According to Yule (chapter 6) speech acts are actions performed via utterances. Forms of speech acts include but are not limited to apologies, commands, requests, promises and warnings.
When people say an utterance, there is always an underlying meaning or purpose. For example, when you say "Oh my god! This cake tastes so good." Obviously, this is not only an ordinary sentence but also a compliment. You want to let the chef knows that his or her baking skill is great. You may want another piece of cake for free from the chef by saying that or even you would like to recommend this dining place to your friends. This is perlocutionary act. Under felicity condition, according to the Yule’s book, page 50, the utterance has to be made by a specific person in a special context or it is invalid. For example, in general condition, if you speak French to a person who does not know any French, what you will get is a face with bewilderment or a silence. The similar situation happens at my job, I sometimes speak Korean to customers who are not Korean. After that, I get no response. This is the violation of general condition. One of the five types of speech act is commissives, which refers to the commitment and the intention of the speaker. For example, a person says “I will not have more than one girlfriend at the same time.” This is his commitment.
An example of a speech act was given in a conversation between my sister and I on November 26, 2013.
Sister: Oh my god, I love your shoes! Me: Thank you.They are so uncomfortable. I bought them in DSW. Sister: Great, I cant't wait to go buy them.
The speech act introduced here was an expression in a form of a compliment. My sister identified an emotion that complimented my shoes, and I too gave an expression of her speech act by thanking her on the compliment and stating how I felt about the shoes. Under the felicity condition this would fall under the general principle because I understood what she meant. The statement “ I love your shoes!” is in the illocutionary act because it is performing a communicative purpose (Yule,1996, Pg 48).
When people say an utterance, there is always an underlying meaning or purpose. For example, when you say "Oh my god! This cake tastes so good." Obviously, this is not only an ordinary sentence but also a compliment. You want to let the chef knows that his or her baking skill is great. You may want another piece of cake for free from the chef by saying that or even you would like to recommend this dining place to your friends. This is perlocutionary act.
ReplyDeleteUnder felicity condition, according to the Yule’s book, page 50, the utterance has to be made by a specific person in a special context or it is invalid. For example, in general condition, if you speak French to a person who does not know any French, what you will get is a face with bewilderment or a silence. The similar situation happens at my job, I sometimes speak Korean to customers who are not Korean. After that, I get no response. This is the violation of general condition.
One of the five types of speech act is commissives, which refers to the commitment and the intention of the speaker. For example, a person says “I will not have more than one girlfriend at the same time.” This is his commitment.
Great! What is the illocutionary force of complimenting the cake in this example?
ReplyDeleteAn example of a speech act was given in a conversation between my sister and I on November 26, 2013.
ReplyDeleteSister: Oh my god, I love your shoes!
Me: Thank you.They are so uncomfortable. I bought them in DSW.
Sister: Great, I cant't wait to go buy them.
The speech act introduced here was an expression in a form of a compliment. My sister identified an emotion that complimented my shoes, and I too gave an expression of her speech act by thanking her on the compliment and stating how I felt about the shoes. Under the felicity condition this would fall under the general principle because I understood what she meant. The statement “ I love your shoes!” is in the illocutionary act because it is performing a communicative purpose (Yule,1996, Pg 48).