Analysis of Speech Act Theory
Paper keywords: Speech Act Theory; Indirect Speech Act; Cooperation Principle; Politeness Principle
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Thesis abstract: This article discusses the emergence, theoretical framework and development of Austin's speech act theory, and also elaborates on Searle's indirect speech act theory, Grice's cooperative principle and Leech's politeness principle, and illustrates the author's understanding of speech act theory with examples.
1. Speech Act Theory
As early as the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the Swiss linguist Saussure distinguished human language into "language" (langue) and "speech". (parole). By the 1950s, American linguist Chomsky further divided human language into "language ability" (competence) and "language use" (performance). Although the contents involved in the two theories are different, both Saussure and Chomsky actually believe that human language activities involve two aspects: the system of language and the use of language. But it was Oxford University philosopher J. L Austino Austin who really conducted serious research on language use and raised it to a theoretical level, proposing the speech act theory. His views on speech theory were put forward in a lecture at Harvard University in 1955. Afterwards, he published the famous book "How to do things with words" in 1957. The book not only discusses the use of language, but also systematically and specifically explains why speaking itself is a language. This view of behavior has been discussed in detail. The American philosopher Searle further developed this theory.
The speech act theory believes that language is a means of conveying information, and people act in words, and all language communication is. Including speech acts. Language is a means of human communication, but the basic unit of human communication is not only symbols, words, sentences, or the patterns of these symbols, words, and sentences, but the completion of certain behaviors, such as statements, requests, and commands. , questions, apology, congratulations, etc. Different behaviors can be expressed through the same speech, and the same behavior can also be achieved through different speech. The speech act theory emphasizes that what the speaker expresses is the meaning of the words rather than the meaning of the language itself; The study of a structure often presupposes the meaning, use of language, and illocutionary functions.