VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES wiles HÀ THỊ THỌ ANH IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS OF PLACES IN BRITISH ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE AS SEEN FROM CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE ( CÁCH DIỄN ĐẠT THÀNH NGỮ VỀ NƠI CHÓN TRONG TIẾNG ANH ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT NHÌN TỪ GÓC ĐỘ VĂN HÓA) MA MINOR THESIS Major: English Linguistics Code : 6022 15 Hanoi— 2011 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES wiles HA THI THO ANH IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS OF PLACES IN BRITISH ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE AS SEEN FROM CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE (CACH DIEN PAT THANH NGU' VE NOI CHON TRONG TIENG ANH ANH VẢ TIÊNG VIỆT NHÌN TỪ GÓC ĐỘ VĂN HÓA) MA MINOR THESIS Major: English Linguistics Code : 6022 15 Supervisor: Đỗ Thị Mai Thanh M.A Hanoi - 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration. Table of content. PART A: INTRODUCTION 1, Rationale .ssssnenninaneneinecinnnien nanan al 2. Aims of he SIMẦY,.
Scope of the study - - - - 2 4, Methods of the study.acsenmemuneneeinannues s3 5, Design of the stHỦY. caro wad PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER L.4 Culture and language 1.1 Culture and cultural values 4 1.2 Relation between language and culture iv 1.3 Idioms and their roles in communication.2 Idioms in the Ilght of semantics.2 Funelons oŸiđioms.3 Classification of idioms. Rationale: It is common knowledge that the language of each culture lies in its self similar and different cultural coneepts on many fields of life such as human values, attitude to life, bohavior standards, rcligious belicfs, customs and tradition, social conventions cte ‘As the special form of language, idioms not only help to enrich the language and culture, but it also reflects the social life. ‘[hus, the ability to understand idioms is important for the successfal communication, The difficult comprehension of language irr the form of idioms is more likely to lead to communication breakdown for those from different language communities than any other forms of verbal language.
Vailure to grasp the meanings of idioms ean impinge upon an individual’s understanding of language i social, academic and business settings. In order to enhance the success of communication, the study of the relationship between the idioms and cultures is significant and promising In British and Vielnarnes ¢ culture and language, idioms arc of great imporlance for its common use and iis figurative way of expressing the ideas. The idioms banefit people in communication thanks to the provision with the way of cxpressing concepts linguistically, that is the ability to convey meanings without verboseness, It can be said that idioms bring the color and vitality for the language and the vividness and depth for the speaker’s speech. Knowing how to use idioms effectively in the right situation is becoming erucial for all the speakers of English.
From the font of cultural view, it becomes easy and interesting to come to know the meaning of the idioms because British English and Vietnamese idioms themselves ars crucial and active part of culture. They play a greal tole of relaining, passing traditional cutlure down to ths nex! generation, reflecting people's typical cultural factors and they will conti ne their prog ive influcnce on poople’s seal Hifs Traditionally, the study of idiomatic cxpressions has been associated with the study of literature, the use of idioms is the genius of national language that helps learners know more about the language, custom and culture of the countries all over the world, In communication, the presence of idiomatic expressions has formed the academic manner of speaking, ‘The idioms of any languages makes a great contribution to the speciality of that language and also indicates the cultural values of the language because idioms often originated from the social life ar original literature such as wars, festivals, celebrations, movies and the Bible vi 2.1 Idiomatic expressions containing the geographical names - eel 2.2 Idiomatic expressions containing the word ‘ house und home”.3 Iđiomalic expressions conlsining the word ‘earth’ 35 2. 4 Idiomatic expressions containing the word: sea/ oceaniriver .4 Summary PART €: CONCLUSION số. Suggestions for further study.
Appendi PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 1.4 Culture and language 1.1 Culture and cultural values There have boon various notions of culture, bul lo make it simple to got tha ideas of culture, according to Goodenough (1957, 167), the term culture is used in the sense of whatever a person must know in order to function in a particular society. Porter and Sumovar (1994; 12) also dlarified thal culture docs not nahwally come inte the peopls’s mind, memibers of the culture adapt the patterns of behavior, ways of thingking and build their attitude, beliefs ete fully part of their personality by absorbing them through repeated experience or cxposure, The power and influence of these perceptions can be scen in the ways in which people acquire culture, Culture is transmitted ftom generation to generation, people use various forms of communication: spoken words, written words, non verbal actions to pass on the content and pallerns of the culturs im order lo spread culture. As with communication, culture has been evolving and thus can produce changes in the process of invention. Also, every culture presents a limited choice of behavior patterns from the infinite patiams of human cxperiencs.
This sofsetion is made according lo the basic assumptions and values that are meaningful to each culture. In other words, culture detines the bounderies of different cultural groups Every culture owns jis cuttwal values that arc global and abstract. The cultural -valucs identify what should be judecd as good or cvil in order to give rules for behaviors in specific situations. Different cultures reflect different values and cultural values seem to have changed, affecting the beliefs, and attitudes of most members of a culture and society.
Cultural values have becn characterised in different ways but th often include: historical value, social value, spiritual value, symbolic value and aesthetic value. Specifically, historical value is a concepl resting on particular viewpoinis of history and presents a special relationship with the past; social value concerns different places or things that tend to make connections between people and to reinforce a sense of unity and identity; symbolic value is simply understood as the repositories of meaning; aesthetic value is considered a highly problematic arca of enquiry involving dispute nol anly about whal is beautifill but also about who has the power and authority to take decisions about what is beautifid and spiritual value addresses aspects of the religious, the numinous and the sublime (www.co-uk) In conclusion, culture and cultural values, in anthropology, are the patterns of behavior, beliefs, languages, rituals, art, religion and attitude etc that people living in social groups have created, shared and experienced. Cullure distinguishes one human group from others and also distinguishes humans from other animals. Cultural values are generated and exist in a culture and society as a measure for all social and cultural ativities and thus they are considered an important dalerminan! of a nation and soviely.2 Relalionship between Language and culture The relationship bslwecn language and cullore has boon inerrclated in the that language is used to maintam and convey culture and cultural ties.
In the book “Language and Culture” Kramsch (1998: 3) states “language is the principle means whereby we conduct our social lives. When it is used in contexts of communication, it is bound up with culture in multiple and complex ways” According lo the author, the language people use in communication express facts, ideas or events and reflect the people's attitude and beliefs, their point of view, which share the same cultural and social features. Also, through language, the cxpericnec of a social community is variously ercated and presented The members of a social community make a great contribution to the lamguage through the medium they choose ta communicate. The way in which peuple use different forms of communication; written or verbal and non-verbal medium creates meanings for the language of the community.
Consequently, thanks to all the verbal and nonverbal aspects of the language, it is found that language embodies and represents cultural reality. In addition, language pos cultural vatucs and consists afa complox system of sign through which people use language as a symbol of the social community and culture to identify themselves in the communication. ‘hus, it can be said that language expres s the eullural identity. In general, language and culture have always heen in existence together and reinforced each other.
The relationship between them is so closely linked that separation is impossible, in other words, it is difficult to master the language without the knowledge of the culture. ‘he list of British English and Vietnamese idiomatic expressions will be found in the appendix as the illustrations. Methods of the study: This is a comparative and contrastive study. Therefore, the strategic methods used are qualitalive and quantitative ones which are conducted by carefully collecting and referring to materials fiom various sources to have full-blown information of idioms and its cultural background in general.
‘The good choice of fifty idiomatic expressions in Vicinan cand filly idiomatic expressions in British English will be carcfully amalysed and examined to see the similarities and differences between the two cultures and languages. ‘'he author’s own experience in communication and cultural awareness will be rolerred io as way of calogorizing the field 5. Design of the study: The study is divided into three main parts: Part A gives a general introduction and stated the reasons, aims and ways for carrying out the study. Part B includss two chapters, Chapter 1 deals with the theoretical background on cultwe and idioms in British English and Vietnamese.
Also, the influence of the two cultures on idiomatic expressions of places will he laken inlo account. Chapler 2 mainly provides a careful analysis of idiomatic expressions of places in British English and Vietnamese concerning the similarities and differences in the aspect of local specification. ‘The last part, conclusion concerns with the summaries of main points, the implication and same suggestions for further study. beautifid and spiritual value addresses aspects of the religious, the numinous and the sublime (www.co-uk) In conclusion, culture and cultural values, in anthropology, are the patterns of behavior, beliefs, languages, rituals, art, religion and attitude etc that people living in social groups have created, shared and experienced.
Cullure distinguishes one human group from others and also distinguishes humans from other animals. Cultural values are generated and exist in a culture and society as a measure for all social and cultural ativities and thus they are considered an important dalerminan! of a nation and soviely.2 Relalionship between Language and culture The relationship bslwecn language and cullore has boon inerrclated in the that language is used to maintam and convey culture and cultural ties. In the book “Language and Culture” Kramsch (1998: 3) states “language is the principle means whereby we conduct our social lives. When it is used in contexts of communication, it is bound up with culture in multiple and complex ways” According lo the author, the language people use in communication express facts, ideas or events and reflect the people's attitude and beliefs, their point of view, which share the same cultural and social features.
Also, through language, the cxpericnec of a social community is variously ercated and presented The members of a social community make a great contribution to the lamguage through the medium they choose ta communicate. The way in which peuple use different forms of communication; written or verbal and non-verbal medium creates meanings for the language of the community. Consequently, thanks to all the verbal and nonverbal aspects of the language, it is found that language embodies and represents cultural reality. In addition, language pos cultural vatucs and consists afa complox system of sign through which people use language as a symbol of the social community and culture to identify themselves in the communication.
‘hus, it can be said that language expres s the eullural identity.
