scholarly journals The linguistic characteristics of the language of human rights and its use in reality as the kingdom of God in the light of Speech Act Theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Cho

Human rights, a language that keeps public order, is realised in ordinary life by language characteristics according to social rules. Despite this fact, research that considers the linguistic features of human rights relating to its use and effects in terms of the kingdom of God in the present world seems to have not been attempted or seldom attempted. Thus, this article proposes to examine the language of human rights by means of Speech Act Theory. The approach is predicated upon the language use as performative acts. The approach shows the language of human rights with performative language by seeking to uncover the operation and effects of language of rights in real-life situations. The thrust of this article implies how we can explain the semantics of human rights and execute them in ordinary life in terms of God’s kingdom.

Theology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 260-266
Author(s):  
Anna Cho

Holiness as the subject of Wesleyan holiness theology is not only God’s divine language but also an experiential language of humans. Despite this fact, research that considers the religious linguistic features of holiness theology as they relate to its meaning and effects in the real lives of believers seems to have been neglected. Thus, this article proposes to examine the language of holiness in terms of Wesleyan holiness theory by means of speech act theory. First, this approach solves the problem of overcoming the proposition principle of holiness theology. Second, it shows an understanding of the linguistic hermeneutics of the work of the Holy Spirit in believers. And finally, it presents the ways in which the religious divine language of holiness can be described as an ethical language characteristic of human experiential language.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-129
Author(s):  
Petrus Angula Mbenzi ◽  
Justina Meluwa Latenda Amakali

This paper is intended to investigate the socio-pragmatic context of Oshiwambo greetings. There is a dearth of literature on the intricacies of Oshiwambo forms of greeting and the metamorphosis that it has undergone to date. Thus there is a need to investigate the present state of Oshiwambo greetings. The paper is pegged on Austin’s Speech Act theory that emphasizes that utterances are the production of words and sentences on particular occasions by particular speakers for particular purposes. In view of that, Oshiwambo greetings are expressed to convey a specific message to the addressee by the addressor. Two approaches were employed to collect information for this paper namely, ethnographic approach to gauge the impact of Euro-western culture on Oshiwambo greetings and, documentation to dissect the socio-pragmatic context of Oshiwambo forms of greetings. The paper focuses on the functions, situations and types of greeting that exist in Oshiwambo. It further focuses on the paralinguistic and extra-linguistic features which complement the forms of greetings. The analysis has shown that greetings are an integral part of interactional discourse and serve as a prelude to the establishments of social relationships and that they can vary according to the age of the interactants and the circumstances under which the greetings take place. The paper further reveals that there are circumstances in which no exchange of greeting is expected. In the final analysis the paper reveals that western culture has an effect on the extra-linguistic features which accompany greetings thus both verbal and non-verbal modes of greetings are partly westernized.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Mohd Faizal Kasmani ◽  
Sofia Hayati Yusoff ◽  
Osama Kanaker

Abstract Speech-act theory allows us to study how words have an impact in real life and the performative nature of words. At the same time, it can also contribute to an understanding of communication style and communication strategy. In this article, speech-act theory is applied to the conversations of Prophet Muḥammad with the Bedouin in two ways. First, the speech acts of the Prophet are analyzed using the categories put forward by John Searle to see how they function within the conversation. Second, the illocutionary force of an utterance and its perlocutionary effect – based on words and expressions that the Prophet used in his utterances – are examined to discover patterns in his communication strategy towards the Bedouin.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 160-177
Author(s):  
Cheela Chilala ◽  
Hambaba Jimaima

Framed within the broader context of two not so related theoretical lenses – literary theory and linguistic theory – the paper seeks to characterise Tonga practice of kulibanda as a language-based artistic expression for its sociocultural, literary and linguistic significance among the Tonga people. Couched within Austin’s speech act theory, Levison’s politeness principle and literary theory, this brief assessment attempts to bring into the spotlight unique characteristics of kulibanda, which in ordinary speech would be judged as flouting the maxims of politeness, deference and cultural appropriateness. Having considered the material potency of kulibanda collected from online platforms and occurring in real-life situation, it is insightful to conclude that the artistic clamour, stylistic flexibility and the linguistic sensibilities of kulibanda transform this piece of art beyond its traditional theoretical enclave of oral literature into the structured linguistic materiality for a shared sociocultural knowledge, histories and meaning making enterprise among the Tonga people.


2016 ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Makhlouf Abdelkader ◽  
Driss Mohamed Amine

Author(s):  
Jane Kotzmann

This chapter explores the real-life operation of six higher education systems that align with the theoretical models identified in Chapter 2. Three states follow a largely market-based approach: Chile, England, and the United States. Three states follow a largely human rights-based approach: Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. The chapter describes each system in terms of how it aligns with the particular model before evaluating the system in relation to the signs and measures of successful higher education systems identified in Chapter 3. This chapter provides conclusions as to the relative likelihood of each approach facilitating the achievement of higher education teaching and learning purposes.


The essays collected in this book represent recent advances in our understanding of speech acts-actions like asserting, asking, and commanding that speakers perform when producing an utterance. The study of speech acts spans disciplines, and embraces both the theoretical and scientific concerns proper to linguistics and philosophy as well as the normative questions that speech acts raise for our politics, our societies, and our ethical lives generally. It is the goal of this book to reflect the diversity of current thinking on speech acts as well as to bring these conversations together, so that they may better inform one another. Topics explored in this book include the relationship between sentence grammar and speech act potential; the fate of traditional frameworks in speech act theory, such as the content-force distinction and the taxonomy of speech acts; and the ways in which speech act theory can illuminate the dynamics of hostile and harmful speech. The book takes stock of well over a half century of thinking about speech acts, bringing this classicwork in linewith recent developments in semantics and pragmatics, and pointing the way forward to further debate and research.


Author(s):  
Nicholas Wolterstorff

It is typical of Christian liturgical enactments for the people to pray and take for granted that God will act in the course of the enactment. This chapter first identifies and analyzes a number of ways in which God might act liturgically and then discusses at some length what might be meant when the people say, in response to the reading of Scripture, “This is the word of the Lord.” After suggesting that what might be meant is either that the reading presented what God said in ancient times or that, by way of the reading, God speaks anew here and now, the chapter suggests a third possibility by going beyond speech-act theory to introduce the idea of a continuant illocution in distinction from an occurrent illocution. Perhaps the reference is to one of God’s continuant illocutions.


Author(s):  
Paul Portner

Sentence mood is the linguistic category which marks the fundamental conversational function, or “sentential force,” of a sentence. Exemplified by the universal types of declarative, interrogative, and imperative sentences (as well as by less-common types), sentence mood has been a major topic of research in both linguistics and philosophy. This chapter identifies the two main theories which address the topic, one based on speech act theory and the other on dynamic approaches to meaning. It explains and evaluates current research which uses the two theories, and identifies the most important insights which come out of each.


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