VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES *** *** LÊ THỊ THU HÀ AN AMERICAN – VIETNAMESE CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF TEACHERS’ USE OF NONVERBAL CUES IN CLASS (Nghiên cứu giao văn hoá về việc sử dụng các hiện tố phi ngôn từ trên lớp của giáo viên Mỹ và Việt) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60.01 Hanoi, 2014 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES *** *** LÊ THỊ THU HÀ AN AMERICAN – VIETNAMESE CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF TEACHERS’ USE OF NONVERBAL CUES IN CLASS (Nghiên cứu giao văn hoá về việc sử dụng các hiện tố phi ngôn từ trên lớp của giáo viên Mỹ và Việt) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60. Nguyễn Quang, Ph.
Hanoi, 2014 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com i ORIGINALITY OF STUDY PROJECT REPORT I certify my authority of the Study Project Report submitted entitled An American-Vietnamese cross-cultural study of teachers’ use of nonverbal cues in class Nghiên cứu giao văn hóa về việc sử dụng các hiện tố phi ngôn từ trên lớp của giáo viên Mỹ và Việt In fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts 15th July, 2014 Lê Thị Thu Hà TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Nguyễn Quang, Ph., who has given me the benefit of his wisdom, advice and patience, and made valuable suggestions and precious critical comments that helped me to carry out this study. Besides, my special thanks go to all of my lecturers and teachers at the Department of Postgraduate Studies for their great supports in the whole course of my study. I am also indebted to my family and my close friend, without their whole- hearted encouragement, I would not finish my study.
Last but not least, I wish to express my thanks to all the American and Vietnamese teachers and students who enthusiastically help me complete my study. TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com iii ABSTRACT This study reviews the theoretical background, which explains the important role of nonverbal behavior in communication, especially in teaching and learning, and compares the use of major nonverbal cues between American teachers of English and Vietnamese teachers of English when interacting with their Vietnamese students. The areas under investigation include eye contact, hand gestures and facial expressions which are most readily observable. The findings of the study briefly answer the questions how often the American and Vietnamese teachers of English use these nonverbal cues, in which specific situations, and their students‟ attitude to them.
To collect data for the study, survey questionnaires and video-recorded observations were employed. Data from survey questionnaire serve as input for data analysis and the other source just provides supplementing information to make sure whether data from the survey are valid or not. Finally, implications for practical teaching are given. TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1: Frequencies of using eye contact by American and Vietnamese teachers of English.
25 Table 2: Frequencies of using hand gestures by American and Vietnamese teachers of English. 31 Table 3: Frequencies of using facial expressions by American and Vietnamese teachers of English. Ferrando’s definition of culture. Levine and Adelman’s definition of culture.
Nguyen Quang’s flowchart of communication. 7 Figure 4: Nguyen Quang’s flowchart of nonverbal communication. 12 Figure 5: Eye contact by American teachers of English in specific situations. 27 Figure 6: Eye contact by Vietnamese teachers of English in specific situations.
27 Figure 7: Students’ attitudes to their teachers’ eye contact. 29 Figure 8: Gestures by American teachers of English in specific situations. 32 Figure 9: Gestures by Vietnamese teachers of English in specific situations. 32 Figure 10: Students’ attitudes to their teachers’ hand gestures.
34 Figure 11: Facial expressions by American teachers of English in specific situations 37 Figure 12: Facial expressions by Vietnamese teachers of English in specific situations. 37 Figure 13: Students’ attitudes to their teachers’ facial expressions. 39 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 v TABLE OF CONTENTS ORIGINALITY OF STUDY PROJECT REPORT. iii PART A: INTRODUCTION.
Objectives of the study and research questions. Scope of the study. Structure of the study. 5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW.
WHAT IS CULTURE?. WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?. Elements of communication. CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION.
The importance of nonverbal communication. Functions of nonverbal communication. Classification of nonverbal communication. PREVIOUS RELATED STUDIES.
In the world. 13 CHAPTER 2: NONVERBAL CUES. Nature and importance of eye contact. 15 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.
Nature and importance of hand gestures. Nature and importance of facial expressions. Data collection instruments. Data collection procedure and analysis.
23 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS. Similarities and differences. Similarities and differences. Similarities and differences.
41 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Limitations of the study. Suggestions for further study. 45 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.
Rationale It is undeniable that people express emotions and attitudes through nonverbal cues more visually than through verbal cues in communication. However, nonverbal cues are used differently in different cultures. Therefore, when people from different cultural backgrounds come into contact, there always exists misunderstanding because of misinterpretation of others‟ nonverbal cues in communication. In class, teachers of English interact with their students in the ways thought as “appropriate” in their culture.
They teach, talk and explain to their students in their own verbal and nonverbal ways. Cultural factors clearly affect both teachers and students. It has been observed that the teachers might appear encouraging or discouraging, depending much on whether the students take their teachers‟ nonverbal cues positively or negatively. Therefore, the researcher conducts this study to see how and how often nonverbal cues are used in classrooms at Vietnam Maritime University and Haiphong Private University and how the performance of these cues is perceived by the students.
Objectives of the study and research questions The objectives of the study are: a. To study how selected nonverbal cues are used by American and Vietnamese teachers of English in class b. To compare the use of selected nonverbal cues by American and Vietnamese teachers of English. From those objectives, the following research questions are raised: 1- How often are selected nonverbal cues used by American and Vietnamese teachers of English in class? TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 2 2- To what extent are the American teachers of English different from the Vietnamese teachers of English in using the selected nonverbal cues in the particular situations in class? 3- What are the students‟ attitudes to their teachers‟ nonverbal cues? 3.
Scope of the study With the constraints of a minor thesis, the researcher just mentions the three main types of nonverbal cues by American and Vietnamese teachers of English in class, which are eye contact, hand gestures and facial expressions. Moreover, the study is limited in comparing how often the selected American and Vietnamese teachers of English use these nonverbal cues in class. The study is conducted in areas of classroom interaction between American and Vietnamese teachers of English with their Vietnamese students at Vietnam Maritime University and Haiphong Private University. Methodology Methods This research resorts to mixed methods.
Survey questionnaires will be mainly employed to collect data from informants. In addition, observation will also be used for the consolidation of data collected. Participants The study is conducted at 10 English classes, at Vietnam Maritime University and Haiphong Private University. 200 students are taught by both American and Vietnamese teachers.
There are 10 native English teachers and 10 Vietnamese teachers. Procedures Step 1: giving the teachers questionnaires about their nonverbal behaviors in teaching to identify some main nonverbal cues they often use in class TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 3 Step 2: giving the students questionnaires about their attitudes to these common nonverbal cues Step 3: conducting observations The participants are observed in classroom by recording videos. The observations are conducted during a usual teaching period (45 minutes) and cover the following situations: (1) The teacher is teaching/ giving instructions (2) Students are making noise/ doing private things (3) Students are raising questions (4) Students are answering teacher’s questions …. Observations are carried out with the minimum of disruption to class teaching and time frames.
This step aims at checking if there is any disagreement between teachers and students‟ answers. Structure of the study The study is structured as follows Part A: Introduction 1. Objectives of the study and research questions 3. Scope of the study 4.
Structure of the study TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 4 Part B: Development Chapter 1: Literature review Chapter 2: Nonverbal cues Chapter 3: Methodology Chapter 4: Findings and discussions Part C: Conclusion 1. Limitations of the study 4. Suggestions for further study TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 5 PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1. WHAT IS CULTURE? Ferrando , cited in Nguyen Quang ( 2008: 27), believes that “Culture is everything that people have, think and do as a member of a society” Figure 1.
Ferrando’s definition of culture Levine and Adelman‟s iceberg of culture (1993: 58) state that: “Culture is like an iceberg, much of the influence of culture on an individual can hardly be seen but strongly be felt. The visible part of culture does not always create cross-cultural difficulties. The hidden aspects of culture exercise a strong influence on one’s behavior and interactions with others. Levine and Adelman’s definition of culture TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 6 However, as given by UNESCO (World Conference on Cultural Policies, Mexico City, 1982) and widely accepted by its members: “Culture is the complex whole of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterize a society or social group.
It includes not only arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs.” In the light of cross-cultural communication, Nguyen Quang‟s (2008) definition of culture is strongly justified. According to him (2008: 33), “Culture is the complex whole of tangible and intangible expressions that are created and adapted by a society or a social group as well as the ways it functions and reacts in given situations; this helps distinguish one society or social group from another not only in terms of the availability of those expressions and behaviours, but also in terms of their proportionality and manifestability. WHAT IS COMMUNICATION? 1. Definition Communication, culture, and the correlation between them have become an interesting topic for many researchers.
Communication, might be simply understood as a tool to link people to people, countries to countries within demonstration of their own cultures through process of sending and receiving messages. However, the definitions of this concept should be clearly explained. Saundra Hybels and Richard L.Weaver H (1992:5) state that: “Communication is any process in which people share information, ideas, and feelings that involve not only the spoken and written words but also body language, personal mannerism and style, the surrounding and things that add meaning to a message”. This definition seems to cover both “ the how” and “the what” of communication.
TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 7 In terms of communication components, Nguyen Quang (2008:44) develops a flowchart of communication that is well appreciated and widely cited. Nguyen Quang’s flowchart of communication 1. Elements of communication Communication is made up of various elements. According to Hybels and Weaver (1992: 6) they are: senders and receivers, messages, channels, noise, feedback, and setting.
TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.111 8 Senders - Receivers Communication is known as two-way process: sending and receiving. To communicate, the senders create their messages by using verbal as well as nonverbal techniques.