#1 Post: Speech Acts

I do food and beverage events in my freetime, making and giving out fresh popcorn and candyfloss treats at coporate events, family parties and company dinner and dances.

But how many of them say "thank you" to acknowledge me?

How many times how you committed a Speech Act in your life?

Before attending last friday's class, I never knew such a thing existed. Speech Acts. I never realised that spoken words could effect action. I knew I could say something and produce a reaction to it but I've never scrutinized my words to the level of a Speech Act before.

This is terribly intriguing to me.

We all commit speech acts everyday and with almost everything we say to one another whether with compliments or even making or breaking a boy/girl relationship. Therefore, special attention needs to be paid to what we say to people because what it does is that it can effect action.

Taking this module seemed like the most natural thing to do after returning from a student exchange in Sweden 2 semesters back. Being back in Singapore for more than 6 months has helped me not only readjust myself back to Singaporean societal norms but also to reflect on the entire student exchange experience I had.

How does this relate to Speech Acts?

Well, the second part of the lesson was basically about comparing how American English Speakers differ from Chinese speakers when responding to compliments. I began to think back on my times in Sweden and how they reacted to compliments. In Sweden, 96% of the population speaks American English but the common mode of spoken communication among the Swedes is, of course, Swedish. Hence, do Swedes react to compliments the same way American English speakers do in america since most of them are influenced by American culture and language (their tv stations play generally American TV programs and I hear that's the main reason for their proficiency in the language)?

Based on what I felt during my 6 months there (and I do not speak for the majority view on this issue but just my own), I felt that the Swedes reacted differently to compliments when compared to American English speakers. Swedes are generally a rather closed up bunch of people who mind their own business most of the time and stick to their own cliques; not bothering other people even when they share a living space with 8 other occupants (again, this is my own personal view). The way they react to compliments takes on a very Rejecting nature very much akin to the Chinese way. Most of the time, when you compliment them on, say, their dressing or grades, they tend to put themselves down and seem to be shielding themselves somewhat from more compliments.

This is what I felt was interesting, because although they speak American English and are influenced greatly by American culture by exposure through the media, they react differently to compliments when compared to the American people. Based on the scanty research I've done up till now, I feel that there is some sort of a cross-cultural variation issue here; which is how different culture groups make speech acts in their own language. Although most of the Swedish population speaks American English, their reaction to compliments seem to stem from a differing culture; a Swedish culture which I feel almost shuts them off when communicating with foreigners like my friends and I and our friends. Again, I stress that this is my personal view and I do not speak for the majority of people. But yes, though American English has caught their tongue, their Speech Acts are governed by their own cultural identity; which leads me to conclude that American English to them is a working language, a language not linked to their own innate culture which holds no bearing on how they conduct themselves.

Therefore, Speech Acts are happening everywhere all the time and we should take time to pause and consider how our own culture determines how we conduct and respond to Speech Acts. Perhaps in our own Singaporean context, to consider how your own ethnicity affects that and why.

Maybe then I'll get more "thank you!"s the next time I give out free popcorn at an event.