PRAGMATICS : SPEECH ACTS AND THEIR ROLE IN COMMUNICATION

Аннотация

Speech act theory (J.L. Austin, J. Searle) categorizes utterances by function. It distinguishes locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts, as well as direct and indirect speech acts. This paper highlights their significance in cross- cultural communication, artificial intelligence, and legal discourse. Aннотация : Теория речевых актов (Дж. Л. Остин, Дж. Сёрль) классифицирует высказывания по их функции. Она различает локутивные, иллокутивные и перлокутивные акты, а также прямые и косвенные речевые акты. В статье рассматривается их значение в межкультурной коммуникации, искусственном интеллекте и юридическом дискурсе. Keywords : Artificial intelligence, communication, illocutionary acts, indirect speech acts, linguistics, locutionary acts, perlocutionary acts, pragmatics, speech act theory. Language is not just a medium for conveying information but also a powerful tool for performing actions. The study of how language is used in context falls under the domain of pragmatics, and one of its most crucial aspects is the concept of speech acts. Speech act theory, introduced by J.L. Austin and later refined by John Searle, explores how people do things with words—how utterances can function as actions rather than mere statements. Understanding speech acts is essential in linguistics, communication, and even artificial intelligence, as it helps explain how meaning extends beyond words to include intention and social function. Выпуск журнала №-23 Часть–2_ Март –2025 440 MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT Austin’s theory of speech acts differentiates between three main types of acts that occur simultaneously when a speaker utters a sentence. The locutionary act is the basic act of producing a grammatically structured and meaningful sentence. The illocutionary act refers to the speaker’s intended function, such as making a request, giving an order, or making a promise. The perlocutionary act is the effect that the utterance has on the listener, such as persuading, warning, or amusing them. For instance, when someone says, "It’s cold in here," the locutionary act is the literal statement about temperature, the illocutionary act might be a request to close the window, and the perlocutionary act could be that someone actually gets up and shuts it. Building on Austin’s work, John Searle further classified speech acts into five categories based on their function. Assertives are statements that express beliefs or describe reality, such as "The sun is shining." Directives are attempts to get the listener to do something, like "Close the door." Commissives commit the speaker to a future action, such as "I promise to call you tomorrow." Expressives convey emotions or psychological states, like "I apologize for being late." Declarations change reality simply by being spoken under the right circumstances, such as "I now pronounce you husband and wife." Speech acts can also be classified as direct or indirect. A direct speech act explicitly states the speaker’s intention, such as "Pass me the salt." An indirect speech act, on the other hand, relies on context and social conventions to imply meaning, such as "Could you pass me the salt?" which functions as a polite request rather than a literal question about ability. Indirect speech acts are particularly common in cultures where politeness and indirectness are valued. Cultural differences play a significant role in how speech acts are used and interpreted. In Western cultures, directness is often preferred in professional settings, while in many Asian cultures, indirectness is seen as a way to maintain harmony and avoid confrontation. For example, refusing an invitation in American English might involve a direct but polite statement like "I’m sorry, I can’t make it," whereas in Japanese, a more indirect response such as "It would be difficult for me to come" would signal the same meaning. Выпуск журнала №-23 Часть–2_ Март –2025 441 MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT Speech act theory is also highly relevant in modern technology, particularly in the development of artificial intelligence and virtual assistants. AI systems like Siri, Alexa, and ChatGPT rely on speech act theory to interpret user intent and generate appropriate responses. For instance, when a user says, "Can you play some jazz music?" the system must recognize this as a directive rather than a literal question about capability. While AI has improved in handling direct speech acts, understanding indirect speech, sarcasm, and context-dependent meanings remains a challenge.Beyond AI, speech act theory has broad applications in fields such as law, education, and communication studies. In legal contexts, the illocutionary force of statements is critical, as contracts, oaths, and promises must be legally binding. In education, teaching speech acts helps language learners understand how to use polite requests, apologies, and other functions appropriately in different social situations. In interpersonal communication,