1. SPEECH ACTS Saying as Doing Professor Lenny Shedletsky
See R. Nofsinger, Everyday Conversation, Sage, 1991

2. AN ORDINARY VERBAL EXCHANGE
Would you like half
of my lobster?
It’s huge.
No, thanks. I’m full.
Mary
John
Bill

3. Let’s explore what went on between
SPEECH ACT THEORY
Let’s explore what went on between
Bill and John in the exchange above.
And let’s not forget Mary.

4. According to Speech Act Theory, A number of things happened
Bill said something (“Would you like half of my lobster?”) to John
Bill spoke a meaningful utterance in a language
What Bill said asked a question (syntax)
What Bill said had some meaning associated with the words in the utterance, e.g., “you” referred to John; “lobster” referred to the food on Bill’s plate

5. According to Speech Act Theory
More things happened
Bill offered John some of his lobster
John rejected the offer
John gave a reason for rejecting the offer
John expressed his gratitude for the offer
Bill’s offer had the effect (perlocutionary act) of John’s feeling like Bill likes him
Bill’s offer had the effect of Mary’s feeling left out

6. According to Speech Act Theory
Bill’s utterance contained a number of propositions.
Bill felt relieved that John turned down his offer, because he really wanted the whole lobster
And more--would you like to speculate on what else went on in this exchange?

7. They know what the rules are for a particular speech act
HOW DO RECIPIENTS OF AN UTTERANCE KNOW WHAT SPEECH ACT THE SPEAKER IS DOING?
They know what the rules are for a particular speech act
constitutive rules
regulative rules
They know the context of the utterance
cultural
social
personal
physical
Speech Act Families

8. Constitutive Rules
Constitutive rules define an event. For instance, each
piece in a chess game is allowed to move in certain
ways and to capture in certain ways as defined by the
rules of the game of chess.
This type of rule is what is being called a constitutive
rule.
The rules make the event mean a certain thing or
count as a certain thing, e.g., putting a basketball through
the hoop counts as a score, one point, two points, three
points, depending on where the shot is taken from.
Can you think of other examples?
MORE ON CONSTITUTIVE RULES

9. Conventional Foundations (Conditions) Constitute Speech Acts (constitutive rules)
For an utterance to work properly as a particular speech act, certain characteristics must be present in the communicative situation, such as the occurrence of particular beliefs and intentions.
That the speaker and hearer are using the same language, they can hear one another. For a promise, e.g., that the speaker says something about the speaker’s future behavior, that the hearer can infer that the speaker believes he/she is able to perform the behavior, and more.

10. Regulative Rules
Rules that constrain when and where we may do a particular
act. Greetings, e.g., should be done when people first make
contact (not in the middle of the conversation).
Initial greetings should be returned (answered).
Regulative rules are social norms.

11. Imagination
Let’s explore via speculation some possible contexts for this conversational excerpt.
Please offer some possible scenarios

12. Speech Act Families Commissives Directives Assertives Expressives
Declarations

13. Commissives A commissive is an utterance that commits the speaker to
some future behavior.
For example, a promise commits the speaker to future
behavior, as does an offer, making a vow, taking a
pledge, giving a guarantee.

14. Directives
The purpose of a directive is to get the recipient to do something.
Examples of directives are:
requests
commands
suggestions
giving permission

15. Assertives
The purpose of assertives is to display the speaker’s belief in the propositional content of the utterance.
E.g., Bill has displayed his belief in the proposition, “This [sandwich] is huge.”
Assertives include:
statements, descriptions, assertions, predictions, speculations

16. Expressives
Expressions of the speaker’s psychological state about something (an event, an object, a behavior, or whatever) that has to do with either the speaker or the recipient.
E.g., compliments, apologies, welcomes, and thanks

17. Declarations
When a properly authorized speaker performs a declaration under the proper conditions (as defined not only by pragmatic language conventions, but also by the rules of the particular institution involved), such a “successful performance guarantees that the propositional content corresponds to the world” (Searle, 1979, p. 17).
E.g., “You’re fired” uttered by the boss to an employee--the employee is thereby fired