VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGUES POSTGRADUATE DEPARTMENT PHAM THI HA TRANG A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES EMPLOYED IN DESCRIBING TRENDS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE BUSINESS ARTICLES (PHÂN TÍCH ĐỐI CHIẾU CẤU TRÚC NGỦ PHÁP DỪNG TRONG MÔ TẢ CHIỀU HUỚNG TRONG CÁC BÀI BÁO THIƠNG MẠI TIẾNG ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT) MA MINOR THESIS Major: Linguistics Code: 60.15 HÀ NỘI - 2009 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGUES POSTGRADUATE DEPARTMENT PHAM THI HA TRANG A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES EMPLOYED IN DESCRIBING TRENDS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE BUSINESS ARTICLES (PHÂN TÍCH ĐỐI CHIẾU CAU TRUC NGUPHAP DUNG TRONG MO TA CHIEU HUGNG TRONG CAC BAI BÁO THIƠNG MẠI TIẾNG ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT) MA MINOR THESIS Major: Linguistics Code: 60.15 Supervisor: Dinh Hai Yén, M.A HÀ NỘI - 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART T- INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale of the study won oe 2. Aims of the study. Scope of the study.
4, Methodology of the study. Design of the study. PART TI - DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: Literature Review 1. Contrastive Analysis and Transfer Th€ory.2, Language tmusfer and its influence on foreign language teaching and learning 1.
Syntax and synlaclic structures: 1. Trend description in English and Vietmamese.ccssusinsesenan 17 Chapter 2: A contrastive analysis of syntactic structures used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles 2. An overview on the business and cconomie newspapers used in the contrastive analys 19 2. The English business newspapers.
The Vieuamese business uewspapers 2L 2. A contrastive analysis of syntactic structures used in desoribing trends Raglish and Vietnamese business articles.1, Clause structures in general trend đescription. 22 In addition, the syntactic strucnures uscd in describing trends play an integral part during the conrse of my Business Pnglish teaching at Vicmam National University, College of Lconomics. Course books like Business Linglish, Market Leader or iinglish for Business Communication contains activities such as writing reports, making presentations or describing chuls or graphs, which requires my students a cousiderable knowledge im using such structures tu produce correct aud appropriatc texts or ullcrances, English busine: Lickes, 10.
my mind, can serve as a fertile land to be cultivated for the sake of describing trends. Teachers can employ business articles to design a lot of activities and exercises relating to describing changes Cor studeuls as the way Peter Grundy (1993) does in his resource book Newspapers. Minally, it is my curiosity to explore the differences and similarities between syntactic structures used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles. Hor one thing, I could diagnose the difficulties ny sludents may encounter when usiug such structures due to language Wausference.
Thus, remedies would be prescribed limely and properly. For the other, T hope to apply some of the findings into improving the accuracy and appropriateness in translation works. Aims of the study This research is directed to accomplish three goals: - To investigate the syntactic suuctures used iu describing trendy in English and in Vieuramese from the perspective of traditional grammar - To make a contrastive analysis beFwecn English and Vietnamese syntactic strnctures used in describing trends in business articles to deduce their differences and similarities ‘Yo propose some pedagogical implications for better teaching and leaning of describing charls or graphs and some recommendations for more effective Lranstalion works 3. Scape of the study Due lo the constraint of time and effort, the study ouly investigates lhe Euplish aud Vietuancse syulactic struclures ou the levels of clauses and phrases LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Tables Table 1.
Clans pattcrns used in describing trends in American and British newspapers (p. Clause patterns used in describing trends im Northern and Southem Vietuamese newspapers (p. Verb phrase patierus used in describing Lends in English and Vieuumnese business articles (p. Noun phrase patterns used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles (p.
English premodifiers aud Vietnamese postmodifiers in comparison (p. Propositional phrasc patterns used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles (p. Adjective phrase patterns used in describing trends in English and Vietuamese business articles (p. Adverh phrase patterns nscd in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles (p.
Tigure 1, Clause pattems nsed in describing trends in Tinglish and Vietnamese business newspapers (p. Clause patterns used in describiag upward movement in English and Vietuamese newspapers (p. Clanse pattorns nso in describing downward movement in English and Vietnamese business newspapers (p. Clause patterns used in describing stability in English and Vietnamese articles (p.32) LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Tables Table 1.
Clans pattcrns used in describing trends in American and British newspapers (p. Clause patterns used in describing trends im Northern and Southem Vietuamese newspapers (p. Verb phrase patierus used in describing Lends in English and Vieuumnese business articles (p. Noun phrase patterns used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles (p.
English premodifiers aud Vietnamese postmodifiers in comparison (p. Propositional phrasc patterns used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles (p. Adjective phrase patterns used in describing trends in English and Vietuamese business articles (p. Adverh phrase patterns nscd in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles (p.
Tigure 1, Clause pattems nsed in describing trends in Tinglish and Vietnamese business newspapers (p. Clause patterns used in describiag upward movement in English and Vietuamese newspapers (p. Clanse pattorns nso in describing downward movement in English and Vietnamese business newspapers (p. Clause patterns used in describing stability in English and Vietnamese articles (p.32) The second part, Development, is the focus of the thesis, fo which most time and effort are devoted.
This part cousists of three chapters, In the first chapter, Literature Review, the wriler presents the theoretical background knowledge about contrastive analysis, syntax and syntactic structures, journalistic register and trend description in books and newspapers. These will serve as a springboard for the writer to dash into the exploration of the topic. The next chapter, A contrastive analysis of syntactic structures used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles, studies the syntactic structures Le. clauses and phrases used to describe changes in English and Victnamese business articles.
Similari s and differences are accordingly presented with a view to the data shown in charts and tables. ‘Ihe last chapter, Implications and recommendations is a practical application ove because the oulcome of the contrastive analysis will be used to improve English Vietnamese translation of lend description as woll ax helping students haw enhance their skills of describing charts and. graphs in English. Lastly, the Conclusion part includes a review of the study, some coucluding zemarks and suggestions for further research.
In addition, the syntactic strucnures uscd in describing trends play an integral part during the conrse of my Business Pnglish teaching at Vicmam National University, College of Lconomics. Course books like Business Linglish, Market Leader or iinglish for Business Communication contains activities such as writing reports, making presentations or describing chuls or graphs, which requires my students a cousiderable knowledge im using such structures tu produce correct aud appropriatc texts or ullcrances, English busine: Lickes, 10. my mind, can serve as a fertile land to be cultivated for the sake of describing trends. Teachers can employ business articles to design a lot of activities and exercises relating to describing changes Cor studeuls as the way Peter Grundy (1993) does in his resource book Newspapers.
Minally, it is my curiosity to explore the differences and similarities between syntactic structures used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles. Hor one thing, I could diagnose the difficulties ny sludents may encounter when usiug such structures due to language Wausference. Thus, remedies would be prescribed limely and properly. For the other, T hope to apply some of the findings into improving the accuracy and appropriateness in translation works.
Aims of the study This research is directed to accomplish three goals: - To investigate the syntactic suuctures used iu describing trendy in English and in Vieuramese from the perspective of traditional grammar - To make a contrastive analysis beFwecn English and Vietnamese syntactic strnctures used in describing trends in business articles to deduce their differences and similarities ‘Yo propose some pedagogical implications for better teaching and leaning of describing charls or graphs and some recommendations for more effective Lranstalion works 3. Scape of the study Due lo the constraint of time and effort, the study ouly investigates lhe Euplish aud Vietuancse syulactic struclures ou the levels of clauses and phrases The second part, Development, is the focus of the thesis, fo which most time and effort are devoted. This part cousists of three chapters, In the first chapter, Literature Review, the wriler presents the theoretical background knowledge about contrastive analysis, syntax and syntactic structures, journalistic register and trend description in books and newspapers. These will serve as a springboard for the writer to dash into the exploration of the topic.
The next chapter, A contrastive analysis of syntactic structures used in describing trends in English and Vietnamese business articles, studies the syntactic structures Le. clauses and phrases used to describe changes in English and Victnamese business articles. Similari s and differences are accordingly presented with a view to the data shown in charts and tables. ‘Ihe last chapter, Implications and recommendations is a practical application ove because the oulcome of the contrastive analysis will be used to improve English Vietnamese translation of lend description as woll ax helping students haw enhance their skills of describing charts and.
graphs in English. Lastly, the Conclusion part includes a review of the study, some coucluding zemarks and suggestions for further research. Rationale for the study As Heraclitus (540 BC 480 BC), a Greek philosopher, once said ‘nothing endures but change’, the world we live in today is the world of changes and development the world of ucnds. Il is therefore uccessary to keep pace with the flow of life everyday by gathering changeable information about that world, Here comes the indispensable role of mass media in general and newspapers in particular.
As ‘Tom Li. Dow Yate and Sherri ‘Vaylor (2001) remark in their book Scholastic Journalism “Immediacy ot timeliness is the most essential clement of most news” (p.8), thus we are updated, thanks to newspapers, with Latest news about stock markets, unemployment rate, trends of consumer spending or cases of bankruptcy somewhere in the world ete. Giveu thai English is an international language, there ae a vast umber of uewspapers printed iu English regardless of he countries of origin, Together wilh Camous newspapers im Auictica or Britain like Trternational Herald Tribute, Wall Street Tournal, Reuters, The Guardian ete., we also have Business Standard [rom India, China Daily from China, Vietnam News frou Vietnam, Business Day from South Attica and so on. ‘The domination of Huglish as a common language of newspapers is greater and greater, which has gradually heen cradicating our knowledge barriers, As a teacher of Business English, it is compulsory for me to read English newspapers, magazines or journals regularly, especially business ones in order to keep me updated and help me understand more about journalistic register.
What is more, I can cnrich my Business English voeabnlary and expressions as welll as cxploit a potential source of teaching materials. Consequently, my lessons can be more informative and lively. In fact, one of my concerns while meditating English business aiticles is the structures used in describing trends, ‘The upward and downward movements appear to be more and more interesting as I take further steps inlo investigating thous, The syntuctic structures sccm Lo be varied with a great deal of significant organizations. The flexible semantic features in English trend descriptions are worth being paid attention to as well.
There is a variety of words and expressions to denote the movements, which adds much color into a piece of news. The second part, Development, is the focus of the thesis, fo which most time and effort are devoted.