Speech acts in the conversation dialogues of the Korean national middle school English listening ability test

This study analyzes the types and frequencies of speech acts in the National English Listening Ability Test for middle school students. The analysis was based on 94 dialogue items with at least two participants and more than three speaker turns. Based on Searle’s (1975a, b) speech act categories, 1,214 speech acts were identified and classified as assertive, directive, expressive, or commissive. Additionally, direct and indirect speech acts were analyzed. The results showed that assertives were most frequent (49%), followed by directives (31%), expressives (13%), and commissives (6%). The prevalence of assertive and directive acts indicates a focus on factual information exchange, while the low frequency of expressive acts suggests a lack of emotional exchanges important for relationship building. Subcategory analyses revealed that the test prioritizes acceptance over disagreement, simple expressions that lack variety, expressives that target the interlocutor‘s affairs than the speaker’s own, and emotions that are positive than negative. Lastly, direct speech acts were predominantly more frequent than indirect speech acts. These findings highlight the test’s emphasis on direct, information-based communication and suggest a need to include a broader range of speech acts, especially indirect ones and those involving emotional interaction, to better reflect real-life communication.