THE REALIZATION OF DIRECTIVE SPEECH ACTS IN AIRPORT SERVICE INTERACTIONS

Abstract

This study examines directive speech acts in airport service interactions, with a focus on how airport staff direct passenger actions across different service stages, namely check-in, security check, and boarding gate procedures. This study employs a qualitative descriptive method (Creswell, 2014). The data were taken from a YouTube educational video entitled At the Airport, uploaded by the Easy English Channel, which presents simulated airport service interactions. Data were collected through observation and transcription, where utterances containing directive speech acts were identified and selected for analysis. The analysis is based on Searle and Vanderveken’s (1985) classification of directive acts, including requests, commands, requirements, and permissions. It also examines how these acts are realized through different linguistic forms in context. The findings show that directive speech acts appear in interrogative, conditional, hedged, declarative, and imperative forms. At the check-in stage, directives are mostly expressed as polite requests. At the security check stage, they become more direct and function as requirements and commands due to procedural demands. At the boarding gate, directives are mainly realized in softened imperative forms used for boarding preparation. These patterns show that directive choices are shaped by institutional roles and the specific demands of each stage of service. In conclusion, directive speech acts in airport service interactions vary according to procedural stages and reflect the need to balance clarity and efficiency in institutional communication.