Illocutionary Speech Acts in Luis von Ahn’s TED Talk on Addictive Learning as Social Media

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the types of illocutionary speech acts contained in Luis von Ahn's TED Talk entitled “How to Make Learning as Addictive as Social Media.” Using a qualitative descriptive method and content analysis, the data were taken from the official transcript and classified based on Searle's theory. The results showed four types of illocutionary acts: assertive, directive, expressive, and commissive. The most dominant type is assertive, with subtypes including informing, reporting, stating, and asserting. Other subtypes found include advising, commanding, praising, commenting, and committing, reflecting the speaker's attempt to emotionally engage the audience and encourage action. These findings demonstrate the strategic use of speech acts by speakers to convey ideas effectively.