DONGNAI TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TOPIC THE COMPARISON BETWEEN VIETNAMESE AND AMERICAN GREETING CULTURES A report submitted to the Faculty of Foreign Languages of DNTU for the.
DONGNAI TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TOPIC: THE COMPARISON BETWEEN VIETNAMESE AND AMERICAN GREETING CULTURES A report submitted to the Faculty of Foreign Languages of DNTU for the mid-term test of the subject Intercultural Communication By NGUYEN VAN A STUDENT’S ID: 123456789 Instructed by Cam Lien BIEN HOA CITY, June 2021 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reason 1.2 The importance of topic .1 1.3 Overall comments CHAPTER 2: CONTENT 2.1 Literature review 2.1.1 Definition of Greetings 2.1.2 Types of Greetings .3 2.1.2.1 Verbal greetings 2.1.2.2 Non-verbal greetings 2.2 Findings 2.2.1 Vietnamese’s verbal greetings 2.2.2 Vietnamese’s non- verbal greetings 2.2.3 American’s verbal greetings 2.3.4 American’s non-verbal greetings .8 2.3 Compare Vietnamese and American greetings 2.3.1 Similarities 2.3.2 Differences CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 11 3.1 Discussion 11 3.2 Conclusion 11 REFERENCE 13 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reason As all we know, differences in cultures are one of the main problems leading to a failure of communication This report depends on the current tourism and settlement situation, it is inevitable for us to communicate and exchange cultures with foreigners Both Vietnamese people and Americans who travel or tend to stay in the other country should know and develop their communication skills themselves in Vietnamese or English, for instance, speaking, listening and also sociolinguistic The problem is that only language cannot solve all of the communicate situations, learners have difficulties in using the target language appropriately in different contexts Before approaching the language you need, searching for that country’s culture is also important and greeting culture is not an exception That is the first reason I would like choose this And the second reason is really simple that’s I learnt British and American Cultures, I chose the topic to present for final test is Greeting Customs in the USA 1.2 The importance of topic These days, greetings become a mandatory etiquette When a person who is having a good understanding of greeting cultures Obviously, they probably have a good impression in the other’s eyes and asserts the national image in foreigners’ heart The importance of this study is developing a more rigorous understanding of the similarities and differences in using greeting gesture in America and Vietnam to avoid culture mistakes in cross-cultural communication It is suitable for those who are trying to approach the greeting cultures of Vietnamese and American Moreover, the purpose of this research is to help you prepare a solid foundation of cultural knowledge to be able to start communication and develop necessary relationships in the future 1.3 Overall comments Depending on the relationship, there are different greetings in the US or Vietnam, there will have many greeting ways There are different ways of greeting depending on the relationship, age, gender, and status Greetings show the way in which a person perceive themselves as well as how they feel about others Greetings can indicate respect or lack of respect to another person In some cultures, people greet their friends or close relatives daily, but other cultures not greet each other at all In this report I will compare the differences between Vietnamese and American greeting cultures The comparison will take into account both verbal and nonverbal communication styles CHAPTER 2: CONTENT 2.1 Literature review 2.1.1 Definition of Greetings Greeting is the best way to make impression in communications of any cultures in the world Our conservations or meeting or any talks are successful or not successful thanks to the greeting It can be said that greetings play important role in communication So, what is greeting? According to greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other (Wikipedia, 2021) There are two forms of greeting: verbal and non-verbal greeting However, in some situations, because of the distance communication or language barriers, the form of non-verbal greeting is used more commonly The form of non-verbal greeting conveys more messages and it is easier to use than verbal form 2.1.2 Types of Greetings There are two types of greeting: nonverbal and verbal greeting However, in some situations, because of the distance communication or language barriers, the form of non-verbal greeting is used more commonly 2.1.2.1 Verbal greetings Verbal greeting refers to the uses of sounds and language to relay a message It serves as a vehicle for expressing desires, ideas and concepts and is vital to the processes of learning and teaching Verbal is divided into two types: oral greeting and written greeting Oral greeting is the process of expressing information or ideas by word of mouth This can be done by face-to-face conversations, speech, telephonic conversation, video, radio, television and voice over interest And written greeting is a type of interaction that makes use of the written word like email, message, etc (Phương, 2016) 2.1.2.2 Non-verbal greetings Nonverbal communication is the transfer of information through the use of body language such as eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture and more There are several types of nonverbal communications you should be aware of, including: - Facial expressions: One of the most common forms of nonverbal greetings are facial expressions Using the eyebrows, mouth, eyes and facial muscles to convey can be very effective when communicating both emotion and information to show you want to say "Hello" - Eye contact: Strategically using eye content (or lack of eye contact) is an extremely effective way to communicate your attention and interest in order that they recognize you greet to them - Touch: Some people also use touch as a form of greeting that is shake hand Most commonly, it is used to communicate support or comfort This form of greeting should be used sparingly and only when you have a meeting with partners - Gestures: While gestures vary widely across communities, they generally use hands and arms to wave both intentionally and unintentionally to others (Phương, 2016) 2.2 Findings 2.2.1 Vietnamese’s verbal greetings - Greeting by saying “Xin chào”: “Xin chào” is used widely over the country – Vietnam Vietnamese people have various ways to greet someone in communication And that is the most popular greeting way in Vietnam This is the kind of greeting that the speaker uses directly the main word “Xin chào” with many forms and transform to different types such as Chào, Chào nha, etc or having the verb “Chào” which goes with the name of the listener like her name is Hoa, I might say “Chào Hoa” or which goes with the role in the family like Hoa is my aunt and I will say “Chào cô” Moreover, when meeting relatives or neighbors, Vietnamese people often greet the oldest person first, then the next oldest one in an orderly manner and the traditional greetings is often to wrap both arms in front of the chest and the end of the head in front of the others It shows humility, listen and respect the other person They are tended to use add the word “con” before the greeting sentence “Con+ chào+ pronouns or professional title +ạ” such as “Con chào cô ạ” The word "ạ" at the end of the greeting show respects to people who are older or higher position By contrast, people in of a same age group, the speaker may utilize “Chào bạn” or "Chào người" In brief, Vietnamese people will use ways that are the most suitable way depending on situation to greeting others In addition, there are some greeting expressions especially used formal meetings or ceremonies In Vietnam, Master of Ceremonies (MC) people often say “Kính chào quý vị quan khách”, “Chào mừng quý vị đại biểu”, etc However, in America, the MC may just say “Ladies and Gentlemen” to welcome all partakers - Greeting by making questions: Vietnamese people usually change the way of greeting by asking a question to the other person depending on the situation The greeting is expressed under a question form or exclamatory words, if we put them in the right context, they naturally become greetings This is a popular greeting way in Vietnam For example, "Dạo rồi" means "How are you?" and is used in such occasions as introduction to someone or a greeting to a friend The tone of the greeting is different according to whether we are friends or relatives In case of friendships, it means "I am very glad to see you" – “Rất vui gặp mày”; in case of relatives: “How are you? I am so pleased to see you.” - “Dạo chị khỏe chứ? Vui ghê gặp chị.” (itourvietnam, 2020) When meeting an acquaintance, Vietnamese people often are wont to Kính chào quý vị quan khách! greet by asking different questions as a way of saying hello instead of using the verb like “Chào” in order to express care Con and make them increase friendliness chào ôngdevelop between their interests so that their close relationship, the question is very specific about the situation of family, work, health, etc For instance, “Anh đâu đấy?” (Where are you going?), “Ơng làm đấy?” (What are you doing?), or asking about work such as “Dạo công việc rồi?” (How have you been lately?), asking about family like “Mày kết hôn chưa?” (Have you got married?) In fact, these greeting questions are just exchange courtesies, and the speaker is purely asked, and the listener does not need to answer It’s merely a few words to start a conversation Cháu đâu đấy? Dạo cậu khỏe không? 2.2.2 Vietnamese’s non- verbal greetings Non-verbal greeting plays an essential role in Vietnamese society It sometimes accompanies and reinforces linguistic symbols as well as a substitute for words - The smile, which is sometimes enigmatic to the American, is used as another nonverbal symbol showing greeting friendly in Vietnamese culture For the Vietnamese, the smile is a proper response in most situations in which verbal expression is not needed or not appropriate It is not only used to replace saying "Chào" but also it is used as a substitute for "I'm sorry", "Thank you" (Tourism, 2011) - Shaking hands is a friendly greeting between men (but not the elderly); not customary between women or between a man and a woman; acceptable between a Vietnamese woman and non-Vietnamese man Palm of right should hand out; fingers move up and down several times - Waving hands is an easiest signal to greet someone who is being far from the greeter, although they don’t have much time to stand and talk something together, they still give the others their politeness and friendliness At times, Vietnamese people make a “V” shape to say "Hello" - Folding the arms is a typical way of Vietnamese’s greeting This kind of greeting is only used for the children when they meet older people 2.2.3 American’s verbal greetings - Greeting by saying “Hello/Hi”: “Hi/ Hello” is no stranger to hearing about America It’s suitable for use under normal circumstances Besides, American people also use “hey” for people who have met If they say “hey” to a stranger, it can confuse him or her because he or she will try to remember when she or he met them In addition, this is also adding “man” at the end of “Hi/ Hello/ Hey” when greet men In America, greetings can be classified based on specific time (see table) TIME OF DAY MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING GREETING TIME EXAMPLE Good morning + title/ first name or From midnight Good morning, Mr Green Mornin’ (short form) to midday Mornin’ Green Good afternoon/Afternoon + title/first name Good evening + title/ first name or After midday until p.m After p.m to Evenin’ midnight Good afternoon, Mr Green Good evening, Mr Green Evenin’ Green - Greetings by congratulating, praising and giving a compliment: Greetings by congratulation “Have a nice day”, "Have a good day" or “Good night” is a wellknown greeting in American Greeting on special days or ceremonies like "Happy Birthday", "Merry Christmas" This greeting can be share cheer together - Greeting by making questions: It is very common in US that if you greet a friendly phrase by making a question “How are you doing?” or “How are you?” Typically, you smile and then say the phrase This is a very common and most important way to greet people Irrespective of if you know the person or not, you always ask the person “How are you doing?” or “How are you?” It is a common etiquette in America 2.3.4 American’s non-verbal greetings Handshake is a common habit of Americans They shake hands tightly (which does not mean clenching to hurt others’ hands) to show friendliness and enthusiasm The handshakes differ from culture to culture It indicates who is more important or friendly Handshakes in the US have several styles such as the grip, the fist bump, and the finger shake Loose handshakes can be considered uncertain and lack confidence It is rare for Americans to use both hands to shake hands only show the respect to others In addition, when an American man is meeting a girl or a woman that he knows well, it is common to hug her or even kiss her on the cheek, just a light hug where he just put his arms around her back and waving hand is quite common for friends or close relationships 2.3 Compare Vietnamese and American greetings 2.3.1 Similarities In reality, Vietnamese and Americans get similar greeting ways Firstly, shaking hands is a common way and used by males and females in many situations (public, meetings, politics, etc.) These days, under the influence of the English language, Vietnamese people also use “Hi/Hello” to greet people they meet Besides, there isn’t much different in special greeting like Banner cheer, in the Army, … Furthermore, the greeting is the best way of social interaction, aimed at maintaining the relationship, solidarity and mutual love of all people in a community 2.3.2 Differences Depending on the relationship, there are different greetings in the US With close relationships they will greet each other with a hug or kiss on the cheek, while with a social or business relationship they will greet each other with a handshake When it comes to communication, Americans attach great importance to shaking hands In Vietnam, people attach importance to hierarchy, so the way of greeting is somewhat more complicated depending on the relationship with the communicator There are different ways of greeting depending on the relationship, age, gender, and status For example, when younger people want to greet lders they will bow their heads slightly and use the right hand to touch the elder's right shoulder In my opinion, although there are different ways of greeting between Vietnamese and Americans, I think that shaking hands is a must-do since it is a way of showing friendship and trust with communication partners Contexts The U.S.A Vietnam Formal: “nice to meet you” to greet for the first meeting Formal: “Chào bạn”, “Chào In the morning: good ông”, etc morning Informal: “Này, ”Ê”, etc In the afternoon: good Greeting by afternoon saying In the evening: good “hi/ hello” evening Greet the people who are older than us, add the word “ạ” after the sentence You should greet from the oldest Informal: Say “hi”, “hello”, to the youngest “Chào + “hey”, “what’s up”, etc pronouns (based on age, status) Use “hi/hello”, “good + ạ”, “Con chào bác ạ” morning/ good afternoon/ good evening/ good night” Greeting on the phone Just say “Hello/Hi” Say “Alô They say “Lady and Formal meetings Gentlemen” to all and ceremonies participants Popular greetings There are many ways “Nhiệt liệt chào mừng”, “Kính thưa quý vị đại biểu” A Hello, How’s it today? A.Cháu học à! B: Hi! I’m great I’m late B Vâng for school Bye! 10 CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 3.1 Discussion As abovementioned, greeting gestures play an essential role and is an integral part in our life When you work and communicate in foreign environments or when you travel to another country, firstly, you have to read books or posts relating to greeting gestures of that country to know the behavior Thus, I decided to carry out the project with the hope of finding the similarities and differences in greeting in America and Vietnam to avoid misunderstandings which can lead to communication breakdown in cross-cultural communication 3.2 Conclusion There are certainly many differences between Vietnam, a traditional country with a high standard in the manner, and the United State with an open-minded Nevertheless, greeting can bring to people conflicts and misunderstandings Thus, choosing greeting ways have to be suitable to the situation, attitude and expression After all, differences and similarities reveal the significance as well as the aspect in cultural life of each nation In terms of the greetings in American English which is more strictly adhered to Vietnamese and Vietnamese rarely uses the rulebased greeting It seems to find greeting in English easier than Vietnamese, reality is not so It is very difficult for English people when learning Vietnamese is the accompanying sayings, the topics raised while greeting are very flexible and different from 11 Vietnamese So, in a situation of greeting between a native speaker and a language learner, one often feels that the person who learns the language, greets them in a rather coarse manner, or makes unreasonable exchange topics The conversation may be abruptly ended The reasons of abrupt ending are as follows: The person who learns the language is not very familiar with the culture and tradition that required to greet in English How does a Vietnamese greets in English? It is too different from Vietnamese The second reason is that the American English greeting is not flexible enough to allow free conversation topic for discussion, unlike Vietnamese In addition, there should be some rules in English greeting while there is no any rule in Vietnamese greeting The last reason of abrupt ending with a native speaker will be explained in detail while focusing on the topics raised by a language learner 12 REFERENCE itourvietnam (2020, 06 29) Learn Vietnamese Greetings Retrieved from itourvietnam: https://www.itourvn.com/blog/learn-vietnamese-greetings Phương, Đ T (2016) Using greeting gestures in America and Vietnam – The similarities and differences in light of cross culture communication Retrieved from Dspace: https://lib.hpu.edu.vn/bitstream/handle/123456789/23427/01_DoThiThuPhuong12 12751020.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Tourism, V (2011, 11 19) Vietnamese Expression Culture in Non-verbal Communication Retrieved from Vietnam Tourism: https://www.vietnamtourism.org.vn/attractions/culture/customs-habits/vietnameseexpression-culture-in-nonverbal-communication.html Wikipedia (2021, 3) Greeting Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeting 13 14