring, challenging,
requesting, and asking someone to do something.
 “Kindly hand me that box.”

This example indicates a request or command to do something for

the speaker.
COMMISSIVES
 These are speech acts that commit the speaker to doing a
particular action in the future. Examples of this are promising,
vowing, planning, and offering.
 Dar: ​I will have this report ready by next week. ​(1)
Alvin: ​Good. ​In the meantime, let’s look into the next assignment​. (2)
Sally: ​Would you like me to help with that?​(3)
Alvin: ​Yes, Sally. Thank you.

The first example expresses a vow to finish the report. The second
example shows that the speaker plans to begin another
assignment. The third example shows an offer to help Alvin.
 Have you ever stopped to think about how your words maybe
perceived by the people you talk to? Sometimes when we speak, our
intended meaning is not what is perceived by the receiver or our
desired response is not what we achieve. This is because a receiver
may have a different interpretation of the message.
PERLOCUTION
 Take a look at the image of the policeman. As you can see, he is
doing a hand signal. What does he want you to do? What are the
possible actions that you may do upon seeing his hand signal? With
a partner, discuss your answer to the questions and present your
insights in class.
PERLOCUTIONARY ACT
 This is the ​effects, intentional or unintentional, the utterance has on the behavior,
thoughts, and feelings of the addressee​. This is the result or effect produced by the
utterance in the given context. To simply put it, there is a perlocutionary act when, by
saying something, a speaker gets an addressee to do something.
To clearly illustrate locution, illocution, and perlocution, study the
following example:
 Erwin : It’s quite hot in here.
Janet : Oh. I’ll turn the air conditioner on.
Erwin : Thank you.

In the given situation, the statement “It’s quite hot in here” ​exemplifies the locution referring to the actual words
said by the speaker (Erwin). On the other hand, illocution is the action done by the speaker in making the
utterance. In this case, the illocution is an assertive that states the temperature in the room and/or suggests that
something bed one to​alleviate ​the heat. The perlocution is the consequence or effect of what was said or what
was achieved by saying something; that is, Erwin’s utterance led Janet to turn the air conditioner on. Since Janet
was able to recognize the underlying meaning in Erwin’s utterance, she was able to act appropriately, making the
communication between them effective.
 Mark: Heads up. There is a cockroach near you.
Sheniah: (screams and panics)

The locutionary act is Mark’s utterance that there is a cockroach near

Sheniah. The illocution is an assertive, since the utterance is stating
information. The perlocution is the panic that Sheniah felt upon hearing
the statement.
 Hence, understanding speech acts is helpful in determining why a
particular communication situation is successful and why another one
is not. This knowledge of speech acts also helps in making speakers
more aware of how their words can be perceived by others.
Identify the illocution and possible perlocution for the
following locutions.