Speech Act Theory
Speech Act Theory
Speech Act Theory
Chapter 3
Speech Act Theory
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Outline:
● Chapter 3 will shed light on the following aspects:
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1. Austin’s Speech Act Theory
● Speech act theory is based on the belief that speakers use language
to perform actions. Austin (1962:1) pointed out that “many utterances
which look like statements are either not intended at all, or only
intended in part, to record or impart straightforward information
about the facts.”
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● This theory implies the following:
- constatives
- ethical utterances
- phatic utterances
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Examples:
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● Austin segmented a speech act into three components. That
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1-2 Textual characteristics
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1-3 Felicity conditions
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2. Searle’s Speech Act Theory
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● For Searle, there is not a one-to-one relation between form
and function.
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2-1 Explicit and less explicit speech acts
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2-2 Rules and conditions
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