INTRODUCTION
Rationale for the study
Up to now, English is one of the most widely used languages in the world In Vietnam, the number of schools and universities teaching English as a target and compulsory subject has increased with every passing year Moreover, due to the need for integrating into the world, especially since the open door policy, more and more people learn English However, the differences between English and Vietnamese cause various problems for Vietnamese learners of English in the process of mastering English Many of these problems are caused by English idioms Idioms are embodiment of culture They are language essence and the most difficult part to handle with, which involve a country‘s history, geography, local conditions, customs and cultural background Thus you cannot understand idioms correctly without the held of the cultural context, which in turn requires that learners have the knowledge of the culture Both English and Vietnamese are expressive languages, which are very rich in idiomatic expressions Therefore, it is greatly necessary to make use of the cultural knowledge while learning English idioms
Obviously, English idioms is a flexible and difficult aspect that even native speakers cannot master well Thus, it is necessary to take this into consideration I myself think that it is very interesting to research all types of idioms but because of the limitation of graduation paper, I only focus on “An English-Vietnamese Cross-Cultural Study of Idioms With Colors and Its Implications to ELT” , which impresses me most because cultural approach can help achieve more accurate and lively study and learning This urges me much to try to do this research that may be helpful to some Vietnamese learners who wish to use them exactly
In summary, it is the importance of English language and correct use of English idioms in successful communication, and the difficulties in using idioms with colors by which my research is motivated Moreover, the wish to help Vietnamese students be aware of the necessity in using idioms with colors in mastering English and to improve their language four skills has been constantly encouraging my choice of this study.
Scope of the study
My study concentrates on “An English-Vietnamese Cross-Cultural Study of Idioms With Colors and Its Implications to ELT” with Vietnamese learners of English and a small comparison between Vietnamese learners and English native speakers In this study, colors and idioms with colors shall be investigated through cross-cultural aspect
However, Vietnamese people learning English are various in age, purpose, occupations, etc Therefore, the study is mainly concerned with the Vietnamese first year students at CFL-VNU and some English native speakers.
Objectives of the study
In communication, the most important goals for foreign language learners are understanding and expressing one‘s points of view To reach these goals, learners not only need to master vocabulary, grammar but also the sound patterns of idioms A good knowledge of idioms that can help them fulfill this
Having witnessed and personally faced difficulties in using English idioms with colors, my study, therefore, is aimed to raise some useful suggestions to learners of English in avoiding communication breakdown The purposes of the study are hereunder:
1 To provide the theoretical review of English idioms and a specification is given to English idioms with colors
2 To show how well Vietnamese students are exposed to English idioms in general and English idioms with colors in particular, and how they practice, use them in mastering English Also, it points out wrong interpretations that are usually encountered and made by students when using English idioms with colors, at the same time, seeks the sources of such mistakes
3 To supply some suggested implications for teaching and learning method, and some activities and exercises that can be useful for practicing English idioms with colors in teaching and learning process, contributing to improve ability of using English idioms with colors.
Methodology of the study
During the completion of the study, both the quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in order to gather reliable and sufficient information and data Quantitative data are numeric information that is subject to statistical analysis, and qualitative data are text-based information that provides descriptive details, collected from interviews and observations
Specifically, the major methods are studying on reference materials and collecting useful knowledge and theories Besides, conducting survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews along with observation are some other methods of the study
Idioms are a class of multi-word units ―which pose a challenge to our understanding of grammar and lexis that has not yet been fully met‖ (Fellbaum et al., 2006:349) They are commonly believed to be qualitatively different from ―normal‖ language, but the precise nature of this difference can be elusive Even amongst idiom scholars, it is difficult to find a consensus as to what precisely is, or is not, an idiom, because of the heterogeneity of the class
There is widespread agreement on one general principle: an idiom is an institutionalized expression whose overall meaning does not correspond to the combined meanings of its component parts However, this criterion can be said to apply to a wide range of phrase-ological structures, such as collocations, formulaic greetings, clichés, and other conventionalized expressions which, although idiomatic to some extent, are not idioms in the strict sense The challenge for idiom researchers is therefore to formulate a definition which is flexible enough to conclude all known idioms, yet exclude non-idioms such as those mentioned above
Current psycholinguistic views support the argument in favour of considering idiom as a type of ―long word‖ whose meaning is accessed directly, and not through prior decomposition or analysis of the constituents (Gibbs 1994, 2002) On the other hand, when an idiom is encountered for the very first time, language users have no choice but to decipher its meaning from the meaning of constituents, they usually do so by taking into account the most salient, or prominent, meanings first (Giora 1997, 2002; Peleg & Giora
2001) That this tactic enjoys a limited success rate is due to the difficulty in identifying which meaning of polysemous components is relevant, and the extent to which the idiom is semantically motivated, or transparent
If you look up the word idiom in Webster, you will be given the following definition:
Idiom is an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent element as kick the bucket, hang one's head etc., or from the general grammatical rules of language, as the table round for the round table, and which is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics
This definition seems a bit dry and doesn't really tell anything about the function of idioms in English language
English is a language particularly rich in idioms — those modes of expression peculiar to a language (or dialect) which frequently defy logical and grammatical rules
Without idioms English would lose much of its variety and humor both in speech and writing
2 Cultural characteristics of English idioms:
The abundance and variety of English idioms may be to a great extent accounted for the historical development of the language Many idiomatic expressions come from the everyday life of the English people from all walks of life The Bible is also one of the chief source from which idiomatic expressions have sprung After the Bible, Shakespeare's plays are the rich literary sources of English idioms Many idioms also come from fables, myths or legends
Besides, English idioms are created by people in different trades and occupations
A large proportion of idioms are first created by working people such as seamen on the sea, hunters in the woods, farmers in the fields, workmen at mills, housewives and cooks in the kitchen and so on, using familiar terms that are associated with their own trades and occupations For example, ―in deep water‖, ―tide over‖ were first used by seamen; ―kill two birds with one stone‖ used by hunters; ―have all one's eggs in one basket‖ used by farmers; ―new brooms sweep clean‖ used by housewives; ―boil down‖ used by cooks, etc
Such expressions prove terse, vivid, forcible and stimulating so that later they broke out of their bounds and gradually gained wide acceptance As a result, they became part of the common of core of the language culture and are now used in different situations
Because the cultural backgrounds between English and Vietnamese languages are different, so there are some visible differences between the two As a part of language, idioms reflect the rich and colorful features of a nation Therefore, there are some cultural differences between English and Vietnamese idioms They are as follows:
Idioms have tight relationships with people's work and lives England is an island, so it cherishes water very much Then in English, it has such idiom as ―spend money like water‖
The typical conventional difference should be people's attitude towards the animal dog In most Western counties, dog is associated with ―loyalty, faithfulness‖, it is a ―close companion‖ to people, whereas in Vietnamese, the word dog usually has a negative meaning So in English, ―You are a lucky dog‖, the word dog here has no contemptuous meaning
Religious belief has a great impact on the English idioms They bring many new ideas and customs that are related to religious belief For example, ―God helps those who help themselves‖; ―Go to hell‖
Quite a few English idioms are born just due to particular historical events ―To cross the Rubicon‖, ―to meet one's Waterloo‖ come from Napoleon and the breakdown of his empire; and the American Civil War is the source of ―by the grapevine‖ and so on
Literature Review
Cultural characteristics of English idioms
The abundance and variety of English idioms may be to a great extent accounted for the historical development of the language Many idiomatic expressions come from the everyday life of the English people from all walks of life The Bible is also one of the chief source from which idiomatic expressions have sprung After the Bible, Shakespeare's plays are the rich literary sources of English idioms Many idioms also come from fables, myths or legends
Besides, English idioms are created by people in different trades and occupations
A large proportion of idioms are first created by working people such as seamen on the sea, hunters in the woods, farmers in the fields, workmen at mills, housewives and cooks in the kitchen and so on, using familiar terms that are associated with their own trades and occupations For example, ―in deep water‖, ―tide over‖ were first used by seamen; ―kill two birds with one stone‖ used by hunters; ―have all one's eggs in one basket‖ used by farmers; ―new brooms sweep clean‖ used by housewives; ―boil down‖ used by cooks, etc
Such expressions prove terse, vivid, forcible and stimulating so that later they broke out of their bounds and gradually gained wide acceptance As a result, they became part of the common of core of the language culture and are now used in different situations
Because the cultural backgrounds between English and Vietnamese languages are different, so there are some visible differences between the two As a part of language, idioms reflect the rich and colorful features of a nation Therefore, there are some cultural differences between English and Vietnamese idioms They are as follows:
Idioms have tight relationships with people's work and lives England is an island, so it cherishes water very much Then in English, it has such idiom as ―spend money like water‖
The typical conventional difference should be people's attitude towards the animal dog In most Western counties, dog is associated with ―loyalty, faithfulness‖, it is a ―close companion‖ to people, whereas in Vietnamese, the word dog usually has a negative meaning So in English, ―You are a lucky dog‖, the word dog here has no contemptuous meaning
Religious belief has a great impact on the English idioms They bring many new ideas and customs that are related to religious belief For example, ―God helps those who help themselves‖; ―Go to hell‖
Quite a few English idioms are born just due to particular historical events ―To cross the Rubicon‖, ―to meet one's Waterloo‖ come from Napoleon and the breakdown of his empire; and the American Civil War is the source of ―by the grapevine‖ and so on.
Classification of idiom
Classification can be approached from different criterion There are a variety of criteria for classifying English idioms This paper prefers the criterion of cultural style By this criterion, English idioms may be classified into five groups: colloquialisms, proverbs, slang, allusions and phrasal verbs Such classification will be more helpful in the actual studying, learning, use and translation of idioms Generally speaking, English idioms have different styles, most of which are used in any situation, some in formal style or in slang
The knowledge of this classification of English idioms will undoubtedly be beneficial to learners and translators
Colloquialisms are oral words or expressions used in daily conversation For example, ―The washing machine is on the blink.‖, ―on the blink‖ is a kind of colloquialism, meaning ―not working properly; out of order‖; ―hang in (there)‖，means
―not to give up‖; ―big wheel‖，means ―an influential or important person‖
A proverb (from the Latin proverbium), also called a byword or nayword, is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity They are often metaphorical A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim If a proverb is distinguished by particularly good phrasing, it may be known as an aphorism
Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through more than one language Both the Bible (Book of Proverbs) and medieval Latin have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own
Proverbs are short, pithy sayings in frequent and widespread use that express a basic truth or practical precept For instance, ―A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.‖; ―Do as they do at Rome.‖; ―Bitter pills may have wholesome effects.‖
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proverb)
Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's dialect or language It is often used as a way to say words that are not appropriate, and it is also used to identify with others that are similar to you
Slang is a kind of language occurring chiefly in casual and playful speech, made up typically of short-lived coinages and figures of speech that are deliberately used in place of standard terms for added raciness, humor, irreverence, or other effect Slang enjoys popular use, because it is colorful, blunt, expressive and impressive ―Dough and bread‖, for instance, means ―money‖; ―kick the bucket‖, means ―die‖; ―cancer stick‖, means
( Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slang)
Allusions are often used where the more general terms reference would be preferable Allusions apply to indirect references in which the source is not specifically identified For example, ―the Trojan horse‖，comes from the historical story of Trojan War; ―a Sphinx riddle‖ among which, ―Sphinx‖ is from Greek Mythology, means ―A winged creature having the head of a woman and the body of a lion, noted for killing those who could not answer its riddle.‖
Phrasal verbs are idioms which are composed of a verb plus a preposition and/or a particle For example, ―get away with‖, means ―do something wrong without being punished‖; ―put down to‖, means ―state that something is caused or explained by‖; ―look into‖, means ―investigate‖
There is another way to classify idioms as follows:
All phrase idioms have a noun, verb, adjective, preposition or an adverb as the central word; they correspond to the familiar parts of speech, and capable of a given syntactic function in sentences
Verb phrase idiom： Verb phrase idioms are combinations of a verb and an adverb look up , or a verb and a preposition make for, or a verb with both adverb and preposition come round to
The features：1）Often nearly synonymous with loan words of Roman origin, e.g work out (the salaries) can be respectively replaced by a single synonymous Roman loan word calculate 2）Can form noun compounds e.g A gang of thieves did a break-in last night 3）Usually more lively and expressive than single verbs e.g The firecracker went off and scared my little sister (more lively than exploded）
Verb+direct object +complement pattern：
Verb+indirect object +direct object pattern：
Use of idiom
Different idioms show different stylistic meanings Some are casual, others formal, still others neural in style The same idiom may show stylistic differences when denoting different meanings
(1) Phonetic manipulation a alliteration such as "chop and change" b rhyme such as "toil and moil"
(2) Lexical manipulation a reiteration, which means the duplication of synonyms such as "chop and change" b repetition, which means the repetition of the same word, such as "by and by" c juxtaposition, which means the combination of two antonyms such as "day and night"
(3) Figures of speech a simile: as proud as a peacock, as graceful as a swan, as mute as fish… b metaphor: white elephant, black sheep, dark horse, wet blanket… c metonymy: velvet glove, in the cradle, live by one … d synecdoche: earn one's bread, fall into good hands … e personification: Failure is the mother of success, actions speak louder than words, The pot calls the cattle black …
Definition of color
Colors mean more to us than simply pigment They are forms of energy, and as such speak to us and interact with us on a nonverbal level In a very real way, life is color
Color affects every part of our lives, our emotions, our health (John Gage, 1999, Color and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism, University of California Press)
Moreover, color is one component of environmental language in non-verbal communication.
Classification of colors
There are 3 kinds of colors
- Primary color: Primary colors are sets of colors that can be combined to make a useful range of colors The primary colors normally used are red, green, and blue For subtractive combination of colors, as in mixing of pigments or dyes, such as in printing, the primaries normally used are cyan, magenta, and yellow
- Secondary color: is a color made by mixing two primary colors in a given color space
- Tertiary color: A tertiary color is a color made by mixing one primary color with one secondary color
Unlike primary and secondary colors, these are not represented by one firmly established name each, but the following examples include some typical names Brown and grey are sometimes known as Tertiary colors and are usually made by the complementary color
This classification is cited from Nguyen Quang (2007), Giao tiếp phi ngôn từ qua các nền văn hóa (Nonverbal Communication across cultures), CFL-VNU and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertiary_color
7 Denotational meaning and connotational meaning of colors:
Black Evil, falsehood, error, grief, despair, death
Gray Formal, conservative Blue Chastity, loyalty, fidelity, faith, modesty, eternity, immortality
Green Love, joy, abundance, hope, youth, mirth, gladness, resurrection, spring
Purple Temperance, royalty Lavender Grace
Red Magnanimity, fortitude White Purity, truth, innocence, hope
Ivory Elegance Brown Wholesomeness, earthiness Beige Conservative, relaxing Orange Energy, spontenaeity Yellow Faith, constancy, wisdom, glory, jealousy, inconsistency
(Source: John Gage, 1999, Color and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism, University of California Press)
Here is a table of colors and many of the meanings they tend to evoke Notice how colors can mean very different things - it is not that the colors themselves have meaning, it is that we have culturally assigned meanings to them For example, red means warmth because of the color of fire Likewise, it means anger because of the increased redness of the face when it flushes with blood Purple symbolizes royalty only because the only purple dye that was available for many centuries was very expensive
RED: warmth, love, anger, danger, boldness, excitement, speed, strength, determination, desire, courage
ORANGE: cheerfulness, low cost, affordability, enthusiasm, stimulation, creativity YELLOW: attention-grabbing, comfort, liveliness, cowardliness, hunger, optimism, overwhelm, Summer, comfort, liveliness, intellect, happiness, energy
GREEN: durability, reliability, environmental, luxurious, optimism, well- being, nature, calm, relaxation, Spring, safety, honesty, optimism, harmony, freshness
BLUE: peace, professionalism, loyalty, reliability, honor, melancholia, boredom, coldness, Winter, depth, stability, professionalism, honor, trust
PURPLE: power, royalty, nobility, elegance, sophistication, artificial, luxury, mystery, royalty, elegance, magic GRAY: conservatism, traditionalism, intelligence, serious, dull, uninteresting
BROWN: relaxing, confident, casual, reassuring, nature, earthy, solid, reliable, genuine, Autumn, endurance
BLACK: Elegance, sophistication, formality, power, strength, illegality, depression, morbidity, night
WHITE: Cleanliness, purity, newness, virginity, peace, innocence, simplicity, sterility, snow
(Source: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/communication/color_effect.htm)
Certain colors have been utilized in English to symbolize particular emotions or reactions or flavors
In the west, white is frequently significant of weddings and vanilla Brown is obviously chocolate Green has come to indicate botanical fertility but also jealousy and safety, and also something Irish Magenta is frequently raspberry flavor while a warmer red indicates strawberry, cherry or danger or flammability and is also associated with St
Valentine's Day Purple may indicate grape flavor, or injury in the line of duty (the Purple Heart Medal) or radioactivity and combined with yellow is associated with Easter
Yellow alone is associated with cowardice and also loyalty to the armed services in the form of ribbons Green and red are Christmas colors Red and white stripes used to be significant of barber shops and peppermint candy Are many of these colors specific to English, or are they universal?
Red is a hot color Americans often use it to express heat They may say they are red hot about something unfair When they are red hot they are very angry about something The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste Fast loud music is popular with many people They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz
Pink is a lighter kind of red People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health
Blue is a cool color The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music Blues is slow, sad and soulful Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded a famous song – Mood Indigo – about the deep blue color, indigo In the words of the song: ―You ain‘t been blue till you‘ve had that Mood Indigo.‖ Someone who is blue is very sad The color green is natural for trees and grass But it is an unnatural color for humans A person who has a sick feeling stomach may say she feels a little green A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car That person may say he is green with envy Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the paper money The color black is used often in expressions People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day A blacklist is illegal now But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations
8 The difference in colors’ meaning and symbolism
Most colors have some sort of symbolic interpretation associated with them For example, the color red is commonly linked to love; but did you know that blue is also associated with love? This is the reason behind the bride carrying something blue at her wedding Were you aware that the color blue has the opposite effect on people than the color red? Blue lowers a person‘s blood pressure and respiration At times, this color has even been connected to depression For instance, when you are sad, you‘re said to have the
‗blues.‘ Ever heard of blue devils? These are feelings of depression as well On a more positive note, however, blue is one of the most popular colors In fact, did you know that in this country, blue is America‘s top choice when buying a toothbrush? Did you know that black usually represents power or that brown suggests trueness? Were you aware that more men pick brown as their favorite color than women do? Green is associated with nature; did you know that it is also the most soothing color to the human eye? Purple tends to stir up mixed feelings in people and often represents royalty However, were you aware that this color might also help to alleviate migraines? Pink usually goes hand-in-hand with red when it comes to romance, but did you know that it relieves tension and is often used in diet therapy as an appetite suppressant? White symbolizes purity which is why a bride‘s gown is this color Did you know that it is considered good luck to marry in white as well?
Were you aware that yellow is the first color our eyes notice?
Color has different meanings in many cultures, and we all respond to them in different ways The color for mourning is perceived differently throughout many cultures
Black signifies mourning or death within the United States, Egypt, Rome, and most of Europe However, did you know that in China and Japan the color of mourning is white?
Were you aware that if a married woman in India wears white, she is inviting widowhood or unhappiness into her life? Did you know the color red is associated with death in Celtic regions or that it is the official color of mourning in South Africa? Yellow is the color of mourning in Burma while it is blue in Iran In Greece and Mexico, purple is considered the color of death; and in Thailand this color shows mourning Luck is believed to be brought on by certain colors in some cultures as well Did you know that Egyptians wore blue to guard against evil or that black cats were said to hold divine power? In Greece, eggs are dyed red at Easter for good luck and wearing white was thought to ensure pleasant dreams
Did you know that China thinks red is good luck and it‘s used for holidays and weddings
Were you aware that green is sacred in Egypt, the national color of Ireland, marks honor in Scotland, and symbolizes victory in Greece? In many cultures, brides wear white Did you know that during the Middle Ages, brides wore green to symbolize fertility? Did you know the Mennonites once painted their doors green to show a daughter‘s readiness for marriage? A Zulu tradition actually uses patterns and colors to tell whether or not a woman is single, engaged, married, etc For example, a blue band signifies fidelity and shows engagement while blue, white, and black represents marriage Were you aware that the color yellow was once worn by executioners in Spain and the doors of criminals were painted this color in France? Did you know that Native Americans associate colors with the four directions? Blue represents north and symbolizes cold or trouble, white represents south and symbolizes warmth and peace, red represents east and success, while black represents west and problems.
The difference in colors’ meaning and symbolism
Most colors have some sort of symbolic interpretation associated with them For example, the color red is commonly linked to love; but did you know that blue is also associated with love? This is the reason behind the bride carrying something blue at her wedding Were you aware that the color blue has the opposite effect on people than the color red? Blue lowers a person‘s blood pressure and respiration At times, this color has even been connected to depression For instance, when you are sad, you‘re said to have the
‗blues.‘ Ever heard of blue devils? These are feelings of depression as well On a more positive note, however, blue is one of the most popular colors In fact, did you know that in this country, blue is America‘s top choice when buying a toothbrush? Did you know that black usually represents power or that brown suggests trueness? Were you aware that more men pick brown as their favorite color than women do? Green is associated with nature; did you know that it is also the most soothing color to the human eye? Purple tends to stir up mixed feelings in people and often represents royalty However, were you aware that this color might also help to alleviate migraines? Pink usually goes hand-in-hand with red when it comes to romance, but did you know that it relieves tension and is often used in diet therapy as an appetite suppressant? White symbolizes purity which is why a bride‘s gown is this color Did you know that it is considered good luck to marry in white as well?
Were you aware that yellow is the first color our eyes notice?
Color has different meanings in many cultures, and we all respond to them in different ways The color for mourning is perceived differently throughout many cultures
Black signifies mourning or death within the United States, Egypt, Rome, and most of Europe However, did you know that in China and Japan the color of mourning is white?
Were you aware that if a married woman in India wears white, she is inviting widowhood or unhappiness into her life? Did you know the color red is associated with death in Celtic regions or that it is the official color of mourning in South Africa? Yellow is the color of mourning in Burma while it is blue in Iran In Greece and Mexico, purple is considered the color of death; and in Thailand this color shows mourning Luck is believed to be brought on by certain colors in some cultures as well Did you know that Egyptians wore blue to guard against evil or that black cats were said to hold divine power? In Greece, eggs are dyed red at Easter for good luck and wearing white was thought to ensure pleasant dreams
Did you know that China thinks red is good luck and it‘s used for holidays and weddings
Were you aware that green is sacred in Egypt, the national color of Ireland, marks honor in Scotland, and symbolizes victory in Greece? In many cultures, brides wear white Did you know that during the Middle Ages, brides wore green to symbolize fertility? Did you know the Mennonites once painted their doors green to show a daughter‘s readiness for marriage? A Zulu tradition actually uses patterns and colors to tell whether or not a woman is single, engaged, married, etc For example, a blue band signifies fidelity and shows engagement while blue, white, and black represents marriage Were you aware that the color yellow was once worn by executioners in Spain and the doors of criminals were painted this color in France? Did you know that Native Americans associate colors with the four directions? Blue represents north and symbolizes cold or trouble, white represents south and symbolizes warmth and peace, red represents east and success, while black represents west and problems.
English Vietnamese cross-cultural understanding and use of idioms
Description of the survey
With a view to having the real picture of how students at secondary school understand and use English idioms, especially idioms with colors, I have carried out a small survey among students of first year students at CFL-VNU
The survey is a questionnaire and its result that was designed to investigate the understandings about English idioms, colors, as well as the use of English idioms with colors of students I do this part in the hope that, theoretically, I can have some ideas about students‘ typical knowledge and view point of English idioms, their difficulties, as well as frequency of using idioms with colors in their language use
There are 14 questions in the survey These 14 questions are divided into 3 groups based on the contents
- Question 1-3 are the first group that is to find out how well students know about English idioms, frequency of using English idioms in their language skills and their understanding on cross-culture
- The second group comprises questions from 4 th to 12 th concentrating on students‘ understanding about English idioms with colors
- The last 2 questions are to work out difficulties that students are facing and their own ways to practice using English idioms
1.1 Reasons for the chosen methods to survey:
This study used questionnaires and in-depth interviews as the main sources of data collection
Survey questionnaire is an indispensable method in the research because it can be administered to large groups of individuals with much less time than other methods for reliable information It is claimed to be ―easy to construct, extremely versatile, and uniquely capable of gathering a large amount of information quickly in a form that is readily processable‖; or as presented on Wikipedia, ―questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data‖
The survey questionnaires are composed of a variety of questions including open- ended questions and styles of closed-ended questions
Opened-ended questions Open-ended questions are questions to which there is not one definite answer Fink
(1995) states that ―open-ended questions may be a good way to break the ice with a survey, giving respondents an opportunity to answer in their own words The responses to open- ended questions can be very useful, often yielding quotable material‖ Accordingly, this type of questions is mainly used to offer suggestions for teaching strategies, which may require detailed descriptions and supporting arguments
Closed-ended questions Closed-ended questions have a finite set of answers from which the respondent chooses Thus, ―the benefit of closed-ended questions is that they are easy to standardize, and data gathered from closed-ended questions lend themselves to statistical analysis‖
The data gained from the questionnaires will provide the researcher an overview of the students‘ understanding, frequency use of English idioms, idioms with color, their difficulties as well as their own ways to master it
First year students are those who already have a good knowledge of language use and they are quite aware of using idioms Moreover, they are at the first stage of training and gaining knowledge of culture and the differences among cultures Therefore, the result of the survey can reflect the achievements as well as the initial mistakes of English idioms particularly
50 questionnaire copies were delivered to first year students, regardless of their age, gender and their English knowledge backgrounds Students read questions and choose the options that are appropriate Besides, they can give their own opinions out of the given optional answers
Interviewing English native speakers, regardless of their age, gender and occupations is another method When asking English native speakers, I hope to find out if there is any differences in use of idioms in general and idioms with colors in particular
Accordingly, I can make a small comparison between Vietnamese learners and English native speakers in correct use, mis-interpretation of idioms
Teachers of English are experienced advisers in pointing out the mistakes that first year students often make in English idioms All the ten teachers I interviewed come from English Department, CFL-VNU, and they have been teaching English for at least 4 years, hence, they are quite knowledgeable in this field The questions I asked them are:
- How long have you been teaching English?
- What are mistakes do you think the first year students often make when they use English idioms and idioms with colors?
- Can you tell me the way you often do to help them correct their mistakes when using idioms?
English native speakers also find English idioms difficult to well master and use them properly However, from their points of view on learning English idioms, it can help me to find out ways that can apply for Vietnamese students when learning English idioms
After getting all the answers from these teachers and English native speakers, I classified the mistakes as well as the solutions they suggested Although the typical mistakes they showed me are still the same as those found out, solutions to these problems they recommended are very useful
In the hope to find out a real picture of teaching and learning English idioms, idioms with colors, I combine the above method with survey questionnaire The author of the study would like to see how the first year students understand about the English idioms and English idioms with colors.
Data analysis and findings
The survey is to find out figures about students‘ knowledge and their opinion, ways to master English idioms (Table of figures is shown in the Appendix)
According to the data collection of the first three answers, the fact about how well students know about English idioms and cross-culture is revealed The data collected shows that, 78% students know what English idiom is, among them 70% students have the most appropriate definition of English idiom – A class of multi-word units ―which pose a challenge to our understanding of grammar and lexis that has not yet been fully met‖
32/50 students say that they apply idioms in their language use which account for 64% and 18/50 students rarely and never use English idioms, this is about 36% of the total 42/50 (84%) students agree that colors have different meanings in each culture, while 8/50 (16%) students do not say that
The figure of answers of the next nine questions (questions 4 to 12) provides information about student‘s knowledge on English idioms with color and the correct answers of students when they are asked about the meaning of English idioms with color
(This result is shown in the Appendix)
As being presented in the table, the data collected of the last two questions supplies information about difficulties and their own solutions to master English idioms
In general, Vietnamese students of English have good knowledge of English idioms with color They use wrong for idioms which are not literal as the words exposed or some cultural differences For example, ―Blue in the face‖ means very angry or upset The word blue is so familiar with them as the meaning of sad Another example is the question number 8 ―Grass is always greener on the other side‖ is to indicate a place that is far away or different seems better than where we are now, not the literal meaning of green tree and green grass in the idiom There is the equivalence in Vietnamese ―Đứng núi nọ đọ núi kia‖
Though the use of word is different, the meaning and uses in context is the same between Vietnamese and English
However, for questions about English idioms that use colors which have similarity inference of Vietnamese culture, most students give the correct answers For example,
―Red-carpet treatment‖ means receiving special/royal treatment As we all know, red- carpet is only used for special events to welcome important or governmental-level people
It can be divided into two types of mistakes One is mistake of mis-understanding word use in English idioms English idioms have meanings that make no literal sense It can be said that an English idiom is a figure of speech Another is due to the differences of cultural background or in other words, it is the mis-interpretation for use of color
English idioms can be confusing for people learning English as a second language as they defy all the rules they may have already learnt They can be confusing as the same idiomatic term may be a literal term that means something entirely different
As mentioned above, the data have shown a lot of problems facing Vietnamese students of English, and these problems are caused by different reasons
It is difficult for students to avoid the inference of the mother tongue into second language They are affected by the concepts, symbolism and culture of its country
Vietnamese students are not much aware of the use of English idioms since English idiom is not easy to well master and use properly Sometimes, they really want to apply English idioms in their four language skills, nevertheless, it is difficult to do so because their teachers do not always well explain to them and remembering to use the English idiom correctly in context should be done step by step along with more practices
At high school, Vietnamese students are taught mostly grammar not the cross- culture or much of English idioms
According to the teaching method at high school in Vietnam, teachers who have much influence on their students Therefore, the guidance, control and supervision of the teachers to help students master English idioms is very important
English idiom is very complicated and it becomes even more difficult when being applied into producing four language skills to students The real percentage of students who are aware of English idioms with right uses in their language competence has been up to the expectation However, there is still remained mistakes and mis-interpretation made by Vietnamese students of English Therefore, after finding out their difficulties and mistakes, some suggested methods to be applied in English idiom teaching and learning as well as recommended types of exercise shall be introduced to teachers and learners in this research
Thanks to all the constructive comments from both the teachers and students together with my self-research materials, some practical recommendations shall be offered in the next chapter They are suggestions for teaching, learning English idioms as well as some suggested types of exercises to improve English idioms study.
Implications
Some suggested exercises for better study of idioms with color
Exercise 1: Choose an idiom to replace the expression in the brackets:
1 The girl was (very pleased) that she was chosen to represent her class at the competition
(a) blacked out (b) tickled pink (c) green with envy (d) out of the blue
2 My boss is not very flexible and he always sees things (as either good or bad)
(a) in the red (b) off-color (c) with flying colors (d) in black and white
3 The man argued with his wife until he was (very angry) but still she would not agree with him
(a) brown bagging it (b) in the black (c) blue in the face (d) a pot calling the kettle black
4 I go to the swimming pool only (rarely) although I love to swim
(a) green around the gills (b) with flying colors (c) in the red (d) once in a blue moon
Exercise 2: Identify the correct meaning of the following idioms by simply clicking on the correct letter: A, B, C, D, or E
1 Young Hilda has just discovered she is a witch She doesn't know how to use her powers yet She is experimenting on her cat, Salem, but she is green at doing spells
2 After the September 11 attacks, the world felt blue
2.2 Type 2: Filling in the blank with a correct word to make a meaningful idiom:
3 to put someone on a _ list (a list of undesirable, rejected people)
4 _ collar worker (professional, upper class)
5 _ market (illicit trade in goods)
3 It's not my cup of tea
8 He brings home the bacon
B He's not telling the truth
D He doesn't know what he's talking about
H He brings home the family money
Exercise 1: Write some idioms using colors: green, blue and black and then make a conversation with those written idioms Work in pair
Exercise 2: Give students a song or a passage and ask them to find out idioms used in that context
I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light
I can't remember why I'm lyin' here tonight And I can't stand the pain And I can't make it go away
No I can't stand the pain Chorus:
How could this happen to me?
I've made my mistakes got nowhere to run the night goes on as I'm fadin' away I'm sick of this life
How could this happen to me?
I try to make a sound but no one hears me I'm slippin' off the edge
I wanna start this over again
So I try to hold onto a time when nothing mattered And I can't explain what happened
And I can't erase the things that I've done
No I can't How could this happen to me?
I've made my mistakes got nowhere to run the night goes on as I'm fadin' away I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream How could this happen to me?
I've made my mistakes got nowhere to run the night goes on as I'm fading away I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream How could this happen to me?
There is one idiom used in this song which is quite similar to Vietnamese culture:
To hang by a thread / hang by a hair: (of a person‘s life) to be in great danger
Trong tình trạng nguy hiểm ( ngàn cân treo sợi tóc ) Besides, there are some phrasal verbs:
To go on: to continue
To hold onto: to keep something that is advantageous to you
Ex: Should emigrants hold onto their traditional cultures or try to be a part of the new society?
To be sick of something : to be bored with or annoyed about something that has been happening for a long time and wanting it to stop
Stand : [no passive] (not used in the progressive tenses) used especially in negative sentences and questions to emphasize that you do not like sb/sth Ex: I can't stand his brother/ I can't stand people interrupting all the time
Exercise 1: Give students some posters that can indicate some idioms they may know:
There are many other types of exercises involving idioms and idioms with color In order to teach English idioms effectively, teachers of English should spend time and efforts collecting and creating such kinds of exercises
In summary, all above are my suggestions for teaching and learning English idioms and English idioms with color I very much hope that, they, to some extends, may be useful to partly improve the study of idioms for Vietnamese learners to minimize the portion of wrong utilization of English idioms
This chapter will conclude in the next part which is the suggestions for further studies.
Recommendations for further studies
It is firstly suggested that the limitations of this research will be overcome in further studies with the increased number of participants in order to reach highest level of required generalization Besides, the observations of the idioms learning lessons should be carried out to provide the researchers with more insights into the issues studied
Furthermore, basing on this research which attempt to investigate English idioms with color in activating students‘ prior knowledge in teaching and learning English, further studies should focus on English idioms with animals or idioms related to parts of body or to broader extends to help students easier in mastering idioms
In conclusion, despite some inevitable deficiency, the researcher does hope that this research would serve as a good help to both teachers and students in the process of teaching and learning English idioms
It is the importance of English language and correct use of English idioms in successful communication, and the difficulties in using idioms with colors by which my research is motivated Moreover, the wish to help Vietnamese students be aware of the necessity in using idioms with colors in mastering English and to improve their language four skills has been constantly encouraging my choice of this study
The research is carried out using both quantitative and qualitative methods with the means of survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews
Thanks to all the constructive comments from both the teachers and students together with my self-research materials, some practical recommendations are offered The suggestions for teaching, learning English idioms as well as some suggested types of exercises to improve English idioms study
This research is hoped to give teachers a more thorough understanding of students expectations and therefore make proper adaptations to meet students‘ needs and specifically exercises to be more effectively employed in teaching English idioms in general and activating background knowledge for students in English idioms, idioms with color in particular
Although both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to maximize the advantages of each type, short comings still persist Firstly, the study focuses on only one type of idioms that is idioms with color Secondly, the survey is not implemented in a large scale, thus, the number of subjects are too small to allow generalization about the problems which Vietnamese learners of English encounter Thirdly, the data is collected from the small number of students that cannot reflect the real fact as a whole The fourth limitation is that, the writer of this study only carried out the survey at CFL-VNU in Hanoi, therefore, the result cannot indicate the real situation of teaching and learning English idioms in Vietnam Lastly, the study can be tentative as the mistakes are unavoidable
On account of restricted knowledge and resources, this paper cannot cover all aspects of English idioms I would greatly appreciate any recommendation to make it better Moreover, the writer hopes that this paper would be useful to those who wish to improve their knowledge of English idioms and acquire the right utilization of English idioms with color
Allen, V G (1989) Literature as a support to language acquisition In P Rigg & V G
Allen (Eds.), When they don‘t all speak English: Integrating the ESL student into the regular classroom (pp.55-64) Urbana: NCTE
Bafile, C (2003) Reader‘s Theater: A reason to read aloud Education World
Brandi-Muller, J (2005) Retelling stories http://www.colrincolorado.org/article/13282 Cooper, T C (1999) Processing of idioms by L2 learners of English TESOL Quarterly,
Freeman, D E., & Freeman, Y S (1994) Between worlds: Access to second language acquisition Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
John Gage, 1999, Color and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism, University of California Press
Nguyen Quang (2004), Intercultural Communication, CFL-VNU Nguyen Quang (2007), Giao tiep phi ngon tu qua cac nen van hoa (Nonverbal Communication across cultures), CFL-VNU
Nippold, M A., & Martin, S T (1989) Idiom interpretation in isolation versus Nunan, D (2003) Practical English language teaching New York: McGraw Hill
Robert J Dixson, Tran Van Diem (2001), Essential Idioms in English, Thanh Nghia publisher
Websites: www.google.com.vn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proverb http://changingminds.org/disciplines/communication/color_effect.htm
B A class of multi-word units “which pose a challenge to our understanding of grammar and lexis that has not yet been fully met”
C A sentence that the meaning is different from the words it expose
2 Do you apply idioms in your language use?
3 Colors have different meanings in each culture?
4 “A honey tongue, a heart of gall” means:
A xanh vỏ đỏ lòng B Mật ngọt chết ruồi C khẩu phật tâm xà 5.What is the meaning of “men/boys in blue”?
A the police B naughty boys C boys who are always sad
6 What is the meaning of “as black as coal”?
A very black B not black at all C so white
7 “Blue in the face” means:
A very angry or upset B sad C happy
8 “Grass is always greener on the other side” is:
B A place that is far away or different seems better than where we are now
C A green place with trees and grass
9 What does “see pink elephants” mean?
B elephants that are very dangerous
C see things which are not really there because they are only in your imagination
A to receive special/royal treatment B to receive money C to get bad treatment
11 What is “as white as a ghost”?
A so scared B so nervous C very pale because of fear/ shock/ illness
13 What are the difficulties that you meet when studying English idioms?
14 How do you improve your knowledge of English idioms?
Thank you for your co-operation!
1 Whether students know English idiom is:
A class of multi-word units “which pose a challenge to our understanding of grammar and lexis that has not yet been fully met”
2 Whether you apply idioms in your language use
3 Whether colors have different meanings in each culture
4 “A honey tongue, a heart of gall” means A: 17
5 What is the meaning of “men/boys in blue”?of questions there are in English
6 What is the meaning of “as black as coal”?
7 “Blue in the face” means: A: 23
8 “Grass is always greener on the other side” is:
9 What does “see pink elephants” mean? A: 9
11 What is “as white as a ghost”? A: 21
13 What are the difficulties that you meet when studying English idioms
- Remember difficult idioms due to the difference of culture, word use
14 How do you improve your knowledge of
- Buy books on idioms to practice
- Ask teacher to explain difficult idioms to use it in right context
- Search the internet for materials,
Survey Questionnaire (questions from 4 to 14)
4 “A honey tongue, a heart of gall” means A: 17
5 What is the meaning of “men/boys in blue”?of questions there are in English
6 What is the meaning of “as black as coal”?
7 “Blue in the face” means: A: 23 Correct (46%)
8 “Grass is always greener on the other side” is:
9 What does “see pink elephants” mean? A: 9
10 “Red-carpet treatment” means: A: 25 Correct (50%)
11 What is “as white as a ghost”? A: 21
12 “Have a yellow streak” means: A: 19 Correct (38%)
Meaning of color and your Birthday
Don't cheat, If you are honest, this tells the truth It's pretty good Write your answers on a piece of paper, and NO cheating!! The answers are at the bottom
1 Which is your favorite color out of: red , black , blue , green , or yellow ?
4 Which color do you like more, black or white?
5 Name of a person of the same sex as yours
7 Do you like Flying or Driving more?
8 Do you like a lake or the ocean more?
9 Write down a wish ( a realistic one) When you're done, scroll down (Don't cheat!)
Red - You are alert and your life is full of love
Black - Y ou are conservative and aggressive
Green - Your soul is relaxed and you are laid back
Blue- You are spontaneous and love kisses and affection from the ones you love
Yellow - You are a very happy person and give good advice to those who are down
A-K You have a lot of love and friendships in your life
L-R You try to enjoy your life to the maximum & your love life is soon to blossom
S-Z You like to help others and your future love life looks very good
3 If you were born in:
Jan-Mar: The year will go very well for you and you will discover that you fall in love with someone totally unexpected
April-June: You will have a strong love relationship that will not last long but the memories will last forever
July-Sep: You will have a great year and will experience a major life-changing experience for the good.