文档介绍：The Characteristics of Speech Act Theory Abstract : To learn a language is to learn how munication in that in munication with native speakers,many Chinese learners of English fail to use English tactfully or article intends to analyze some basic principles of speech act is concluded that in foreign language teaching,teachers should try to foster learners ’ petence and petence as well. Keywords: Speech Act Theory; linguistic; pragmatics Introduction : Speech Act Theory is the first major theory of Pragmatics which paratively young branch of linguistics. We can trace the theory back to 1950s when John Lang shaw Austin gave his lecture: ― How to Do Things with Words ∥ in Harvard University. From this interesting title, we can roughly see what the theory is about. Generally speaking, Speech Act Theory is just a theory about ― saying something is doing something ∥. In this essay, I will try my best to give plete analysis of this theory. Since I am just the beginner of linguistics learning, I will mainly describe others ’ views of what the theory is; how it came into being and what the theory is for in the linguistic field. Meanwhile, I will add my own understandings and analyses to this theory. Specifically, I will divide this essay into t wo parts: Part I: the origin of Speech Act theory — the Perform a tives and Constatives, and how the se