This post includes a detailed explanation of Speech Act Theory along with Austin’s speech acts and Searle’s speech acts.
In discourse analysis, speech act theory is a subfield of pragmatics that studies how words are used not only to present information but also to carry out actions.
The speech act theory was introduced by Oxford philosopher J.L. Austin in How to Do Things With Words and further developed by American philosopher J.R. Searle.Â
A speech act is any utterance that serves a function in communication.
For example, speech can be used to make statements, ask questions, apologize, describe, or persuade, among many other uses.
In a speech act, words are used to do something, not just to say something.
Speech acts were first introduced by Austin and later by Searle.
Austin’s Main Speech Acts
Austin described three main speech actions related to speech acts that are as under:
Locutionary act refers to the specific words of a verbal or written message. In other words, it is the meaning of what is stated.
The illocutionary act is related to the speaker’s intention, or what the person who is communicating the message wants to have happened.
For example, consider the question,
“Can you open the window?”
The objective of the sentence:
The objective of asking this question is to have the listener open the window. The speaker is not asking if it is possible for the listener to open the window. Instead, their intention goes beyond the literal meaning of the words in order to prompt someone to perform an action.
Finally, the perlocutionary act of speech refers to the effect that the words have on the receiver of the message, the person who hears or reads those words. When a person hears the statement,
“Can you open the window?”,
they may then execute that request by opening a window.
Another Example of Austin’s Speech Act Classification
Bus driver: This bus won’t move until you boys move in out of the doorway.
Clearly, the bus driver is doing more than making a statement. He is also telling the boys to move. The locutionary act, in this case, is the driver saying he won’t start the bus with 41 people standing in the doorway, the illocutionary act is an order and the perlocutionary act is the boys moving inside the bus.
After Austin, Searle expanded on these ideas of Speech Acts:
Searle defined five types of speech acts:
Assertive – Statements that provide information, state a conclusion or express the belief of the speaker. Examples of assertive speech acts include “Ottawa is the capital city of Canada” and “She is an honest person.”
Directives – This type of speech is attempting to cause someone else to do something. Commands, requests, and invitations are types of directives, such as “Could you come over for dinner this weekend?”
Commissives – Words that commit the speaker to action in the future, such as making a promise or an offer. “I will drive you to school” is an example of a commissive speech act.
Expressive – Speech that expresses a feeling or emotion. An example of an expressive speech act is “I’m sorry for missing your birthday.”
Declarations – Like Austin’s performatives, these speech acts create a change in the world or cause something to happen. For example, “You’re fired” or “I declare you husband and wife” are declarations.
Concluding Remarks
This blog post discusses the concept of the Speech Act and the types of speech acts’ classification given by Austin and Searle.
