A Vietnamese - American cross-cultural study on disparaging Nguyễn Thị Hồng Vân Trường Đại học Ngoại Ngữ Luận văn ThS. Chuyên ngành: English Linguistics; Mã số: 60 22 15 Người hướng dẫn: M.A. Phan Thị Vân Quyên Năm bảo vệ: 2010 Keywords: Văn hóa Việt Nam; Văn hóa Mỹ; Giao văn hóa; Giao tiếp Content: PART A – INTRODUCTION 1. RATIONALE Vietnamese learners usually find it difficult to communicate appropriately in English with native speakers, especially American people despite their language competence. Shyness and lack of confidence are common problems facing Vietnamese learners. They sometimes even can not understand native speakers and feel uncomfortable to express themselves in particular situations. This partly originates from the lack of socio-cultural knowledge and interaction skills among Vietnamese learners. The differences between western and eastern culture can be referred to as a reason why Vietnamese learners often fail in communicating with native speakers. Asian learners are not familiar with western cultural norms. It is concluded that language and culture have a close relationship. Even an English-competent learner needs cultural knowledge of the target language to be successful in communication. Therefore, learning about the target culture, and especially the differences between the source and target cultures is an effective way for us to master the target language. Cultural knowledge will help us to avoid misunderstanding, culture shock and breakdown in communication. A number of studies have been carried out so far on English-Vietnamese cross-cultural pragmatics / communication by Vietnamese authors such as Conveying Good and Bad News (Quang, 1992), Requesting (Thanh, 2000), Apologizing and Responding to Apologies (Phuong, 1999), Requesting (Tam, 1998), Greeting (Suu, 1990; Nguyen, 1997), Advising (Le, 1999), Thanking and Responding to Thanks (Hoang, 1998), Refusing a Request (Quyen, 2001), Expressing Sympathy (Nga, 2003), Making Suggestions (Lam, 2004), Expressing Annoyance (Phung, 2006), Promising (Be, 2008), but no research has been conducted on disparaging. There is a good reason for the choice of this act because it is a face-threatening act. Therefore, it requires much sensitivity and cross-cultural awareness in order to gain effective communication without hurting the listeners. This research will hopefully provide learners as well as teachers and people working in intercultural environment with better understanding of the nature of this behavior across cultures and ability to reduce to the least negative effect on cross-cultural communication, and most importantly, to communicate safely and effectively. 2. AIMS OF THE STUDY To investigate the way Vietnamese people and American people disparage in given situations To clarify the most noteworthy similarities and differences in the ways Vietnamese and American people disparage in their own languages and cultures. 3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research plans to address the following questions: Question 1: How do American and Vietnamese people disparage in different situations and with different communicating partners? Question 2: What are the most noteworthy similarities and differences in the ways Vietnamese and American disparage in their own languages and cultures? 4. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The thesis focuses on strategies of expressing disparagement in Vietnamese and American culture. Responding to disparagement is beyond the scope of this study. The author is fully aware of the remarkable contribution of paralinguistic and extralinguistic aspects of disparaging, however, they are not taken in to consideration. The Vietnamese Northern dialect and American – English are chosen for contrastive analysis. The data are collected by conducting survey questionnaires both in English and Vietnamese, based on socially-differentiated situations in which disparagement takes place and three groups of informants in social, business, and family status. Recorded and video taped face-to- face conversations are impossible due to limitations of time, geographical distance and financial difficulties. 5. METHODOLOGY In order to achieve the objectives of the cross-cultural research, the main method of the study is survey research. 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Một số phương pháp nghiên cứu giao tiếp nội văn hóa và giao văn hóa. Trường Đại Học Ngoại Ngữ - ĐHQG Hà Nội. . comments and conclusions in this thesis are largely based on: - reference to relevant publications - survey questionnaires - statistics, description and analysis of the collected data - personal. contribution of paralinguistic and extralinguistic aspects of disparaging, however, they are not taken in to consideration. The Vietnamese Northern dialect and American – English are chosen for contrastive. contrastive analysis. The data are collected by conducting survey questionnaires both in English and Vietnamese, based on socially-differentiated situations in which disparagement takes place