VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRỊNH THỊ VIỆT HƢƠNG TÓM TẮT LUẬN VĂN USE OF ADDRESSING FORMS TO EXPRESS INFORMALITY IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE (SỬ DỤNG CÁC TỪ XƢNG HÔ ĐỂ THỂ HIỆN TÍNH KHÔNG NGHI THỨC TRONG TIẾNG ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT) M. MINOR THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 602215 HANOI, 2011 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TRỊNH THỊ VIỆT HƢƠNG USE OF ADDRESSING FORMS TO EXPRESS INFORMALITY IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE (SỬ DỤNG CÁC TỪ XƢNG HÔ ĐỂ THỂ HIỆN TÍNH KHÔNG NGHI THỨC TRONG TIẾNG ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT) M. MINOR THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 602215 Supervisor: Ths. Nguyễn Thúy Hƣơng HANOI, 2011 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com iv TABLE OF CONTENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHAPTER: INTRODUCTION.
Statement of problem and rationale. Aims and objectives:. Significance of the study:. Structure of the thesis :.
2 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .1 Culture, language and communication. Addressing forms and their definitions. Features of addressing forms. Factors affecting the choice of addressing forms.
The use of addressing terms to express informality in English and Vietnamese .1 The concept of informality. The use of addressing forms to express informality in English 11 2. The use of addressing forms to express informality in Vietnamese .12 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com v CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY. Research questions revisited .2 Selection of participants.
Data collection instruments. Data collection procedures. 17 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSTIONS. Results of the study.
Discussion of the findings. Major similarities and differences between Vietnamese and English languages and culture in using AFs to express informality32 4. Implications for English language teaching ………………………………. Findings of the study revisited.
Limitations of the study. 38 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………39 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AFs: ……………Addressing forms M: …………….Male F: …………… Female T: …………… Title alone TLN: ………… Title with last name (TLN): E. Clinton … LN: ……………Last name alone … FN: …………. First name MNs: ………….Multiple names P: ………………Pronouns F: …………….
First name terms T: ……………. Nick name Bt: …………….Bare title E: ………………Terms of endearment D: ………………Demonstrative words ELT …………… English language teaching TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com vii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES FIGURES Figure1: Vietnamese respondents’ information Figure 2: English respondents’ division Figure 3: English respondents’ information TABLES Table 1: Different addressing forms that may be used to express informality in Vietnamese Table 2: Different relations in which addressing forms can be used to express informality in Vietnamese Table 3: Different settings in which addressing forms can be used to express informality in Vietnamese Table 4: The frequency with which addressing forms can be used to express informality in Vietnamese Table 5: Different factors that can affect the choice of addressing forms to express informality in Vietnamese Table 6: The level influence of the factors on the choice of AFs in Vietnamese Table 7: Different addressing forms that may be used to express informality in English Table 8: Different relations in which addressing forms can be used to express informality in English Table 9: Different settings in which addressing forms can be used to express informality in English Table 10: The frequency with which addressing forms can be used to express informality in English Table 11: Different factors that can affect the choice of addressing forms to express informality in English. Table 12: The level influence of the factors on the choice of AFs in English TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 1 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Statement of problem and rationale In communication using a appropriate addressing forms is the first step to a successful conversation. How people address each other is not only a matter of creating intimate atmosphere but also the aspect of social and culture expression.
One important issue in studying communication is to learn how individuals manage to open conversations or how people may address one another in a given language. English users (not native speaker) are faced with different factors that make them feel unconfident when learning and using English especially when using addressing forms. In an attempt to decrease learners‟ errors especially students‟ errors in using addressing forms, the researcher aims to find out the similarities and differences in the use of addressing forms in informal way as well as the factors that affect the choice of addressing forms in Vietnamese and English speaking cultures. Aims and objectives: The aims of the study are: - To investigate major similarities and differences in using addressing forms in English and Vietnamese and the factors that affects the choice of addressing forms in the two cultures.
- To suggest some implications for ELT about AFs between English and Vietnamese in order to help learners of English avoid misunderstandings and miscommunication in cross-culture communication. Research questions In short the paper is going to answer two research questions as follow: 1. What are the major similarities and differences in using addressing forms to express informality in English and Vietnamese? 2. What are the factors that affect the choice of AFs in two cultures? TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.
Research methodology The study begins by providing the theoretical background with viewpoints of various authors concerning the issue. These different viewpoints are dealt with in two ways: - Bringing the viewpoints and then giving discussion - Briefly analyzing these viewpoints. In order to achieve the aims of the study, the main method is quantitative which is mainly relies on: Review of relevant literature Survey questionnaire Statistics, description and analysis of the collected data Personal observation Consultation with the supervisor 1. Significance of the study The study is hoped to be a useful source for both pedagogical and research purpose.
Specifically, equipped by the outcomes of the study, language teachers and learners may find the subject matter no longer complicated but motivating uses of AFs to express informality in English so that English learners can understand deeply addressing forms and can be confident in using addressing forms successfully. Structure of the thesis The thesis consists of five chapters, organized as follows: Chapter one is written to introduce the background to the study and statement of the problems. It also presents the aims, the research questions, research methodology, significance of the study and the design of the thesis. Chapter two presents a review of theoretical background that is relevant to the study.
It presents the definitions and discusses the relation of culture, language and communication. All key terms of addressing forms and informality as well as some common features and factors affecting the choice of addressing forms are also mentioned TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 3 Chapter Three states the methodology used in the study. Therefore, research questions are revisited, the information about subjects, the data collection instruments, the data collection procedures and the data analysis. Chapter Four discusses the outcome of the data analysis.
Chapter Five is the conclusion to the thesis. TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Culture, language and communication Culture, language and communication are the three concepts that are closely related. Before being examined in the relationships with the others, each is expected to be perceived in a thorough way. In the first place should be the concept of culture.
Social scientists have been interested in culture and how it influences people for years. Over the years there have been many different definitions of culture, with similarities as well as differences. Culture influences all aspects of our lives. We use culture to explain similarities within and differences between groups of people (Tooby & Cosmides, 1992).
Culture is not a static entity, but is ever-evolving; what we commonly know as “the generation gap” is a cultural difference as it refers to different ways of life and being for people who are raised in different periods of time (Pipher, 1998). Richard et al, (1992, 138) give clear definition of culture and point out some problems in culture between people of different background: “culture is the total sets of beliefs, attitudes, customs, behavior, social habits of the members of a particular society” Referring to culture, Harrison and Huntington (2000) comment sophisticatedly: “The term „culture‟, of course, has had multiple meaning in different disciplines and different context” (p.15) Culture is also defined in a broader sense by Triandis (1994) as follows: “… a set of human – made objective and subjective elements that in the past have increased the probability of survival and resulted in satisfaction for the participants in an ecological niche, and thus become shared among those who could communicate with each other because they had a common language and they live in the same time and place” Obviously, there are many ways to define culture. Culture, in short, can be comprehended as a shared learned behavior that is transmitted from one generation to TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 5 another independently of biological genes, for the purpose of promoting individual and social survival, adaptation and growth and development. However, one point noticeable from the definition by the above mentioned scholars is that the majority of them see the concept of “culture” from perspective of another concept, which is “communication”.
“Communication” as defined by Richard (et al.1992:64) is the exchange of ideas, information, etc between two or more persons. Communication is an effective tool for people to cooperate with each other in the process of development. Samovar (2007), in his study, shows that “human communication is the process through which individuals-in relationships, group, organization, and societies-respond to and create messages and adapt to the environment and one another” (p. Both scholars see communication as an exchanging process which creates a common ground (as the outcomes of the process) understood by all concerned.
Like the flawless transition, culture and communication intertwine with each other and it is easy to conceive that culture is communication and communication is culture. In a sense, cultures are the “residue” of social communication. Without communication and communication media, it would be impossible to preserve and pass along cultural characteristics from one place and time to another. One can say, therefore, that culture is created, shaped, transmitted, and learned through communication.
The reverse is also the case; that is, communication practices are largely created, shaped, and transmitted by culture. Considering the opinion of Smith (1966), he states that: “In modern society, different people communicate in different way, as do people in different societies in the world; and the way people communicate is the way they live. It is their culture. Who talks with whom, How, And about what? These are questions of communication and culture… When the elements of culture differ or change.
Communication and culture are inseparable.” (p1) Undoubtedly, the exact nature of relationship between communication and culture is a very complex and intimate one. However everything a person experiences is perceived TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com 6 within the conceptual and grammatical perspective of that person's language. People can never understand the impact this has on their thinking until they learn a completely different language. It is undeniable that the relationship between communication and culture is intertwined and the relationship between language and culture, according to Samovar and many previous scholars is interwoven relationship.
Commenting on the relationship between language and culture Nida (1998:29) holds the view that language and culture are two language items symbolic systems. Everything we say in language has meanings, designative or sociative, denotative or connotative. Every language form we use has meanings, carries meanings that are not in the same sense because it is associated with culture and culture is more extensive than language.‟ People of different cultures can refer to different things while using the same language forms.