This is a ppt presentation tackling about speech acts by Austin and Searle.

1. Lesson 3: Speech Acts
(Austin & Searle)
TEACHING SPEAKING
Prepared & discussed by:
EILENE B. BUGNAY
Course facilitator
Prepared & Discussed by:
EILENE BUGNAY, PhD
College of Advanced Education

2. Speech Act
 A speech act is an utterance that a speaker
makes to achieve an intended effect.
 It is the speaker’s utterances that convey
meaning and make listeners do specific things.
 Its functions are to offer an apology, greeting,
request, complaint, invitation, compliment or
refusal.
 It may contain just one word or several words or
sentences.

4. Indirect Speech Act
Happens when the utterance has no direct
connection with the intended meaning
 Examples:
“Can you check the cabinet for my phone?” -
indirectly asks the listener to check the cabinet.
“Can you pass the wine?” – you are not asking if the
person has the ability to pass the wine, but you want
the wine or you want that person to pass the wine.

5. Three Types of Speech Acts
Locutionary Act is the actual act of uttering. A
locutionary speech act occurs when the speaker performs
an utterance (locution), which has a meaning in the
traditional sense.
Examples:
• “Its raining ouside”
• “There is a dog at the gate?”

6. Three Types of Speech Acts
Illocutionary act is the social function of what is said. It is not just
saying something itself, but the act of saying something with the intention
of:
▪ stating an opinion, confirming, or denying something;
▪ making a prediction, a promise, a request;
▪ issuing an order or a decision; or
▪ giving an advice or permission.
Examples:
• By uttering the locution “Please do the dishes,” the speaker requests the addressee to wash
the dishes.
• By saying “Can you please hand me my pen”?, though it is in interrogative , is an imperative –
a request to hand over the pen.

7. Three Types of Speech Acts
 Perlocutionary act is the resulting act of what is said. The response may
not necessarily be physical or verbal and elicited by:
▪ inspiring or insulting
▪ persuading or convincing
▪ deterring or scaring
o Its aim is to change feelings, thoughts, or actions.
Examples:
• “Please do the dishes” would lead to the addressee washing the dishes.
• “Can you please hand me my pen?” – the response of handling over the pen is the
perlocutionary act.

8. Performatives
Performatives are verbs that execute the speech act that
they intend to effect. Performative utterances are
statements which enable the speaker to perform
something just by stating it. A performative utterance said
by the right person under the right circumstances results in
a change in the world.
Example:
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

9. Searle’s Classification of Speech Acts
1. Assertive- 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.

10. Searle’s Classification of Speech Acts
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 be careful with my heart.

11. Searle’s Classification of Speech Acts
3. Commissive- a type of illocutionary act which commits the
speaker to doing something in the future. Examples of commissive
are promising, planning, vowing, and betting.
Example:
• From now on, I will participate in our group activity.

12. Searle’s Classification of Speech Acts
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.

13. Searle’s Classification of Speech Acts
5. Declaration- a type of illocutionary act which brings a change in
the external situation. Some examples of declaration are blessing,
firing, baptizing, bidding, passing a sentence, and excommunicating.
Example:
• You are fired!
By saying that someone is fired, an employer causes or brings about
the person’s unemployment, thus changing his external situation.

14. 2. Importance in Teaching English Macro Skills
• Understanding speech acts is essential for developing communicative
competence. Learners can:
• Interpret speaker intentions beyond literal meaning.
• Respond appropriately in social interactions.
• Improve pragmatic accuracy in speaking and writing.
• Example: In role-play, a learner can distinguish between a polite
request and a command, which affects both form and social
appropriateness.
Prepared & Discussed by:
EILENE BUGNAY, PhD
College of Advanced Education

15. Activity Sheet: Understanding and Applying Speech
Acts
• Objective:
• Students will identify and use different types of speech acts
(locutionary, illocutionary, perlocutionary; assertive, directive,
commissive, expressive, declarative) to improve communicative
competence in speaking and writing.
Prepared & Discussed by:
EILENE BUGNAY, PhD
College of Advanced Education

16. Part A. Warm-Up (10 minutes)
•Activity: “Hidden Intentions”
•Students guess whether the utterance is a
statement, request, or command.
•Examples:
•“It’s so hot in here.”
•“Can you lend me your notes?”
•“You’re fired!”
Prepared & Discussed by:
EILENE BUGNAY, PhD
College of Advanced Education

17. Part B. Identifying Speech Acts
• Instructions: Read each sentence and identify:
• The locutionary act (literal meaning)
• The illocutionary act (speaker’s intention)
• The perlocutionary act (possible effect on listener)
• Example:
Sentence: “Please do the dishes.”
• Locutionary: Asking to do the dishes.
• Illocutionary: A request.
• Perlocutionary: Listener washes the dishes.
Prepared & Discussed by:
EILENE BUGNAY, PhD
College of Advanced Education

18. Sentences:
1. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
2. “I’m sorry I forgot our meeting.”
3. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you
husband and wife.”
4. “Close the door.”
5. “No one bakes better cookies than I do.”
Prepared & Discussed by:
EILENE BUGNAY, PhD
College of Advanced Education

19. Part C. Macro Skills Integration (20
minutes)
•Write five original sentences, each
demonstrating a different type of
illocutionary act.
Prepared & Discussed by:
EILENE BUGNAY, PhD
College of Advanced Education

20. Part D. Reflection (10 minutes)
• Prompt:
“Why is it important to recognize not just what people say, but what
they mean when they say it?
• How can this help you in real-life communication in English?”
• Students write a short reflection (5–7 sentences).
Prepared & Discussed by:
EILENE BUGNAY, PhD
College of Advanced Education