Speech acts in Baitadeli dialect of Nepali and English: A comparative study

Abstract

The research entitled "Speech Acts in Baitadeli Dialect of Nepali and English: A Comparative Study" has tried to find out the different Baitadeli speech acts used by Baitadeli native speaker and compare those acts with English speech acts speaker. The researcher compared the different speech acts by Baitadeli speaker in terms of Searle's classification of illocutionary speech acts. For this study, the researcher selected sample of 40 informants by using purposive non-random sampling procedures from the Dodhara Chandani Municipality of Kanchanpur District. The data were collected with the help of questionnaire and structured interview schedule. The primary sources of data were native speaker of Baitadeli dialect of Nepali. The researcher found different Baitadeli speech acts in different illocutionary speech acts classified by Searle, assertive (Thokkai aile nano kam padyo ek minute rokke ha), directive (Tamro number din mille ho ta), commessive (Muile kasm khairakhiu yar ki raksi ni khane hu) , expressive (Mulai maf gar mui jhukki ge, pachha bathe same mera sathi jaso dheke) and declarative (Muile naya ghar kine ta mui arkha hapta sadda lare) forms. In this way, the researcher also found the similarities and differences in Baitadeli dialect and English language and compared Baitadeli speech acts with English speech acts. Similarities seemed that both Baitadeli and English speech acts used propositional expression, directive forms, expressive forms and they have explicit meaning and effort in declaration. In addition, the English language has many request forms, such as, would you mind...? , will you please...?, , could you please..., may I...? This thesis has been divided into five chapters viz. introduction, review of literature, methods and procedures of the study, analysis and interpretation of the result, and conclusion and recommendation of the study. The first chapter focuses on the background information of the research, different theoretical concepts which support the study. In the second chapter, the researcher has mentioned the review of the empirical literature related to this research. Implication and conceptual framework are the notable point of this chapter. The third chapter deals with methods and procedures of the study. Under this design of the study, population and sample, sampling procedures, data collection tools, and procedures is mentioned. The forth chapter involves the analysis and interpretations of the result. Finally, the fifth chapter includes the conclusion and recommendation of the study. Implications of the study at policy level, practice level, and practice level and further research levels are suggested.