Speech Acts in Facebook Statuses of Students from the Faculty of Education, Udon Thani Rajabhat University

Abstract

This article aims to study the types of speech acts found in Facebook status updates of students from the Faculty of Education, Udon Thani Rajabhat University. The researcher collected data from Facebook posts of 10 students, selected through simple random sampling using a lottery method. The analysis focused only on textual status updates, excluding posts with images, and considered the 30 most liked statuses from each participant, totaling 300 statuses. The data were analyzed based on John R. Searle’s Speech Acts Theory. The findings revealed four groups of speech acts used in the Facebook status updates: -1) Directive speech acts, comprising commands, requests, invitations, suggestions, prohibitions, and questions, were the most prevalent, appearing in 121 statuses (40.67%). 2)Assertive speech acts, including suggestions, informational statements, and predictions, were identified in 111 statuses (37%), demonstrating their role in expressing ideas and conveying information. 3)Expressive speech acts, reflecting both positive and negative emotions, were observed in 51 statuses (17%), highlighting the use of the platform for emotional expression. 4) Commissive speech acts, involving expressions of support, threats, and consolation, were less common, with only 16 occurrences (5.33%). The absence of declarative speech acts in the Facebook statuses of the students highlights a limited use of language within the context of communication on social media. This finding underscores the prominence of directive and assertive speech acts in the online communication practices of university students, reflecting their linguistic preferences and interactional strategies in digital environments.