Did that happened just now?

Speech Acts! After the lesson on Speech Events, what we went through just two lessons back were only the tip of the iceberg! I thought that was quite enough to categorise the way we talk and react to one another but lo and behold, Speech Events came along and started to categorise what kind of conversations we were having. Everything we said, every conversation we held, every response we had, each was a speech event. I was quite intrigued by how everything we said was a start, a part or the ending of a speech event.

Thinking of that, the class activity where we need to come up with a speech event and break them up into the various components was, well, tough for me. I only had one speech event I could prominently think of and that was speaking with canteen operators. I'm glad Huiling from my group had an interesting interview not long ago and we could use that for the activity. *On a side note, Say Wee's handwriting is SUPER ORGANIZED and NEAT compared to ours!*

Nevertheless, the activity made me think much more about my conversations with my friends and family throughout the past weeks after the lesson ended. A simple conversation with my family or friends was a speech event and suddenly, I had so many speech events to list down! Talking about the fishes with my sister, asking my friends out for dinner, telling my mother about my cough, talking to friends who ride about my motorcycle, etc etc. There was so many I came up with while riding to work that afternoon.

And still, to categorise them into the 10 components still prove hard for me and I doubt I will get used to this in a couple of days. Until then, more practice and thoughts about Speech Events for me now. See you all coming Friday!

Ending off the post, I would like everyone to see this video, along with my interpretation with the 10 components. It is very very meaningful and it kind of shows the change of culture and value to the younger generation nowadays. Have we really done our part AT ALL?

Genre: Comparison
Topic: How fortunate each mother is
Purpose or function: To let others know how great a job their children are doing
Setting: Seemingly an old folks' home if I am right
Key: Joyous but melancholic
Participants: A few mothers whose children are supposedly well off except for one.
Message form: Speech and probably some exaggaration of the truth

Act Sequence:
It is hard for me to write out this part but here goes!
Mother 1: *talks about her children's accomplishment*
Mother 2: *continues on the conversation with her side of the story and asks another mother*
The sequence continues on with each mother until they reach the last one who has yet to say anything and gives an extraordinarily meaningful answer which strikes all of the mothers hearts.
Rules of Interaction: All participants are required to share the succes of their children and show others how happy and fortunate they are to have them.

Norms of Interpretation: When the elderly gathers together, the usual would be to talk about what they were doing and how they are coping with their lives. In an old folks' home, there are many parents who were physcially "dumped" by their children who seemingly have no time for them and having to do a lot of work. They would naturally feel lonely and unwanted and when they come to gather together, the usual topic would be how their children were doing. This is the same for my mothers with all my aunts, not that they are in an old folks' home or anything but this what they always talk about during Chinese New Year. In my opinion, these mothers are using the success of their children to cover up how lonely they actually feel and how much they yearn for their children's attention. Being a Chinese, filial piety is of utmost importance and having being born into the world and brought up by your parents without complaints, they would expect their child to do the same. In the current world, values and morals are somehow mixed up with money and materials possessions. In the video, money is viewed as part of filial piety but in the end, it is quite obvious what actually holds more value than money.



I hope what I wrote was somehow correct as I am still having difficulties putting the right words to the right places but do tell me if anyone of you feels I'm wrong somewhere or I'm able to do a better job. Thanks for reading all the way to the end anyway! Hope everyone learnt something from the video. I did.