ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the idea that verbal interaction involves the performance of ‘speech acts’. This work originates from the work of John L. Austin, who worked alongside Grice in the mid-twentieth century. Austin is usually thought of as an ‘ordinary language’ philosopher, i.e. as one of a group of philosophers who investigated philosophical questions by considering how language is used in everyday interactions. He argued that all utterances can be understood as performing actions, and that the actions which utterances can perform include making statements. The chapter presents some key ideas about speech acts, considering how they are applicable in linguistic semantics and pragmatics, and how they can be applied in understanding interaction in a range of media and contexts.
