Contents introduction chapter I. Speech acts in efl contexts

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………........................3
CHAPTER I. SPEECH ACTS IN EFL CONTEXTS ………………………9
1.1. Defination and classification of speech acts ………………………................9
1.2. Challenges of teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms ……………......15
1.3. Approaches to teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms ………….........19
CHAPTER II. ASSESSING SPEECH ACTS IN EFL CLASSROOMS.....................................................................................................23
2.1. Principles of speech act assessment........................................................23
2.2. Type of assessment and evaluation..............................................................25
2.3 Challenges of assessing speech acts in EFL contexts......................27
CONCLUSION …………………………………………………….....................35
REFERENCES …………………………………………………........................36

INTRODUCTION
Originated from Austin (1962), “Speech Act Theory said that the action performed when an utterance is produced can be analysed on three different levels” (Cutting, 2008, p. 13). These three levels, from Austin’s (1962, p. 108) description, are locutionary act, illocutionary force, and perlocutionary effect. Locutionary act is “roughly equivalent to ‘meaning’ in the traditional sense” (Austin, 1962, p. 108). This definition does not seem very clear. From my personal interpretation, the locutionary act is the literary meaning or facial meaning of an utterance.
Austin (1962, p. 14) defines illocutionary force as the force of the speaker of certain utterance such as informing, ordering, warning, and undertaking. Accordingly, the relationship between locutionary act and illocutionary force can be regarded: The former is the meaning of the utterance; the latter is about the force of the utterance. However, Searle (1968) argued that there is no real distinction between locutionary acts and illocutionary acts. He (1968) explains “Where a certain force is part of the meaning, where the meaning uniquely determines a particular force, there are not two different acts but two different labels for the same act” (p. 407). Searle’s critics on the relationship between locutionary and illocutionary seem not very convincing. This would be because the facial meaning and the action of the speaker through a certain utterance; from my personal understanding, there would sometimes be different labels for the same act, however, sometimes they would be two different things. The features of intercultural communication would be obvious in this dimension, especially in indirect speech acts, which would be discussed in the latter part of the paper. Following Austin’s (1962, p. 108) definition on perlocutionary effect, Cutting (2008, p. 14) uses a modern way to explain perlocutionary act as the effect on the hearer, or the hearer’s reaction of a certain utterance. Davis (1979) summarized Austin’s theory on illocutionary act as “illocutionary acts are connected to effects in three ways: securing uptake, taking effect, and inviting a response which distinguishes them from perlocutionary acts” (p. 38). Although he argued later in the paper that “these three features do not apply to all illocutionary acts and so cannot be used to mark off illocutionary from perlocutionary acts” (Davis, 1979, p. 38), as far as I am concerned, it is not complex to distinguish perlocutionary acts from illocutionary ones in certain utterances. Perlocutionary acts is the effect on the hearer’s reaction while illocutionary is the speaker’s motivation and they are in a causal relationship. Just as Brown and Yule’s (1983) description, an illocutionary act is “the speaker could be seen to have performed some act” and a perlocutionary act “can be described in terms of the effect which the illocutionary act, on the particular occasion of use, has on the hearer” (p. 232).
Among the three levels of speech act theory, illocutionary is the center of researches and various literature on illocutionary acts can be found. The most outstanding theory would be Searle’s classification of illocutionary acts. Searle (1976) points out that “The basic unit of human linguistic communication is the illocutionary act” (p. 1). Based on illocutionary point, direction of fit, and expressed psychological state, illocutionary acts can be divided into five kinds: representatives/assertives, directives, commissives, expressive, and declarations. Searle (1976, pp. 10-13) has given out clear definitions of the five kinds of illocutionary acts. Representative is “the point or purpose of the members of the representative class is to commit the speaker to something’s being the case, to the truth of the expressed proposition”. Directives refer to “the illocutionary point of these consists in the fact that they are attempts by the speaker to get the hearer to do something” link with perlocutionary acts. The illocutionary point of expressive is “to express the psychological state specified in the sincerity condition about a state of affairs specified in the propositional content”. Commissives acts are those illocutionary acts whose point is to commit the speaker to some future course of action.¹
Teaching speech acts in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms is an important aspect of language education. Speech acts refer to the actions performed through language, such as making requests, giving compliments, or offering apologies. Learning how to perform speech acts appropriately is crucial for effective communication in English. This coursework focuses on exploring the best practices for teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms.
The background for this study is the growing importance of English as a global language and the need for effective communication skills in English. Speech acts play a crucial role in communication, and teaching them is essential for developing students' language proficiency. However, teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms can be challenging, as it requires a deep understanding of cultural differences and the ability to provide authentic contexts for practice. Communication allows people to socialize with each other. Fortner (2007:18) states that communication is a dynamic, symbolic process by which people in dialogue construct the meanings and share the emotion through which they understand, value, and live in society and by which both behave and justify their behavior. It means that communication is a process of delivering a message that the speaker constructs the meaning of language through their comprehension of the use of language in certain situations and contexts. In addition, Miller (2007:4) states that communication is the exchange of information through speaking, signalling, or writing. From the definition, communication is the exchange of messages from speaker to listener. The speaker will deliver a message to which the listener will give respond based on their comprehension. In communicating, people use language as a tool.
Communication takes place in the classroom as well as in everyday life. During the teaching and learning process, the teacher makes utterances naturally. It is impossible to deny that a teacher does some communication activities, such as explaining information, asking and answering questions, explaining, and providing guidance or instruction. Celce-Murcia and Olshtain (2000, p. 27) reveal that the language used in the classroom has an impact on students’ learning process and progress. Therefore, the language used by teachers in the classroom is critical, as it has an impact on students’ learning process.
Moreover, the teacher’s communicative activities include a group of acts known as speech acts, which serve a variety of functions. Speech acts deal with the utterance to perform a specific action. In basic terms, speech acts are typically described as language in action (Kreidler, 1998). The use of speech acts is related to teachers’ role because when teachers instruct students, they are fulfilling their role as class leaders. Besides being a leader, teachers have other roles in the class, including being “Authority figure, knower, director, manager, counselor, guide, and even such roles as friend, confidante, and parent” (Brown, 2001: 200). To fulfill those roles, the teacher would almost certainly utilize speech acts, a speech act that acts to persuade the listener to do something.Speech acts are as the basic unit of language used to express meaning, an utterance that expresses an intention. This study shows that there are three kinds of speech acts performed by the teacher and students: locutionary act, illocutionary act and perlocutionary act. Those speech acts are supported by theories of J.L Austin who investigated and invented the use of speech act. Locutionary act performed by the teacher and students is used when they are conveying an expression without any specific intention within. On the other hand, illocutionary act is committed by them when they are communicating some expressions containing a certain intention to the listener. Perlocutionary act is performed by the teacher and students while they are conveying expressions and the listener will show a response and act as feedback to what the speaker says.²
The main research question for this coursework is: What are the best practices for teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms? To answer this question, the following objectives will be pursued:
- To review the literature on teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms.
- To identify the challenges and opportunities of teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms.
- To explore the different teaching approaches and strategies for teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms.
- To provide practical recommendations for teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms.
The significance of this study lies in its potential to contribute to the development of effective practices for teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms. By exploring the different teaching approaches and strategies, this coursework aims to provide teachers with practical recommendations for enhancing their students' language proficiency. Additionally, this study can help raise awareness of the importance of speech acts in language education and promote a more culturally sensitive approach to teaching English as a foreign language.
Thе actuality оf thе thеmе: The theme of teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms is highly relevant in today's globalized world, where English is increasingly used as a lingua franca for communication among speakers of different languages. Effective communication in English requires not only a good command of grammar and vocabulary but also an understanding of how to use language to perform various speech acts, such as making requests, giving compliments, and expressing opinions. Teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms is particularly important because students may not have had much exposure to the cultural conventions of English-speaking countries. This can lead to misunderstandings and communication breakdowns, even when students have a good command of the language. Thus, teaching speech acts can help students develop the pragmatic competence they need to communicate effectively in English.
Moreover, there is increasing recognition that language learning should not only focus on linguistic knowledge but also on the development of intercultural competence. By teaching speech acts, EFL teachers can help students become more aware of cultural differences and learn to navigate them effectively, thus promoting intercultural understanding and communication.
Overall, the theme of teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms is highly relevant and can contribute to the development of more effective and culturally sensitive language education.

Thе aim оf thе cоursеwоrk on teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms is to explore the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching speech acts, and to develop effective strategies for integrating speech act instruction into EFL teaching practice. This includes developing a theoretical understanding of speech acts, identifying effective instructional strategies, and designing and implementing a lesson plan to teach speech acts in EFL classroom. The ultimate goal is to help become a more effective EFL teacher and promote effective intercultural communication among English language learners.

Thе рractical valuе оf thе cоursеwоrk: teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms can enhance teaching practice and improve students' language and intercultural communication skills, leading to more effective communication and greater confidence in English.³
Thе оbjеct оf thе cоursе cоursеwоrk on teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms is to develop understanding of how to effectively teach speech acts to English language learners. This includes developing a theoretical understanding of speech acts, identifying effective instructional strategies, and designing and implementing a lesson plan to teach speech acts in EFL classroom. The ultimate goal is to help become a more effective EFL teacher and promote effective intercultural communication among English language learners.
Thе structurе оf thе cоursеwоrk on teaching speech acts in EFL classrooms will likely include an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.