Lesson 8

SPEECH ACTS
 Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should have:
1.defined speech acts;
2.identified the different types of speech act;
3.recognized that communicative competence requires understanding
of speech acts;
4.demonstrated effective use of communicative strategy in a variety
of speech situations;
5.applied learning and thinking skills and life skills in understanding
the types of speech acts; and
6.responded appropriately and effectively to a speech act.
 Activities to be Done

Motivation Activity 2

True or False Fill in the blanks

 —MOTIVATION
Charades
Here’s what you need to do:

A. Write down the names of animals and/or scenarios that are

easily acted out.
B. If you’re not sure where to begin, give these a try:

Animals: Monkey, dog, cat, duck, kangaroo, snake

Activities: brushing teeth, swimming, jogging, fishing, playing
basketball
Emotions: scared, sad, bored, angry, happy, excited, proud
 What is a SPEECH ACT?
The speech act is an utterance that a speaker makes to achieve an
intended effect. Some of the functions which are carried out using
speech acts are offering an apology, greeting, request, complaint,
invitation, compliment, or refusal. A speech act might contain just
one word or several words or sentences. For example, “Thanks”
and “Thank you for always being there for me, I really appreciate
it.” both show appreciation regardless of the length of the
statement.
 Three Types of Speech Act
According to J.L. Austin (1962), a philosopher of language and the
developer of the speech act theory, there are three types of acts in every
utterance, given the right circumstances or context. These are:
1. Locutionary Act is the actual act of uttering. “Please do the dishes.”
2. Illocutionary Act is the social function of what is said. By uttering
the locution “Please do the dishes.” , the speaker requests the
addressee to wash the dishes.
3. Perlocutionary Act is the resulting act of what is said. This effect is
based on the particular context in which the speed was mentioned
 Searl’s Classification of Speech Acts
As a response to Austin’s speech act
theory, John Searle (1976), a professor
from the University of California,
Berkeley, classified illocutionary acts into
five distinct categories.
Searl’s Classification of Speech Acts
Five Classified Illocutionary Acts
1. Assertive
2. Directive
3. Commissive
4. Expressive
5. Declaration
1. Assertive – a type of illocutionary act in
which the speaker expresses belief about
the truth of a proposition. Some examples
of an assertive are suggesting, putting
forward, swearing, boasting, and
concluding.
Example: No one makes better pancakes than
I do.
2. Directive – a type of illocutionary act in
which the speaker tries to make the addressee
perform an action. Some examples of a
directive are asking, ordering, requesting,
inviting, advising, and begging. Example:
Please close the door.
3. Commissive – a type of illocutionary
act which commits the speaker to doing
something in the future. Examples of a
commissive are promising, planning,
vowing, and betting.
Example: From now on, I will participate
in our group activity
4. Expressive – a type of illocutionary act in
which the speaker expresses his/her feelings
or emotional reactions. Some examples of an
expressive are thanking, apologizing,
welcoming, deploring. Example: I am so sorry
for not helping out in our group projects and
letting you do all the work.
5. Declaration – a type of illocutionary act
which brings a change in the external
situation. Simply put, declarations bring into
existence or cause the state of affairs which
they refer to. Some examples of declarations
are blessing, firing, baptizing, bidding,
passing a sentence, and excommunicating.
Example: You are fired!
Let’s do the
Activities
Activity 2
Instructions: From the statements below,
identify the classification of speech acts
based on the Searle’s Classification of
Speech Acts. Write the correct letter of
your answer on the blank.
A. Assertive B. Directive C. Commissive D. Expressive E. Declaration
1. Please fall in line properly.
2. I am very grateful for your presence here today.
3. You are now officially registered as a Senior Citizen.
4. Visit SM Legazpi and see for yourself how big that establishment
is.
5. Starting today, I will exercise twice a day.
6. No one sings better than Ariana Grande.
7. May I borrow your laptop for a while?
8. Welcome to our humble and simple abode!
9. You passed the University’s Examination!
10. I promise, I’ll buy you a new shirt next week
1.B 6. A
2.D 7. B
3.E 8. D
4.A 9. E
5.C 10. C
B. TRUE OR FALSE Instructions: Write TRUE if the statement is
correct. But if the statement is incorrect, write FALSE.
1. A speech act can only be composed of several words.
2. Assertive, Directive, Commissive, Expressive, and Declaration are
the 5 Classifications of Speech Act.
3. Communicative competence is the ability to use linguistic
knowledge to effectively communicate with others.
4. There are three types of Speech Act according to John Searle.
5. Austin was the one who introduced the concept of performative
utterances.
6. Directive is a type of a locutionary act.
7. Illocutionary act is the social function of what is
said.
8. Speech acts include concrete life interactions that
require the appropriate use of language within a
given culture.
9. Offering an apology, greeting, request, complaint,
invitation, compliment, or refusal are some of the
functions of speech acts.
10. Locutionary act is the resulting act of what is
said.
Let’s Check!
1. FALSE 6. FALSE
2. TRUE 7. TRUE
3. TRUE 8. TRUE
4. FALSE 9. TRUE
5. TRUE 10. FALSE
Fill in the Blanks
Instructions: Answer the items below by filling in the
correct word/s in the blank. The options are inside the
box.
Assertive Competence
Expressive John Searle
Communicative Utterance

1. ______________ is a type of illocutionary act which

brings a change in the external situation.
2. He classified illocutionary acts into five distinct
categories. _____________
3. ________ is essential for a speaker
to be able to use and understand speech
acts.
4. Some examples of an ____________
act are suggesting, putting forward,
swearing, boasting, and concluding
5. A speech act is an ___________ that
a speaker makes to achieve an intended
effect
Let’s Check!
1. Declaration
2. John Searle
3. Communicative competence
4. Assertive
5. utterance
 Thanks!
Does anyone have any questions?
addyouremail@freepik.com
+91 620 421 838
yourcompany.com

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by

Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik

Please keep this slide for attribution