Conversation so far:
What is intentionality?
Intentionality: An Essay in the Philosophy of Mind (1983).
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
Searle applies certain elements of his account(s) of "illocutionary acts" to the investigation of intentionality.
Searle also introduces a technical term the Background.

Question: What does the background mean?
Self-contained rewrite: What does John Searle's idea of the background mean?