Entry #4: SPEECH ACTS
TED- Ed (October 13th, 2013) Speech acts: Constantive and performative. Colleen Glenney Boggs. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgmpbXIGpcc#action=share
In his Theory of Speech Acts the linguist J. L. Austin developed the idea that sentences can either describe or command, in other words, they can be Constatives or Performatives. Constatives present information and describe something as true or false, while Performatives denote action; they are meant to inspire acts upon the word.
Performatives depend on context and reception conditions, known as Felicity Conditions. These are rules under which Performatives can be enacted. These kind of sentences should be authoritative, understood, clear and able to be excecuted in order to have the power to denote action. Still, if they follow the Felicity Conditions, it doesn´t mean that they are always followed.
In his Theory of Speech Acts the linguist J. L. Austin developed the idea that sentences can either describe or command, in other words, they can be Constatives or Performatives. Constatives present information and describe something as true or false, while Performatives denote action; they are meant to inspire acts upon the word.
Performatives depend on context and reception conditions, known as Felicity Conditions. These are rules under which Performatives can be enacted. These kind of sentences should be authoritative, understood, clear and able to be excecuted in order to have the power to denote action. Still, if they follow the Felicity Conditions, it doesn´t mean that they are always followed.
Metacognitive Analysis
I found this video really didactic. It provides a concise explanation of the Theory of Speech Acts, which is also supported by clear examples. As videos in general, I consider it is a useful and attractive tool to introduce and develop a topic.
This theory made me consider how powerful words can be and how they can affect others. As teachers, we really need to be extremely careful with this "power" we have, and the messages we transmit to our students.
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