Speech Act Theory

These assumptions are called felicity conditions and are often divided into three categories: essential conditions, sincerity conditions, and preparatory ... SpeechActTheory Dr.Jacobsen Constatives--“Statements,assertions,and utterances” characterizedbytruthorfalseness. Performatives--Statements,assertions,and utterances thatdothings. Thetablebelowabstractstheperformative categories.   Category Action Example Representatives Tell howthingsare Concluding Directives Encourage action Requesting Commissives Commit speakertoaction Promising Expressives Express psychologicalstate Thanking Declarations Change thestateofaffairs Christening Forperformativestoactually"perform,"bothspeakerandaudience must acceptcertainassumptionsaboutthespeechact. These assumptions arecalledfelicityconditionsandareoftendivided into threecategories:essentialconditions,sincerityconditions,and preparatory conditions. Essentialcondition--Thismeansthatyousaywhat yousay, thatbothspeakerandhearertaketheutterancetobe performative.  EX:Ifyousay"Ipromisetodomyhomework"toateacher,bothofyou thinkofthatstatementastakingtheformofapromise.  If youquoteyourselftoafriendassaying"Itoldmyteacher'Ipromise todomyhomework,'"thequote--thoughidenticalinitslocutionary properties (seebelow)--failstopromisebecauseithasbecomepartofa representative actreportingonthepromise. Sinceritycondition--Thismeansthatyoumeanwhat yousay, thatbothspeakerandhearertaketheutterancetobeintentional,to accurately representthewishofthespeakerandthehearer'sunderstandingthat the utteranceexpressesthatwish. Thecommonexpression"ingood faith" illustratesthebasicpremiseofthesinceritycondition. EX:If yousay"Ipromisetodomyhomework"toateacher,bothofyouthink of thatstatementasbeingapromise,asaverbalcontractsuggestingthat youwanttodothehomeworkandpossesstherequisitecapacitiesto complete it. Preparatoryconditions--Thismeansthatyoucando whatyou say,thatbothspeakerandheareragreethatitissituationally appropriate toforyoutoperformthespeechact. Don'tconfuse"cando"with "abletodo." Abilityispartofsincerity. Inthiscase, "can do"means"allowedtodo,"tobesociallysanctionedtoperformthe act.  EX:Ifyousay"Ipromisetodomyhomework"toateacher,youare actually astudentintheteacher'sclassandthehomeworkhasbeen assigned.  Iftheseconditionswerenotmet,you'dhavenohomeworkand,thus,no needtopromisetodoit. TypesofForce TherearethreetypesofforcetypicallycitedinSpeechActTheory: Locutionaryforce—referentialvalue(meaningofcode) Illocutionaryforce—performativefunction(implicationof speaker) Perlocutionaryforce—perceivedeffect(inferenceby addressee) Let'sagainuseourexampleofthepromise. Ifyousay"Ipromise todomyhomework"toateacher,thelocutionaryforceliesinthe meaning ofthewords"Ipromisetodomyhomework"(justasitdoesinthe quotation ofthepromisetothefriend:theirgrammaticalandsemanticcontentis identical). Theillocutionaryforceliesinyourintenttomakea promise;theperlocutionaryforceliesintheteacher'sacceptancethat apromisewasmade. Inasentence,youhavesaid"Ipromisetodo myhomework"(locution),youwantyourteachertobelieveyou (illocution), andshedoes(perlocution). Thegraphicbelowillustatestherelationshipoftheforces.     Sources:Searle,“AClassificationofSpeech Acts”Language inSociety  Searle,“IndirectSpeechActs”BookChapter ImageSourceTUTORIAL:INTERACTIONAND RELATIONSHIPS