Testing EFL Communication: Speech Act Theory and the Communicative Approach

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between Speech Act Theory and the Communicative Approach in assessing foreign languages, emphasizing the theoretical foundations and everyday applications of each approach. The study aims to present the theoretical and practical connections between these two approaches and highlight the emphasis on real-world communication in the Communicative Approach. The opening section examines Speech Act Theory as a forceful linguistic framework for analyzing the semiotic functions of language, elucidating how speeches not only communicate information but also enact actions within communicative encounters. The speech act theory’s illocutionary, perlocutionary, and locutionary actions are explained in depth, emphasizing that language usage is dynamic and how its context affects interpretation. Examining existing research on Speech Act Theory, the Communicative Approach, and their applications in language assessment, the paper investigated the Communicative Approach to Foreign Language Testing, which deviates from conventional paradigms for language evaluation and builds on Speech Act Theory. It was found that the Communicative Approach, which has its roots in Speech Act Theory, emphasizes the practical use of language in real-world contexts. The results shed light on the theoretical foundations of the Communicative Approach, enhancing its application in practice.