Author(s) :

Andualam Kebede (with Getachew Endalamaw).

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This study aims to investigate the type and function of the Amharic directive speech act in conversation. It employed the descriptive method of qualitative research, using data from classroom lectures that were videotaped and converted to written or recorded data for a third-degree supplementary study of teaching Amharic. The study analyzed directive speech act utterances found in the documented data using the conversation analysis method. According to the research data, a total of 402 speech turns were taken by the interlocutors in the conversation. In these turns, 890 utterances were spoken, of which 348 (39.10%) were found to be the directive speech act. Six types of directive speech acts were found in the conversation: question, permission, command, invitation, suggestion, and warning. The functions of these directive speech acts are as follows: the question type (providing ideas, verifying, checking, remembering, predicting, and asking permitting); the permission type (allowing, giving opportunity, and continuing); the command type (commanding, continuing, forcing, terminating, and denying); the invitation type (inviting, pulling, and pushing); the suggestion type (alternatively recommending and pointing); and the warning type (warning, admonishing, and reprimanding).

No. of Downloads :

15