Jakobson’s ‘Language Functions’ and Searle’s Speech Acts: Mutual Influence and Development

Linguistic studies have recently grown substantially in the use of methods and theories that help understand and recognize language, which resulted in the emergence of a diverse understanding of the study of language and its functions. Among these theories is the theory of linguistic communication by Roman Jakobson, which is considered as one of the modern linguistic theories that provide deep insights into how language is used and the functions on which it is based in order to achieve communicative goals. In addition, it provided a structural framework for understanding the various elements included in the communication process, such as the sender, the message, the recipient, and the codes usedSearle's theory of Speech Acts was also a new theory in the field of pragmatics, and was an extension of Austin's theory in his How To Do Things with Words. The theory focuses on analyzing the actions performed by individuals through language, such as promising, ordering, and asking, and how these actions affect recipients. It constitutes a fundamental pillar in the study of pragmatic, which establishes a relationship between language and communication.This study accounts for the points of intersection between the two theories and how language is used by its users to achieve communicative and informative goals with the intention of influencing.Searle was influenced by Jakobson in his study of speech acts, so he used similar concepts and procedures that Jakobson conducted on the functions of language and its types. The functions that Jakobson referred to in the study of language are similar to those categories that Searle mentioned to define speech acts in terms of content orientation and usage interpretation