Speech Acts of Defeating in Defence of the Ancients 2 (DotA 2) Game: A Study of Gender Differences in Language Use

Abstract

This study focuses on the speech acts produced of the heroes in Defence of the Ancients 2 (DotA 2) game when they defeated their enemy. There are 20 utterances from male and female heroes used as the sources of the data. The illocutionary acts produced in the utterance is being the first research question set. In addition, this study also identifies the differences of male and female heroes in using language inside the game. This study applies the theory of speech acts by Austin (1962), theory of the classification of illocutionary acts by Searle (1979), and the theory of gender differences by Cameron (2007). Qualitative research is the type of this research since the data are taken in the form of words. The data are taken from 10 male heroes and 10 female heroes as their expression of defeating an enemy. Then the utterances are analysed using the theory of speech acts by Austin (1962) to elaborate the locution, illocutionary acts, and perlocutionary acts. Then the illocutionary acts are classified into one of the 5 forms according to Searle (1979), which are assertives, expressive, declaration, commissive, and directive. The results of this study shows that there are several types of illocutionary acts produced by the heroes in the game. Male heroes produced 5 expressives, 4 assertives, and 1 directive illocutionary acts. Meanwhile, female heroes produced 8 expressives, 1 assertive, and 1 directive illocutionary acts. The further analysis shows that there are 4 differences between male and female heroes in using language. There are differences of point of illocutionary acts, difference senses of mocking utterance, the use of terms in describing something by female heroes, and the tendency of females to put their feelings in the utterance.