CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE
C. Speech Act Classification
2. Illocutionary Act
Seeing the important role of language in an interaction in human life, for that we need to understand our speech act succeed in achieving certain goals, so that we produce something from what we say. The success of one‟s speech in achieves certain goals seen from the suitability of the context. Illocutionary act is a speech act that state something and does things pursuant to context.
In this speech act context speech is very necessary to identify illocutionary act, because Illocutionary act have two purpose, namely to inform, the ordered to do something.
Austin explained that illocutionary act is speech act that are not descriptive and are not subject to truth condition. An illocutionary act is a performance of an act in saying something.60 This type of speech act has a hidden meaning so that the speech partner performs certain action desired by the speaker. Identification of illocutionary act is telling or doing something from the intention and power of the speaker‟s speech. This type of speech act is difficult to identify because it relate to who the speaker is, who the speech partner is, when and where the speech act is performed and so on. Thus follow Illocutionary is a central part of understanding speech act.
Illocutionary act can be classified in speaking activity into five kinds of form utterance, each of which has its own communicative function.61 It can be concluded that illocutionary act are utterance that function to convey something with the intention to do the action that the speaker wants to achieve when speaking something to the speech partner.
Example of illocutionary act include “the room is so dark”. The intention of the speaker to say the sentence is to ask the speech partner to turn on the light so that the room is bright.
Illocutionary acts are considered to be important actions in the speech act, which they describe speaker‟s intentions. This is because speakers have a certain
60 J L Austin, How to Do Things with Words. 1 Ed (Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1962), p. 99.
61 Ibid, 129.
37
meaning when using illocutionary acts. In Sagita opinion the aim of illocutionary act is to make the utterance not only informing but also need to be fulfilled62. By using this purpose, speaker intention will be obtained by the hearer and uttered by some verbs known as performative verbs. Illocutionary is harder to be identified compared to locutionary act as it depends on the meaning by the speaker pursuant to the context. Therefore, the speaker must know well how to deliver the utterance to the hearer.
Illocutionary act has deficiency and need to be improved which the principle of classification is not clear and consistent enough which cause the confusion among illocutionary acts and illocutionary verbs. Due to this deficiency, Searle assumed five types of illocutionary act, there are: assertive, directive, commissive, expressive, and declaration.63
1) Assertive
Assertive is speech that bind the speaker to the truth of the proposition expressed.64 Assertive is a speech act that encourage the speaker toward the truth of the proportion shown, thus bringing him to a truth value. Basically, this type of speech act expresses the speaker‟s belief. Meanwhile, in presenting this form of speech act, the speaker himself represent the world he believed in as it is, so that the words he utters match the world he believed in. Such as: Stating, suggesting, boasting, complaining, and claiming.
“It‟s very hot. The sun is shining.” In this utterances, it only stated the current situation where
62 Sagita. 2019. The Form and Type of Illocutionary Speech Act Ridwan Kamil in the „Insight Talkshow‟ at CNN Indonesia. Jurnal Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya, Vol.19, no.2.
63 John R Searle, Expression and Meaning. (Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1983), p.1.
64 Ibid, 12
sunlight makes the speaker feel hot and that is really what the speaker is experiencing and the speaker provides information about the current situation.
Therefore, it can be said that representative speech acts are used to express the truth.
2) Directive
Directive is speech act that have an influence on the speech partner to act in accordance with the speech of the speaker. This type of speech act show the hope or desire of the speaker for the speech partner to do something. In using it, the speaker intend to obtain some action goals regarding the future, so as to make the world in accordance with the words through the speech partner. Such as: Ordering, commanding, requesting, advising, recommending.
“Come here, please”, in this utterance the speaker aim to order his speech partner to approach him.
Therefore, it can be said that directive speech acts is used to express a command in what the speaker intends the hearer to do.
3) Expressive
Expressive is speech act that expression of attitude and feeling about a situation or reaction to the attitude and action of people. In this type of speech act, there is no relationship between the words spoken and the world in the area of the speaker. Such as:
Thanking, congratulating, pardoning, blaming, praising, condoling.
“Congratulations on your wedding”, spoken by the speaker to the speech partner to congratulate him on his marriage. Therefore, it can be said that expressive speech acts are used to congratulate which
39
the speaker intends to show a sense of pleasure or psychological expression
4) Commissive
Commissive is speech act that require the speaker to commit to doing something in the future. This type of speech act expresses the intent of the speaker to do something. Such as: Promising, vowing, offering.
“I will deduct your pocket money if you don‟t study hard”, in this speech, the speaker tries to threaten his speech partner that he will not give pocket money if the speech partner still does not study hard. Therefore, it can be said that commissive speech acts is used to make promises for future in what the speaker intends the hearer to get or do.
5) Declaration
Declaration is speech act which causes changes or compatibility between propositions and reality. This type of speech act is usually uttered by a certain party, such as a party representing an institution. Therefore, this type of speech act can be said as an institutionalized performative speech act. This is because when performing this speech act, the speaker himself produces a change in the world. Such as:
Resigning, dismissing, christening, naming, appointing, excommucating, sentencing.
“If you come late again, you will be suspended,”
the utterance intends to impose a penalty on the speech partner if the speech partner comes late again.
So that, declaration speech acts is used to declare something that has the ability to alter the status or condition. It is usually used by authorized people in appropriate place and situation.
From all the types of illocutionary acts we can conclude that illocutionary acts is defined as the act of
doing or intending something. It is used not only to inform something but also intend something. This is an act in which the speaker wants the hearer to achieve something when the speaker utters. This act is considered quite difficult to be identified as both the speaker and hearer‟s identity have to be considered and both of them must share the same context within the utterance. In conclusion, the types of illocutionary speech acts are very important to be understood so that they will be used appropriately.