Speech acts: Constative and performative - Colleen Glenney Boggs
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TEDEd Animation
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When are words just words, and when do words force action? Linguist J.L. Austin divided words into two categories: constatives (words that describe a situation) and performatives (words that incite action). For instance, is a “No running” sign describing your gait, or are you not running because the sign prohibits it? Colleen Glenney Boggs describes how these categorizations give power to words and, ultimately, to your actions.
Describe a time when you disregarded a performative that resulted in another performative (for example, you ignored the no running sign and were banished from the pool for the rest of the day).
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Colleen Glenney Boggs
- Animator Lou Webb
- Narrator Michelle Snow
