University of Canberra This thesis is available in print format from the University of Canberra Library If you are the author of this thesis and wish to have the whole thesis loaded here, please contact the University of Canberra Library at e-theses@canberra.edu.au Your thesis will then be available on the www providing greater access LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA FACULTY OF EDUCATION TESOL CENTRE A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY ON THE WAY IN WHICH SPEAKERS OF VIETNAMESE AND SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH ISSUE, ACCEPT AND DECLINE SPOKEN INVITATIONS By: DANG THI HUONG A Study Project Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (TESOL) in the University of Canberra (month) (year) LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Ms Helen Kirkpatrick, Lecturer of TESOL Centre, Faculty of Education, University of Canberra for her precious guidance, assistance, and encouragement during the writing of this field study report My sincere thanks also go to all the Staff of The TESOL Centre, University of Canberra, especially Dr P Denham, Director of The TESOL Centre and, Ms Ursula Nixon, Lecturer of The TESOL Centre, and Ms Leonie Cottrill, Lecturer of The TESOL Centre, for their useful suggestions and help I am grateful to my colleagues, Vietnamese G Dip and ELICOS students for their involvement in my research work LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com V ABSTRACT "In its primitive uses , language functions as a link in concerted human activity, as a piece of human behaviour It is a mode of action and not an instrument of reflection" (Malinowski 1923) In this field study report, the author investigates behaviour associated with inviting in order to see if there is any effect on the language used across cultures due to factors such as status, age, gender in actual social interactions Chapter one gives a brief introduction to the important role of the English Language in the world in general, and in Vietnam nowadays in particular, and a review of Teaching Methods which have been used in Vietnam so far Chapter two will deal with the theoretical background, language competences including linguistic competence, sociolinguistic competence and communicative competence In addition, speech act theory , face work, distance, power in relation to status, age and gender as well as reviews research on the differences between spoken and written are also discussed Chapter three defines the structure of an invite with its social and cultural characteristics focussing on the natural structure of a spoken invitation LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com V Chapter four describes research and data analysis of the issuing, accepting and declining of spoken invitations used by Vietnamese speakers of Vietnamese (VSV) Chapter five contains the data analysis of the issuing, accepting and declining of spoken invitations used by Australian speakers of English (ASE) Chapter six discusses the comparison of Vietnamese and Australian spoken invitations, the main difference being found in the use of much more direct forms used in VSV as opposed to more tentative forms preferred by ASEs Directness of form, however, does not reflect a lack of politeness, which is conveyed to a much larger extent by other prosodic and paralinguistic features Chapter seven is a brief cross-cultural investigation of the spoken invitations of Vietnamese learners speaking English This shows up a degree of cross-cultural interference and offers some implications for the classroom Chapter eight contains a summary and conclusion The results of the study may suggest that Vietnamese learners of English need to be taught not only linguistic competence but also communicative competence with an emphasis on cultural and social factors Spoken invitations which really have some function in actual interactions need to be incorporated in the program for teaching spoken English LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VII TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Acknowledgements IV Abstract V Table of contents VII List of abbreviations XI INTRODUCTION 1 English as an International Language 12 The role of English in Vietnam 1 English Teaching in Vietnam Problems of Vietnamese speakers of English Aims of the study 1.6 Investigations THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 2.2 The meaning of competence 2.1.1 Linguistic competence 2.1.2 Communicative competence 2.1.3 Social and cultural competence 10 Speech Acts 12 2.2.1 Direct speech acts and indirect speech acts 13 2.2.2 Speech acts in discourse 15 Factors affecting degrees of formality 16 2.3.1 16 Politeness 2.3.1.1 Distance and power 19 2.3.1.2 Politeness in the Vietnamese Culture 21 2.3.2 Age 23 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VII 2.4 25 Spoken and Written Language 27 SOCIAL INTERACTION AND INVITATIONS 3.1 3.2 2.3.3 Gender The Nature of Invitations 33 3.1.1 33 Invitations as social rituals 3.1.2 The nature of invitations 34 The structure of an invitation 36 3.2.1 Issuing invitations 37 3.2.2 Accepting invitations 39 3.2.3 Declining invitations 42 RESEARCH METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS OF VIETNAMESE SPOKEN INVITATIONS 4.1 Research methods 46 4.1.1 Written invitations 46 4.1.2 Questionnaires 46 4.1.3 Role play 47 4.1.4 Subjects 48 4.2 Results: Formal written invitations 4.3 Results: Spoken invitations by Vietnamese to Vietnamese 4.3.1 Issuing spoken invitations 49 52 52 a) Reasons for issuing invitations 52 b) The people to whom invitations are issued 53 c) The channel 53 d) The structure of the invitation 53 4.3.2 Accepting invitations 56 4.3.3 Declining invitations 61 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com IX 3.4 Problems with invitations a) Self- Invitations 64 b) Pseudo-invitations 66 c) Non- invitations 67 d) Who pays ? 67 4.3.5 Age , status and gender 68 DATA ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN SPOKEN INVITATIONS 5.1 5.2 Issuing spoken invitations 69 a) Reasons for issuing invitations 69 b) The people to whom invitations are issued 69 c) The channel 70 d) The structure of the invitation 71 Responses to spoken invitations 75 5.2.1 Accepting invitations 75 5.2.2 78 5.3 5.4 64 Declining invitations Problems with Invitations 81 a) Self-invitations 81 b) Pseudo-invitations 81 c) Non-invitations 82 d) Who pays? 82 Status, age and gender 83 COMPARISON OF VIETNAMESE AND AUSTRALIAN SPOKEN INVITATIONS 6.1 Issuing spoken invitations 84 a) Reasons for issuing invitations 84 b) The people to whom invitations are issued 84 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com X c) The structure of the invitation 85 6.2 Issuing invitations 85 6.3 Accepting invitations 86 6.4 Declining invitations 87 6.5 Status, age and gender 88 CROSS CULTURAL STUDY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM 7.1 Introduction 90 7.2 Invitations by Vietnamese Speakers of English 90 7.2.1 Issuing invitations 90 7.2.2 Accepting invitations 92 7.2.3 Declining invitations 93 7.2.4 Discussion of results 94 CONCLUSION 8.1 Review of the study 96 8.2 Suggestions for the teaching methods 96 8.3 Conclusion 98 BIBLIOGRAPHY 99 APPENDICES 107 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com XI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ASE ELICOS Australian speakers of English English language Intensive course for Overseas Students F Female FTA Face threatening act G Dip Graduate Diploma H hearer HOC Hearer orientation concern Ll First language L2 Second/foreign language M male NS native speaker NNS non-native speaker S Speaker TA term of address TESOL Teaching English to speakers of other languages VSE Vietnamese speakers of English VSV Vietnamese speakers of Vietnamese LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ...UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA FACULTY OF EDUCATION TESOL CENTRE A CROSS- CULTURAL STUDY ON THE WAY IN WHICH SPEAKERS OF VIETNAMESE AND SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH ISSUE, ACCEPT AND DECLINE SPOKEN INVITATIONS By: DANG... Chapter four describes research and data analysis of the issuing, accepting and declining of spoken invitations used by Vietnamese speakers of Vietnamese (VSV) Chapter five contains the data analysis... analysis of the issuing, accepting and declining of spoken invitations used by Australian speakers of English (ASE) Chapter six discusses the comparison of Vietnamese and Australian spoken invitations,