COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT
ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS IN COMMENCEMENT SPEECHES : A STUDY
OF TAYLOR SWIFT (NYU 2022) AND MARIA RESSA (HARVARD 2024)
THESIS
Submitted to complete the requirements
for achieving a master’s degree
NAME : Ridhaswari Isnainingrum Fatihah
NPM : 20227479020
ENGLISH EDUCATION
POSTGRADUATE FACULTY
INDRAPRASTA PGRI UNIVERSITY
2024
is hoped that it can reveal the importance of understanding illocutionary acts
in improving language proficiency and broader communication skills,
particularly in the context of public speaking and language education.
B. Identification of Problem
There are some identification of issues found related to the topic.
1. The types of illocutionary acts used in Taylor Swift’s 2022 NYU
commencement speech and Maria Ressa’s 2024 Harvard
commencement speech.
2. The illocutionary speech acts are delivered in Taylor Swift’s 2022 NYU
commencement speech and Maria Ressa’s 2024 Harvard
commencement speech, whether directly or indirectly.
3. The implications of the illocutionary acts found in Taylor Swift’s 2022
NYU commencement speech and Maria Ressa’s 2024 Harvard
commencement speech for understanding effective language use in the
context of language education.
C. Focus of the Research
This study focuses on analyzing the types of illocutionary acts
performed in Taylor Swift’s 2022 NYU commencement speech and Maria
Ressa’s 2024 Harvard commencement speech by examining how these
speech acts are conveyed, whether directly or indirectly, and conducting a
comparative analysis of their occurrences in both speeches. The study
specifically investigates the use of representative, directive, commissive,
expressive, and declarative speech acts and explores how the analysis of
these acts provides insights into the significance of effective language use
in language education.
D. Formulation of the Problem
This study will present the following problems :
1. What types of illocutionary acts are performed by Taylor Swift in her
2022 NYU commencement speech and by Maria Ressa in her 2024
Harvard commencement speech?
2. How do illocutionary speech acts convey in Taylor Swift's
commencement speech at NYU 2022 and by Maria Ressa in her 2024
Harvard commencement speech, directly or indirectly?
3. How does the analysis of illocutionary acts in Taylor Swift's and Maria
Ressa's speeches provide insights into the importance of effective
language use in language education?
E. Objectives of the Research
The objectives of this study are to know :
1. Identify the types of illocutionary acts found in Taylor Swift’s and
Maria Ressa’s commencement speeches.
2. Analyze how the illocutionary acts in both speeches are conveyed,
either directly or
indirectly.
3. Compare the differences and similarities in the use of illocutionary acts
between Taylor Swift and Maria Ressa.
4. Investigate how the analysis of illocutionary acts in these speeches
provides insights into the significance of effective language use in
language education..
F. Significance of the Research
This research is significant in the field of linguistics, particularly in
the analysis of illocutionary acts, by offering a comparative study of direct
and indirect speech acts in Taylor Swift’s and Maria Ressa’s commencement
speeches. The findings provide insights into how these speech acts
contribute to the effectiveness of communication. This study also explores
how understanding and analyzing illocutionary acts can inform effective
language use, particularly in the way messages are conveyed and
understood, which has broader implications for education. By examining
how different speech acts are utilized in the speeches, this research
emphasizes the importance of language use in shaping communication
strategies and understanding meaning.
Theoretically, this research aims to contribute to the field of
linguistics by providing a comparative study of how direct and indirect
speech acts are used in the speeches of Taylor Swift and Maria Ressa.
Through this analysis, the study seeks to deepen understanding of how
illocutionary acts function in the delivery of impactful messages,
contributing to broader discussions on pragmatics and communication
strategies in public speaking. This research highlights how the use of various
speech acts can be employed to engage audiences effectively and deliver
persuasive and meaningful messages. Practically, the findings offer valuable
insights for scholars and practitioners by demonstrating how effective
communication strategies can be applied, particularly in the context of
public speaking and language education.
G. Organization of the Thesis
The research is organized into many chapters and subchapters for the
written report. Specific connected concerns are covered in each chapter. The
introduction appears in the first chapter. It includes the background of the
research, the focus of the research, the formulation of the problems, the
objectives of the research, the significance of the research, and the
organization of the thesis.
Chapter Il is a review of the related literature. The theories that
guided the study's authoring are included in this chapter.
Chapter Ill is a methodology for research. This chapter explains the
object of the study, roles of researcher, types of data, procedures of
collecting the data, and procedures of analyzing the data.
Chapter IV is the analysis. The data is analyzed in this chapter in
order to find out how the problems are formulated.
Chapter V is the conclusion and suggestion. In this chapter, the data
analysis is concluded, and suggestions for readers wishing to do similar
research are provided.
