Entry #4: Speech Acts

When are words just words, and when do words force action? Linguistic J.L. Austin divided words into two categories: constatives (words that describe a situation) and performatives (words that incite action). However, performatives depend on context and reception. These are known as felicity conditions (rules under which the performative can be enacted). The performative should: 

• have proper authority
• be understood
• be clear
• be able to be executed

If it doesn't meet these conditions (↑), then it doesn't have the power to denote action. However, having all these characteristics doesn't mean that it's implicitly followed. It all depends on the decision taken by the reader.

Source:
TED-Ed (2013) Speech acts: Constative and performative - Colleen Glenney Boggs. Retrieved from TED-Ed. Last visited: June 2nd, 2020. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgmpbXIGpcc&feature=youtu.be

METACOGNITIVE ANALYSIS.

In this case, the ICT tool used is Youtube. I haven't realized the importance of this tool until now, that we're in a lockdown, and I had to appeal to this way of communicating to deliver my English lessons. I have to say I find it extremely useful and catching. You can upload any kind of video ,edited or recorded by you; and send it to whoever you want. I have discovered a completely new world in here and it's absolutely awesome all the material we, as teachers, can encounter.

As regards the content and relation to teaching, I believe it's an interesting as well as rich  subject to be dealt with. Many ideas to meet this content in real-life situations come to my mind. I consider it an important issue to work on with students.