A Textbook Evaluation of Speech Acts and Language Functions in Top-Notch Series

The development of pragmatic and sociolinguistic competence is very important for language users as failure to have adequate competence can cause miscommunications. Textbooks can play a significant role in equipping learners with pragmatic competence in EFL contexts where enough exposure to the target language is not possible. This paper investigates the pragmatic dimensions of Prospect Series, Iranian high school textbooks, and the extent to which these books can be reliable sources for developing language learners’ pragmatic competence. To do so, Cohen’s (1996) and van Ek and Trim’s (1998) taxonomies of speech acts and functions were employed to manifest whether the books are pragmatically suitable. The data analyses revealed that all types of speech acts were present, although unequally, throughout the series, except Declaratives which has been ignored in the conversations of Prospect1, 2, and 3. Lack of Declaratives as being reportedly a frequently-used speech act in everyday conversations is a big disadvantage. Additionally, all kinds of language functions were present in the textbooks but rather erratically and unevenly. The findings seem to imply that lack of Declaratives, and unequal distributions of language functions and speech acts may limit language learners’ pragmatic competence, which can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications. To compensate the drawbacks, several implications were provided.

Download Full-text

Austin’s Ditch

The Paideia Archive: Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy ◽

10.5840/wcp20-paideia199841742 ◽

1998 ◽

pp. 104-109

Author(s):

James Hersh

Keyword(s):

Sexual Identity ◽

Speech Acts ◽

Ordinary Language ◽

The State ◽

Language Functions ◽

Political Implications

This essay seeks to show that there are political implications in Jacques Derrida’s critique of J.L. Austin’s notion of performative speech. If, as Derrida claims and Austin denies, performative utterances are necessarily "contaminated" by that which Austin refuses to consider (the speech of the poet and the actor in which literal force is never intended), then what are the implications for the speech acts of the state? Austin considers the speech acts of the poet and the actor to be "parasites" or "ordinary language," "nonserious," and would relegate such speech to a region beyond his consideration, to a "ditch" outside the border of meaning for the performative. Derrida argues that the "contamination" Austin fears for language is necessary for its very performativity. If Derrida is correct, then the performative utterances of the state (e.g. the decree of the judge, "I sentence you...") from the biases of racial or sexual identity is also based upon an impossible desire, a desire that goes against the manner in which language functions. I argue that this desire for a just state cannot be satisfied unless racial and sexual identity is viewed not as "parasitic" and "poetic," but as necessary to the performativity of the state’s liberal power.

Download Full-text

A framework for learner agency in online spoken interaction tasks

ReCALL ◽

10.1017/s095834401700009x ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 276-293 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Janine Knight ◽

Elena Barbera ◽

Christine Appel

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Speech Acts ◽

Computer Mediated Communication ◽

Target Language ◽

Human Beings ◽

Language Functions ◽

Information Gap ◽

Learner Agency ◽

Spoken Interaction

AbstractLearner agency, the capability of individual human beings to make choices and act on these choices in a way that makes a difference in their lives (Martin, 2004), is instrumental in second language learning because attainment is only arrived at by learner choice (Pavlenko & Lantolf, 2000). If attainment is understood as learner engagement in synchronous, collaborative, spoken interaction which is thought to lead to gains in second language acquisition (SLA), then design considerations that harness learners’ agency towards that end is important. This study explores the relationship between learner agency and two different task types, namely an information-gap task and an opinion-sharing task in two peer-to-peer synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) spoken interaction events. Students’ choices and how students act on these choices during tasks are analysed using a discourse analysis approach. Audio recordings of four dyads as cases were examined using three analytical dimensions: language functions of verbal interaction, cognitive processing and social processing. The results show that most learners used their agency to reconfigure the tasks from spontaneous to planned interaction, with some choices and actions relating to technology impacting detrimentally on interaction time in the target language. The different tasks were found to filter and channel different types of agency that learners could exercise, namely representational, organisational, and strategic agency as speech acts, and directional agency as a physical act. These types consisted of different natures and purposes and are presented as a framework. The information-gap task supported strategic agency and an opinion-sharing task supported personalisation and identity construction or representational agency.

Download Full-text

KESANTUNAN TUTURAN YANG DIGUNAKAN PENGASUH DALAM PEMBENTUKAN KARAKTER ANAK JALANAN DI RUMAH SINGGAH

Refleksi Edukatika Jurnal Ilmiah Kependidikan ◽

10.24176/re.v6i2.611 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Ristiyani

Keyword(s):

Speech Acts ◽

Street Children ◽

Pragmatic Approach ◽

Language Functions ◽

Emotional Quotient ◽

Intellectual Quotient ◽

The World

This study is aimed to describe the function of politeness utterances used by nursemaid increating the character of street children in the Children Nations Shelter (RSAB)Soegijapranata Social Foundation (YSS) Semarang. This research is a qualitative descriptivestudy which designed with pragmatic approach triggered by Leech (1983) by basing its analysisfooting on the language functions (language functions) expressed concretely in speech acts. Theapproach is focused on the analysis of the utterances situation goal-oriented, linking a set ofprinciples conversation with their functions. The results of this study indicate nursemaidutterances who obey the principles of politeness of feeling maxim, kindness maxim, permissionmaxim, humility maxim, agreement maxim, and sympathy maxim have function as a tool increating the character of the street children who relate with themselves in relation to others,Adversity Quotient (Intellectual Quotient, Emotional Quotient, and spiritual quotient), theNation and state in relation to the world, and to the AlmightyGod

Download Full-text

An Insight into Discourse Tact and Acts: An Analysis of a Case Study of a Spontaneous Argumentative Conversation

10.33774/coe-2021-bj7qv ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fisseha Motuma

Keyword(s):

Speech Acts ◽

Sampling Method ◽

Linguistic Features ◽

Language Functions ◽

Cultural Perspectives ◽

Interpretive Analysis ◽

Analysis Technique ◽

A Cell ◽

Insight Into

This case study investigated the discourse features and acts used in an argumentative conversation. The study employed purposive sampling method to gather data, and drew on a cell phone audio-recording of a series of authentic conversation. The data were analyzed through interpretive analysis technique. The results of the analysis reveal an authentic argumentative conversation appears more of interactional rather than transactional. The finding indicates how discourse articulates the ethical, ideological and family or social ties. It mirrors how the different linguistic features and speech acts performed influence the nature of a conversation and how the participants engaged in the conversation tried to respect maxims of politeness, relations, manners, quality and quantity to have safe and sound interaction. This implies discourse is not only constructed using different linguistic features and speech acts, but also it echoes the beliefs, feelings, cultural perspectives, social norms and relations of participants using different language functions.

Download Full-text

LEXICO-SEMANTIC AND FUNCTIONAL PECULIARITIES OF BUSINESS DISCOURSE AS MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

EurasianUnionScientists ◽

10.31618/esu.2413-9335.2020.3.76.909 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (7(76)) ◽

pp. 4-14

Author(s):

Gulnar Hismetollaevna Bekkozhanova ◽

Saule Askarovna Askarova ◽

Fatima Zylpykarovna Mamedova ◽

Gulmaria Turysbekovna Ospanova

Keyword(s):

Web Sites ◽

Speech Acts ◽

World View ◽

Research Work ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Language Functions ◽

Business Discourse ◽

Modern Business ◽

Characteristic Features ◽

Political Act

The article considers the communicative-pragmatic approach to the study of business discourse, analyzes the relationship between the business and the Internet space, reveals the genre specificity of blogs and the peculiarities of business discourse. The intentional base of business discourse is the struggle for power, which predetermines its main functions and methods of their implementation, speech acts, strategies and tactics. The goal of business discourse is not to describe, but to convince, having awakened intentions in the addressee, to give ground for persuasion and induce to action, in which the manipulative orientation of business discourse is manifested. Speech integration, orientation and aggression are widely used in accordance with the illocutionary purpose of expressing intentionality. Discourse is political when it accompanies a political act in a political setting. It has both common language functions and characteristic features of business discourse. The most important functions of social control and the legitimization of power can be considered, since it is they who have manipulative influence on the public, thereby achieving the main goal business discourse - the possession of power and control of society. In this research discourse can be used in any forms of communication related to the sphere of language. Such a definition of discourse involves the study of political language material taking into account the cultural, spatial and temporal conditions of its existence, as well as socio-cultural and personal characteristics of its creators and authors. In this regard, the issues of discourse analysis, as the most influential on public consciousness and widespread in the business, identifying its linguistic and extra-linguistic features are highlighted today, which requires to the system-forming signs of discourse, its units, basic concepts and functions prove the topicality of our research. Practical part identifies the main lexico-semantic, stylistic-syntactic and pragmatic features of modern business discourse in websites and mass business. It deals with a description of the functional and pragmatic capabilities of lexical and stylistic means in posts in political in websites and mass business, analyzes the pragmatic potential of these units and determines the range of their communicative and pragmatic functions. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that it considers the features of the web-site discourse from semantic, stylistic and communicative-pragmatic aspect, which will further deepen and expand the special knowledge in the conceptual world view of the English-speaking community and their fixation on the linguistic map. The purpose of the research work is to consider the most effective language means of representing the communicative and pragmatic potential of business discourse in web-sites and mass business. In the achievement of the main purpose of the study, the following tasks were set: - to characterize the phenomenon of discourse as a linguistic phenomenon; - to consider the specifics of the linguistic picture of the world in the framework of business discourse; - to identify the features of the functional, mainly linguo-cultural and stylistic peculiarities business discourse, reflecting business discourse in web-sites and mass business; - to stablish the general conditions for the productivity of lexical and stylistic and syntactic means in website discourse.

Download Full-text

Interlanguage Pragmatic Motivation in EFL Context

IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics) ◽

10.21093/ijeltal.v1i1.8 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 75

Author(s):

Widya Caterine Perdhani

Keyword(s):

Language Learners ◽

Speech Acts ◽

Speech Act ◽

First Language ◽

Efl Learners ◽

Language Functions ◽

The University ◽

Pragmatic Knowledge ◽

Pragmatic Motivation ◽

Pragmatic Production

This research sets out to explore the Interlanguage pragmatic motivation in EFL to their pragmatic production. This research is focus on the construct and impact of Interlanguage pragmatic motivation in EFL to their pragmatic production. The participants of the study were the university students chosen randomly from among intermediate EFL learners. There are three instruments in this study; there will be different types of analyses. Both general and speech-act-specific motivation questionnaires will be analysed by using factor analysis on a five-point Likert scale (1-5). Skewness and kurtosis will be calculated to investigate whether the questionnaires and the WDCT items fell within the normal range. Regression analysis will be done to measure how well general pragmatic motivation and Speech-act-specific motivation could predict pragmatic production. Several conclusions can be drawn from the resent study. First, language learners possess a specific type of motivation for the acquisition of interlanguage pragmatics, called pragmatic motivation, which refers to two interrelated types of motivation: general pragmatic motivation and speech-act-specific motivation. Second, EFL learners are strongly motivated to acquire and develop English pragmatic features, i.e. their pragmatic motivation is high; however, they do not have the necessary pragmatic knowledge. Third, predicting EFL learners’ pragmatic production based on their speech-act-specific motivation is somehow possible since both pragmatic production and speech-act-specific motivation focus on learners’ illocutionary competence, i.e. language functions and speech acts.

Download Full-text

De Constructie Van Spreektaken In Grootschalig Peilingsonderzoek

Toegepaste Taalwetenschap in Artikelen ◽

10.1075/ttwia.31.09rij ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 81-90

Author(s):

Gert Rijlaarsdam

Keyword(s):

Internal Structure ◽

Speech Acts ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Language Functions ◽

Assessment Study ◽

The Matrix ◽

The Subject ◽

Available Information

In this article a survey is given of the domain of oracy skills that will be the subject of a periodical repeated nationwide assessment study. The domain for the assessment of eleven-year-old pupils is restricted by two principles. a. The assessment includes communicative behaviour in testing situations which approach every day situations (school as well as non-school) that pupils of that age might find themselves in. b. The description of the skills will be given in so-called 'curricular significant units', units that are recognized by teachers as teachable units. The internal structure of the domain is dominated by two dimensions: the dimension of language functions and the dimension of skills. The dimension of language functions is restricted to transactional language. Distinctions are made between informative (reporting and expository) and conative (regulative and argumentative) subfunctions. These four subfunctions are used as classification units for speech acts. The speech functions and acts are the gists of language situations, generated and formulated by assessors and relevant respondents from various fields. In the dimension of oracy skills, five skills are distinguished: a. to select the information from the available information in the tasks and context; b. to arrange the information in an audible manner; c. to interact with listeners or other participants on the level of content (providing a context for instance) and relationship (termtaking); d. to formulate correctly and fluently; e. to use channel specific features approppriately: volume, tempo, pronunciation, etc. When these two dimensions are crossed, the matrix of curricular significant units is created. For each of the four language functions from three up to six tasks are constructed. Rating will be done via analytical schemes for each skill and by wholistic judgement by trained raters.

Download Full-text