言语行为.docx

言语行为.docx

《言语行为.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《言语行为.docx（11页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

言语行为

090422/Week9

Materialsfordiscussion:

Yule/Ch6:

SpeechActsandEvents

Peopleperformactionsviautterances.

Forexample,theboss’sutterancebelowismorethanjustastatement:

You’refired.

Theutterancecanbeusedtoperformtheactofendinganemployment.However,theactionsperformedbyutterancesdonothavetobeasdramatic/unpleasantastheabove.

Theactioncanbequitepleasant:

a.You’resodelicious.（delightful;charming/acompliment）

b.You’rewelcome.（anacknowledgementofthanks）

c.You’recrazy!

（anexpressionofsurprise）

Actionsperformedviautterancesaregenerallycalledspeechactsandaregivenmorespecificlabels:

apology,complaint,compliment,invitation,promise,request,etc.

Thelabels/termsfordifferentkindsofspeechactsapplytothespeaker’scommunicativeintentioninproducinganutterance.

Speaker:

expectingtherecognitionofsuchcommunicativeintentionbythehearer

Speakerandhearer:

helpedbythecircumstancessurroundingtheutterance

Circumstances（includingotherutterances）:

thespeechevent.

Inmanyways,thespeecheventdeterminestheinterpretationofanutteranceasperformingaparticularspeechact.

Thisteaisreallycold!

Comment:

Utteredonawintrydaybyaspeakerreachingforacupoftea,itislikelytobeinterpretedasacomplaint.

Utteredonareallyhotsummer’sdaywiththespeakerbeinggivenaglassoficedtea,itislikelytobeinterpretedaspraise.

Thesameutterancecanbeinterpretedasdifferentkindsofspeechact.Thereisnooneutterancetooneactioncorrespondence.Thereismoretotheinterpretationofaspeechactthancanbefoundintheutterancealone.

Speechacts

Theactionperformedbyproducinganutteranceconsistsofthreerelatedacts:

Thelocutionaryactisthebasicact.Itisameaningfullinguisticexpression.

I’vejustmadesomecoffee.（meaningful）

Cf.Ahamokofa（meaningless）

Comment:

Meaninglessexpressionsarenotregardedaslocutionaryacts

Peopledon’tjustproducewell-formedutterances.Theyformanutterancewithapurposeorsomekindoffunctioninmind.Thisiscalledtheillocutionaryact.Theillocutionaryactisperformedviathecommunicativeforceofanutterance（generallyknownastheillocutionaryforceoftheutterance）.

I’vejustmadesomecoffee.

Thisutterancecanbeastatement,anoffer,anexplanation,orforsomeothercommunicativepurpose.

Peopleusuallycreateanutterancewithafunctionandintendsittohaveaneffect.Thisistheperlocutionaryact（generallyknownastheperlocutionaryeffect）.

I’vejustmadesomecoffee.

Dependingonthecircumstances,aspeakerwilluttertheaboveontheassumptionthatthehearerwillrecognizetheeffectheintended,e.g.toaccountforawonderfulsmell,ortogetthehearertodrinksomecoffee.

Ofthesethreedimensions,themostdiscussedisillocutionaryforce.Infact,theterm‘speechact’isgenerallyinterpretedquitenarrowlytomeanonlytheillocutionaryforceofanutterance（whatit‘countsas’）.Thesamelocutionaryactcancountasaprediction,apromise,orawarning.Thesedifferentanalysesoftheutterancerepresentdifferentillocutionaryforces.

a.I’llseeyoulater.（=A）

b.[Ipredictthat]A.（aprediction）

c.[Ipromiseyouthat]A.（apromise）

d.[Iwarnyouthat]A.（awarning）

Oneproblemwiththeaboveexamplesisthatthesameutterancecanpotentiallyhavequitedifferentillocutionaryforces.Howcanspeakersassumethattheintendedillocutionaryforcewillberecognizedbythehearer?

Thatquestionhasbeenaddressedbyconsideringtwothings:

IllocutionaryForceIndicatingDevicesandfelicityconditions.

Glossary:

IllocutionaryForceIndicatingDevice（IFID）

Indicationinthespeaker’sutteranceofthecommunicativeforceofthatutterance

IFIDs

Themostobviousdeviceforindicatingtheillocutionaryforceisanexpressionofthetypeshownbelow,wherethereisaslotforaverbthatexplicitlynamestheillocutionaryactbeingperformed.Suchaverbcanbecalledaperformativeverb（Vp）.

I（Vp）youthat…

‘Promise’and‘warn’wouldbetheperformativeverbsand,ifstated,wouldbeveryclearIFIDs.Speakersdonotalways‘perform’theirspeechactssoexplicitly,theysometimesdescribethespeechactbeingperformed.Imaginethefollowingtelephoneconversation,betweenamantryingtocontactMary,andMary’sfriend.

Him:

CanItalktoMary?

Her:

No,she’snothere.

Him:

Iamaskingyou—canItalktoher?

Her:

AndIamtellingyou—SHE’SNOTHERE!

Inthisscenario,eachspeakerhasdescribed,anddrawnattentionto,theillocutionaryforce（‘ask’and‘tell’）oftheirutterances.

Mostofthetime,thereisnoperformativeverbmentioned.OtherIFIDswhichcanbeidentifiedarewordorder,stress,andintonation,asshowninthedifferentversionsofthesamebasicelements（