WORDS AS DEEDS:

SPEECH ACT THEORY

 SPEECH ACT
- an utterance that has performative function in
language and communication
- the concept was proposed by John Langshaw
Austin, one of the founder of pragmatics
- “How to Do Things with Words” (1965)
- Later developed by John Searle
 AUSTIN’S SPEECH ACT
THEORY
Argues that truth conditions are not
central to language understanding.

Utterances do not say things, they do

things.
 Performatives and Constatives
Performatives are Constatives are
sentences that denotes sentences that describes
an action. or statements and
assertions which can be
I declare war on the checked as either true or
Philippines. false.

Park closes at 6 PM
 Felicity Conditions

There must exist an The particular persons

accepted conventional and circumstances in a
procedure having a given case must be
certain conventional appropriate for the
effect and further. invocation of the
particular procedure.
Saying “ I find you guilty”
to someone when seeing Awarding an honorary
them shoplift in the degree to the wrong
supermarket. person
 Often (a) the persons The procedure
must have certain must be executed by
thoughts, intentions all participants both
which are specified in
the procedure
(a) correctly and (b)
completely.
a. A juror voting guilty
when she thinks the
accuse is innocent. a. Saying “ok” instead of
“I do” at a wedding.
The procedure specifies b. Not saying “you’re on”
certain conduct which when accepting a
must be adhered to ; wager.
a. Making promises and
then not following it.
 Sentences do and describes
things.
There are conventions or
felicity conditions with link
utterances and social activities.
 General Theory of Speech Act
All utterances state things
and do things.
All utterances have meaning
and a force.
 Speech Act Levels
1. Speaker uttering a sentences with specific
meaning ( Locutionary act)
2. Sentence is uttered with a particular force
(Illocutionary act)
3. Effects or consequences of the first two to the
hearer (Perlocutionary act)
John Searle 5 Illocutionary/Perlocutionary
Points
1. Assertives – suggesting, boasting,
concluding
2. Directives – asking, ordering , inviting
3. Commissives – promising , vowing,
planning
4. Expressives – thanking, apologizing
5. Declaratives – performative (state
changing)
 Speech act approach
to discourse focuses upon
knowledge of underlying
conditions for production and
interpretation of acts through
words