An Analysis 0f The Use 0f Speech Acts by English Language Teachers at College Level

Abstract

The study aimed at analysing the use of speech acts by college level English language teachers in their classroom discussion. The objectives of the study were (i) to explore whether College level English language teachers in Pakistan employ speech acts in the class and (ii) to describe the kinds of speech acts employed by English language teachers at college level. The descriptive research design was used to conduct the study. Five male English language teachers with at least five years of experience in the field of English language teaching were selected as the participants of the study and an observation sheet was used to collect data in the form of utterances used by the teachers during their lectures. The research found that four types of speech acts were performed by English language teachers during their teaching practice and these included directives, representatives, commissives and expressives. The study concluded that the teachers’ awareness and effective use of speech acts may save the learners from misunderstanding during the interpretation of teachers’ intended messages and enhance the effectiveness of the teaching process.