Speech Acts and Speech Events of University HKBPNP
- 2. 1. Introduction 2. Speech acts 3. IFIDs 4. Felicity conditions 5. Performative Hypothesis 6. Speech act classification 7. Direct and Indirect speech acts. 8. Speech events 9. Conclusion
- 3. George Yule(1996), Pragmatics, New York: Oxford University Press. Jacob L. Mey (1993), Pragmatics: An introduction, Blackwell.
- 4. utterance (n) : spoken words explicit (adj) : clear and easy to understand implicit (adj) :hidden, not clear precondition (n) : something that must happen or exist before something else can exist or be done declarative (adj) : in the form of a simple statement interrogative (adj) : in the form of a question imperative (adj) : in the form of an order
- 5. 1. Why don’t you join our party tonight?. Invitation
- 6. I. What are speech acts? - actions performed through spoken words =When you say something, you actually do something. - labeled as apology, complaint, compliment, invitation, promise or request. ( Yule – Pragmatics – pg 47 ).
- 7. Example: - You’re clumsy. ( complaint ). - I’ll pay you back tommorow. ( promise) - Get me a glass of water, please! (request)
- 8. 1. Locutionary Act. - the basic act of utterance - the act of producing a meaningful linguistic expression. = You speak something correctly in grammar and meaning. Example: I want you to go out!
- 9. 2. Illocutionary Act = The intention of the speaker + the act of forming an utterance with some kind of function. + performed through the communicative force, known as the illocutionary force of an utterance such as a statement, an explanation, an offer, etc.( G.Yule,1996,48) + Illocutionary force= communication purpose Example: - The TV volume is too loud! ( Could you turn down the TV volume?)
- 10. 3. Perlocutionary Act =The hearer realizes the intention of the speaker The perlocutionary act : aimed at creating an effect on the hearer performed by saying something in a particular context. Example: A stranger is trying to break into your house => may make the hearer feel worried and scared I’m so thirsty. => may get the hearer to bring about some water.
- 11. Same utterance ===> different illocutionary forces Example: - The final test will be difficult. ( A ) - (I warn you that A ). - (I think that A ). - ( I promise that A )
- 12. IFID is a piece of language that signals what kind of speech acts are being performed. Example: Could you open the window, please? (question) I promise I will take you to the zoo. (promise) IFIDS I= Illocutionary F= Force I= Indicating D= Devices IFIDS
- 13. Performative verb: a verb that clearly indicates illocutionary act being performed. Example: “apologize”, “request”, “state”, “promise” Describe the speech acts being performed Example: Sergeant: Shut your mouth up. Soldier: No, sir. Boss: I'm your sergeant. I'm ordering you to shut up.
- 14. word order, stress, intonation: Example: You love her. (I tell you that you love her) You love HER? (I request confirmation that you love her) Are you CRAZY? (I prevent you from doing something stupid) Get out of this room now. (I ask you to get out of this room now)
- 15. Determines whether a speech act is recognized as intended or not. These conditions help the hearer understand the speaker’s intention.
- 16. Example: When the speech act is infelicitous (inappropriate). I declare peace/ war. (said by a citizen)- should be a president. I pronounce you innocent (said by one in the crowd)- should be by the judge I’m sorry for hurting you (the speaker doesn’t feel sorry at all)- a lie
- 17. General conditions : on the participants can understand the languages being used and they are not pretending or being ignorant Example: The participants understand English in the English spoken-environment and they actively get the information.
- 18. Content conditions: According to Searle The speaker must be the one who is to perform the act b, Futurity rule: The act that is to perform must take place in the future Example: I promise I will come back soon. I warn you that your laziness will lead you to failure.
- 19. Preparatory conditions: Promise According to Searle(1969) “ a promise is a pledge to do something for you, not to you” The event will not happen by itself The event will have beneficial effect Hearer: be prepared for the act Speaker: not be obligated to perform the act. Example I promise I will pay the ticket tomorrow.
- 20. Warning According to Searle (1969) “threat is a pledge to do something to you, not for you” The speaker thinks the event will occur. The hearer doesn’t clearly know if the event will occur. (G.Yule – 1996 – p.51) The event will not have beneficial effect. Example: If I happen to see you around this corner, you don’t know what will be happening.
- 21. Sincerity condition: the speaker must be serious in carrying out the act. Promise ability: the speaker is physically and mentally able to do the promised act. state-of-mind: the speaker intends to do the future act. Example: I’d love to see you tomorrow. (the speaker really want to meet the hearer tomorrow).
- 22. Warning: The speaker believes the act will not have beneficial effect (G.Yule–1996–p.51) Example: Behave or you will be grounded for a week.
- 23. Essential condition: combines with a specification of what must be in the utterance content, the context, and the speaker`s intention, in order for a specific speech act to be appropriately performed (G.Yule,1996,51) Promise: Speaker is aware that he/she is committed him/herself to do the act. Example: I promise that I will water the flower tomorrow.
- 24. Warning: Speaker is aware that he/she is informed of the act. Example: She threatened to kill me if I didn’t give her money. (changing from non-informing of bad future to informing)
- 25. Searle’s felicity condition: I promise I will fix your broken computer in two days. 1.Sincerity condition 3. Content condition State of mind Futurity rule Ability 2. Essential condition 4. Preparatory condition Non-obligation to obligation - Beneficial effect - Non-expectancy condition
- 26. Performative hypothesis All sentences are performative utterances at some abstract level. Austin defines: a performative as an utterance contains a special type of verb (a performative verb) by force of which it performs an action. Performative hypothesis implies that all sentences have truth values and all sentences are predicted to be true by virtue of simply uttering them.
- 27. Basic format: I (hereby) Vp you that U Vp = promise, warn, threat, declare, ask, order, request, predict, etc... E.g: I will buy you a cat →I (hereby) promise to you that I will buy you a cat
- 28. Explicit and implicit performatives An explicit performative is one in which the utterance inscription contains an expression that makes explicit what kind of act is being performed (Lyons, 1981, 175). It includes a performative verb that allows the speaker to avoid misunderstanding the force behind an utterance.
- 29. Implicit performative( primary performatives): Every utterance with which the speaker performs an illocutionary act is an implicit performative (Austin). Example: 1) a. Will you go? b. I hereby invite you that you go. 2) a. The door is there. b. I hereby order you that you leave. Example 1)a , 2)a : implicit performatives or primary performatives 1)b 2)b : explicit performatives, normally without “hereby”.
- 30. Advantages Disadvantages Clarified the elements involved in the production and interpretation of utterances. (G.Yule,1996,52) The explicit performative version of a command has a much more serious impact than the implicit version. ( G.Yule,1996,52) It shows that some adverbs or adverbial clasues are natually attach to the explicit performative clause rather than the implicit version. ( G.Yule,1996,52) - It’s difficult to know what exactly Vp for some utterances. -We don’t know how many Vps there are in any languages. -( G.Yule,1996,52-53)
- 31. 1. Declarations Change the world via their utterance( G.Yule,1996,53) =The power of the speaker’s utterance can change the reality. The speaker has to have a special institutional role,in a specific context The speaker changes the world via words
- 32. example MC :Game over! Shop assistant :You are welcome! You’re diagnosed with cancer
- 33. 2. Representatives Speech acts that state what the speaker believes to the the case or not (G.Yule,1996,53) Speech acts asserts a proposition as true or false. Statements of fact,assertions,conclusions,descriptions… The speaker makes words fit the world For example: The sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Mozart is the greatest composer. A spider has eight legs
- 34. 3. Expressives Speech acts that state what the speakers feels Express psychological states and can be statements of pleasure, pain, likes, sorrow, joy. The speaker makes words fit the world of feeling. For example It was very kind of you. Bravooooo!!!!
- 35. 4. Directives The speaker uses them to get someone else to do something Express what the speaker wants (commands, orders, request, suggestions..) can be negative or positive The speaker attempts to make the world fit the words (via the hearer) For example Can you pick me up tomorrow morning? Let’s go to a restaurant in stead of eating at home.
- 36. 5. Commissives The speakers use to commit themselves to some future action (express what the speaker intends such as promises, threats, refusals, pledges. They can be performed by the speaker alone or by the speaker as a member of a group The speaker undertakes to make the world fit the words (via speaker) For example: Don’t worry! I will borrow you some money Don’t move or I will shoot.
- 37. Direct speech acts: are the speech acts directly indicated by a literal reading of the grammatical form and vocabulary of the sentence uttered. There is a direct relationship between a structure and a function Indirect speech acts are the speech acts whose force differs from what is taken to be the literal meaning of the sentence uttered. There is an indirect relationship between a structure and a function
- 38. Structure Declarative Interrogative Imperative Function Statement Question Command/ Request Direct speech act. Direct speech act. Direct speech act.
- 39. E.g1: How old are you? the speaker asks the hearer’s age (direct speech act) The speaker warns the hearer that he is too old to act like a child (indirect speech act) E.g2: The door is there. reply of the question: where is the door? ( direct speech act) the speaker commands the hearer to leave (indirect speech act). Indirect speech acts are generally associated with greater politeness in English than direct speech acts. ( G.Yule-1996,57)
- 40. The unified set of speech acts Speech event = speech act + speech act + … + speech act. The activities in which participants interact via language in some conventional way to arrive at some outcome. ( G.Yule-1996,57)
- 41. Example 1: A: Are you leaving now, Jane? B: Yes, I am. Are you, too? A: No. I don’t know how to go home now. B: Why is it? A: I went to school by bus this morning but I’ve spent all of my money. B: Where is your house? A: It’s at 75th Street. Is it near your house? B: Yeah. A: Fantastic! B: Ok, let’s go. This speech event helps the speaker avoid asking “Can you ride me home?”
- 42. Example 2: A: Do you have any plan for Saturday? B: I don’t know yet. A: You know, there will be a concert of your favorite bands. B: Really? Sounds great! A: And I have bought 2 tickets. B: You’re so sweet. Thank you. See you there! The extended interaction may be called a ‘requesting’ speech event without a central speech act of request.
- 43. Determines the interpretation of an utterance as performing a particular speech act. May include an obvious central speech act but will also include other utterances leading up to and subsequently reacting to that central action ( G.Yule, 1996,57) A speech event means asking about precondition, not making a direct request.
- 44. A speech event can be defined by a unified set of components throughout: Same purpose of communication Same topic Same participants Same language variety (generally) Example : exchange greetings, telling jokes, giving speeches.
- 45. Example: A: I got 2 movie tickets. Will you be free tonight?. B: I’ve never been busy at night!:) ( in a humourous way to say “ Yes, of course”). => This speech event helps the speaker avoid asking “Can you go out with me tonight?
- 46. The usefulness of speech act analysis = what we can do with words and identify the common spoken words that perform specific actions. Nevertheless, we need to look at more extended interaction to understand how those actions are carried out and interpreted within speech events. (G.Yule,1996,58)
- 47. Thank you