We explain what speech is and what the components of this human capacity are. Also, his disorders and theories of the speech act.
What is speech?
The word speaks comes from the Latin word fable, that refers to the ability to speak typical of the human being. This is a faculty that people begin to develop gradually, expanding their vocabulary over the course of childhood.
The societies Over time they build different languages which function as instruments accepted and transmitted by the community itself, thanks to which individuals can communicate with each other. While language is the set of signs and rules with which this code understood by everyone is manifested, speech is the individual appropriation of the language, which is acquired in a much more passive way.
This distinction was the one formalized by Ferdinand de Saussure, the Swiss linguist, father of semiology, which is the discipline that deals with signs (and understands them as an acoustic image-concept) and their social behavior.
See also: Elements of communication
Speech components
- Joint It is the way in which the sounds of a letter are generated.
- Voice Use of the vocal cord system and breathing to be able to speak.
- Fluency Rhythm with which messages are transmitted.
Speech disorders
It consists of problems that prevent a subject from making proper use of their voice not being able to make sounds correctly either due to their form or their rhythm. It is often confused with language disorders, but they are not the same, since the latter is related to understanding what others say. Although both types of pathologies can occur simultaneously.
Some examples of speech disorders are dysrhythmias and stuttering.
Speech act theory
Regarding the philosophy of human language, one of the first authors to delve deeper into speech was John Austin which produced the well-known speech act theory. This theory includes oral communication between one person and another, understanding that the message is captured and produces an effect on the recipient.
The first classification that Austin makes is according to the function of the sentence:
- Locutories The statements themselves, any of the acts based on saying something. Its components are three: the phonetic, which corresponds to the emission of sounds, the factual, which is the combination of words in sentences, and the rhetic, which is the use of those words with meaning and cohesion. “The doctor told me 'take these pills'” would be a sentence of this kind.
- Illocutionary In the facet of the intention contained in the statement, in the force that will end up producing an effect on the recipient. Inform, warn, threaten, promise or order, among others: 'The doctor advised me to take a few days' rest'. Within this dimension corresponding to intention, there are two actions that will be very different: direct and indirect.
- Direct acts They are those in which the speaker clearly expresses his intention when speaking. The call 'primary illocutionary act' is mentioned.
- Indirect acts They are the ones whose intention must be interpreted by the receiver. It will be a reading 'between the lines', which will generate a secondary illocutionary act: (when asked about going dancing) 'I have a lot to study'
- Perlocutory. The dimension that deals with the effects that the word will necessarily have on the receiver. It is the dimension that focuses on the interlocutor, and will vary depending on who the interlocutor is. 'The doctor convinced me to take a few days of rest.'.
In the case of sequences of several speech acts, organized in the form of dialogue, a new act can emerge. This is the macro-speech act, which will be a brief summary, the core and main part of the process of several speech acts, performed by one or more people. An example of this could be an invitation to a place, or a promise. The macro-speech act may also be direct or indirect depending on whether or not there is an explanation.
Depending on their purpose, the acts can be classified between:
- Assertive acts When the speaker uses them to affirm or deny something, talking about reality.
- Expressive acts. They are those that verbalize an emotional or physical state.
- Acts managers. In them the main facet is the intention, in the sense of convincing of something, whether it is an idea or a way of acting.
- Compromising acts In which the speaker directly or indirectly affirms the assumption of a responsibility, which aims to carry out some activity.
