Mother image in English and Vietnamese songs – A literary analysis using transitivity system in Systemic Functional Linguistics perspective

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TẠ THỊ THU HẰNG MOTHER IMAGE IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE SONGS – A LITERARY ANALYSIS USING TRANSITIVITY SYSTEM IN SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS PERSPECTIVE (Hình tượng người mẹ hát tiếng Anh tiếng Việt – phân tích văn học theo hệ thống chuyển tác ngôn ngữ chức hệ thống) M.A COMBINED PROGRAMME THESIS Major: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Hanoi - 2016 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES TẠ THỊ THU HẰNG MOTHER IMAGE IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE SONGS – A LITERARY ANALYSIS USING TRANSITIVITY SYSTEM IN SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS PERSPECTIVE (Hình tượng người mẹ hát tiếng Anh tiếng Việt – phân tích văn học theo hệ thống chuyển tác ngôn ngữ chức hệ thống) M.A COMBINED PROGRAMME THESIS Major: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Lâm Quang Đông Hanoi – 2016 DECLARATION I declare that this MA thesis, entitled Mother image in English and Vietnamese songs – A literary analysis using transitivity system in Systemic Functional Linguistics perspective, is entirely the result of my own work The thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or tertiary institution, and to the best of my knowledge, neither does it contain material previously published or written by another person, except where due acknowledgement is made in the text Hanoi, 2016 Tạ Thị Thu Hằng i ACKNOWLEGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc.Prof.Dr Lâm Quang Đông for transferring me his specialized knowledge, his inspiring me the love in linguistics as well as his valuable suggestions, advice and correction throughout my study I also take this opportunity to thank all my lecturers in the Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi for their interesting lectures, which have surely contributed to the foundation of my thesis Finally, I would like to show my deep gratitude to my family for their support, encouragement and understanding, without which my theis would not have been accomplished Hanoi, January, 2016 Ta Thi Thu Hang ii ABSTRACT Song lyrics and rhymes serve as an important part of English teaching curricula in a variety of countries Of all topics, songs about mother have drawn attraction of listeners and learners as they not only entertain people but also educate them in terms of linguistic knowledge and moral values Until now, there has not been much research on mother image under the light of linguistics These provide me with the motivation to carry out the research “Mother image in English and Vietnamese songs – A literary analysis using transitivity system in Systemic Functional Linguistics perspective” The study is conducted to figure out the similarities and differences in the way mother image is represented in English and Vietnamese in view of systemic linguistic perspective In other words, the study aims to give readers a brief description and analysis of mother image in English and Vietnamese songs Within the framework of an M.A thesis, the research cannot cover all aspects of mother image in English and Vietnamese; we therefore limit it to a manageable scope: analyzing mother image in songs in terms of transitivity system Two principal methods employed in the study are descriptive and comparative analysis Through descriptive method, six types of transitivity process in each language were identified In fulfilling the focuses of the study, comparative method is applied to the identification of prominent features of mother image in English and Vietnamese songs The paper also provides conclusions on the images to which mother is compared, and these images are closely associated with cultural and historical factors Insights gained through this study lend themselves to suggestions for designing exercises based on songs for teaching English as well as linguistic theory iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF TABLES AND PICTURES vi INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Aims and research questions 2.1 Aims 2.2 Research questions 3 Scope and significance of the study 3.1 Scope 3.2 Significance 4 Methodology and procedures 4.1 Methodology 4.2 Procedures: data collection and analysis CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS 1.2 APPLICATION OF TRANSITIVITY SYSTEM IN LITERARY ANALYSIS 10 1.3 DEFINITION OF “IMAGE” 20 CHAPTER II: DATA ANALYSIS - TRANSITIVITY PATTERNS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE SONGS 21 2.1 TRANSITIVITY PATTERNS IN ENGLISH SONGS 21 2.2 TRANSITIVITY PATTERNS IN VIETNAMESE SONGS 25 iv CHAPTER III: DISCUSSION - A COMPARISON BETWEEN MOTHER IMAGES IN ENGLISH SONGS AND IN VIETNAMESE SONGS 28 3.1 SIMILARITIES 28 3.2 DIFFERENCES 52 CONCLUSION 68 RECAPITULATION 68 SUGGESTIONS FOR DESIGNING EXERCISES 70 LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES 72 REFERENCE 74 APPENDIX A I APPENDIX B V v LIST OF TABLES AND PICTURES Page Table 1: Three lines of a meaning in a clause 10 Table 2: Process types, their meanings and characteristic 12 participants Table 3: Material process type 13 Table 4: Mental process type 14 Table 5: The principal types of relational process 15 Table 6: Behavioural process type 15 Table 7: Verbal process type 16 Table 8: Existential process type 17 Table 9: Participants functions 18 Table 10: Range functions 18 Table 11: Circumstantial elements 19 Table 12: Transitivity patterns in English songs 21 Table 13: Transitivity patterns in Vietnamese songs 25 Table 14: Comparison examples between English and 60 Vietnamese songs Picture 1: Difference in feeling expression between 64 Westerners and Easterners Picture 2: Difference in thought expression between 65 Westerners and Easterners Picture 3: Cultural thought patterns in inter-cultural education vi 65 INTRODUCTION Rationale “Music gives you happiness and sadness But it also, also heals your soul” (From the song “Let the music heal your soul”) Music is a very colorful thread woven into the entire fabric of our life Singing songs with melodic rhythm is a subtle way for people to share their happiness and sadness Moreover, music lyrics and rhymes serve as an important part of English teaching curricula in a variety of countries As an obvious example, in Taiwan, songs and rhymes are expected to fulfill different purposes in elementary education, especially in English teaching (Teng, 2013) In a lot of well-known English textbooks such as Headway, New English File and Solutions which are in use in Vietnam, songs are used as a part of exercises Another example is in the famous English teaching program ESL Podcast, music is often played at the beginning and the end of each audio For instance, to teach the vowel /i:/, instead of saying ““Today we are going to discuss about the way to pronounce /i:/”, a piece of music introduced: We are three Shall have some tea She will come And so will he If by chance We see a bee We’ll say buzz off Don’t bother me (two – three – four – five – six – seven – eight) (Chorus) Fiddle de fiddle de Fiddle dee dee Fiddle de fiddle de Fiddle dee dee (Bee Movie script, 2007) According to Gardner (1983: 20), a Harvard psychologist, “music intelligence is equal in importance to logical mathematical intelligence, linguistic intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence and intrapersonal intelligence” In linguistic area in Vietnam, the effectiveness of music in enhancing listening skill is also studied at Phuong Dong University by Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, 2006 or by Nguyen Thi Quyet 2005 supplied learners with language knowledge of structures and meanings in English and Vietnamese nursery rhymes abandon their children under any circumstances, even when their children make unforgivable mistakes It cannot be denied that they are not only features of mothers in English speaking countries or in Vietnamese, but also features of all mothers in the world Dedication, patience and tolerance make a mother wherever they are All processes classified according to the theory of Halliday are found out in English and Vietnamese songs There is some coincidence in the ranks of transitivity processes Similarly, stylistic devices named simile, metaphor are used in both languages However, the frequency of usage and the rank are not the same Along with similarities, differences shown between mother images in English and Vietnamese songs have uncovered the history context, the ideologies lying behind each language In the period of wartime, not only accepting to leave their children as mother in English songs, Vietnamese mother directly or indirectly engage in the war Many of them are transporters and protectors for soldiers who are taking over secret missions Others stay in the rear to supply food to soldiers in the battlefield Vietnam has experienced four thousand years of building and maintaining the countries with hundreds of wars Vietnamese people fight to drive the invaders off their territorial sovereignty so the engagement of all classes at every age is necessary, especially these women In the peacetime, the way these authors carve the mother image is diverse, which is the result of difference in culture Instead of directly praise the great contribution of mothers, Vietnamese authors utilize the power of some stylistic devices such as simile or metaphor which are presented through relational process Therefore, the relational process leads the first in the total number in Vietnamese songs 69 SUGGESTIONS FOR DESIGNING EXERCISES In reality, songs are widely used to design exercises in teaching listening skills or pronunciation However, we find out that it is feasible to design exercises of some certain subjects for learners in higher education because of the variety in terms of structures and stylistic devices used Following are some examples of exercise in a specific subject  In Functional Grammar for Master students Task 1: Analyze the following text in terms of clause and clause complex and transitivity, mood and theme Provide comments on the above aspects Which type of process is used most? Can you give explanation? “Mẹ dòng suối dịu hiền Mẹ hát thần tiên Là bóng mát cao Là mắt sáng trăng Là ánh đuốc đêm lạc lối Mẹ lọn mía ngào Là tiếng dế đêm thâu Là nắng ấm nương dâu 70 Là vốn liếng yêu thương cho đời” (From the song “Bông hồng cài áo” ) Task 2: Analyze the following text in terms of clause and clause complex, thematic progression and cohesion Provide comments on the above aspects Mother There is no other Like Mother So treat Her right Mother I always Love Her My Mother So treat Her right, treat Her right M is for the moan, and the miserable groan From the pain that She felt when I was born O is for the oven with it's burning' heat Where She stood making' sure I had something to eat T is for the time that She stayed up at night And took my temperature when I wasn't feeling' right (From the song “Treat your mother right”) 71  In Semantics for University and Master students Task 1: Identify linguistic means used in the following songs “Bàn tay mẹ chắn mưa sa Bàn tay mẹ chặn bão qua mùa màng Vẫn bàn tay mẹ dịu dàng À trăng vàng ngủ ngon À trăng tròn À trăng nằm nôi” (From the song “À tay mẹ”) “Your love is like a river peaceful and deep Your love is like a secret that I never could keep When I look into your eyes I know that’s true God must spent a little more time on you Never thought that love could feel like this Then you change my world with just one kiss” (From the song “A little more time on you”) LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES The study has been the first trial to discover the similarities and differences between mother images in English and Vietnamese songs; however, it has been limited to some aspects investigated only The following studies, if possible, various aspects should be analyzed such as THEME and MOOD in 72 clauses Besides some stylistic devices mentioned in the study, other stylistic devices can be used as tools to compare such as metonymy, anaphora or litotes The study focuses in comparing English and Vietnamese songs as genre; therefore, further research should be made on other related genres such as poems or proses 73 REFERENCE In English Brad Shaw (1998) Figures of speech Retrieved from http://theologue.wordpress.com/tag/figures-of-speech/ Gardner, H (1983) Music intelligence Harward University: USA Gerot, L & Wignell, P (1994) Making Sense of Functional Grammar Antipodean Educational Enterprises: Sydney Halliday, M.A.K & Matthiessen, C M I M (2004) An Introduction to Functional Grammar London E Arnold Halliday, M.A.K & Matthiessen (1994) Introduction to functional grammar (2nd ed.) London E.Arnold Halliday, M.A.K (1994) An introduction of functional grammar London E Arnold Kaplan, R.B (1966) Cultural thought patterns in Inter-cultural education Blackwell Publishers Lakoff & Johnson (1920) Metaphor we live by John Benjamins Leech.N.L (1969) A linguistic Guide to English Poetry London: Longman ltd 10.Nunan, D (1992) Introducing Discourse Analysis Penguin: London 11.Saeed (2003) Semantics Blackwell publisher 12.Swales, J (1990) Genre analysis English in academic and research settings Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 13.Teng Y C (2013) Analysis of songs and rhymes in children English text books Retrieved www.naer.edu.tw/ezfiles/0/1000/img/18/100-09.pdf 74 from 14 Thompson, G (1996) Introducing Functional Grammar New York, NY: ST.Martin‟s Press, Inc 15.Yang Liu (2015) East meets West Taschen America Llc In Vietnamese 16.Cù Đình Tú (1953) Phong cách học đặc điểm từ vựng Tiếng Việt NXB Đại học Trung học chuyên nghiệp: Hà Nội 17.Hoàng Văn Vân (2005) Ngữ pháp kinh nghiệm cú tiếng Việt: Mô tả theo quan điểm chức hệ thống Science and Society Publishing house 18.Nguyễn Hòa (2004) Understanding English semantics VNU Publishing house 19.Võ Đại Quang (2005) Semantics The culture and information Publishing house 75 APPENDIX A LIST OF ENGLISH SONGS No Names of songs Authors or singers A little more time on you Alabama A mother‟s intuition Carly Simon A mother‟s love KEM A mother‟s prayer Carnie Wilson A song for Mama Kenneth B Admonds Coat of many colors Dolly Parton Dear Mama 2Pac Goodbye‟s (The saddest word) Celine Dion Hey mama Kayne West 10 I can‟t live without mother‟s love Sun Kil Moon 11 I know my mother weeps for me Charles.Thompson 12 I love my mama Snoop Dog 13 I want a mom Cyndi Lauper 14 I‟ll always love my mama Snoop Dog 15 In my daughter‟s eyes Martina Mcbride I 16 Julia The Beatles 17 Letters from home John Michael Montgomery 18 Mama Spice Girls 19 Mama Chris Brown 20 Mama Unknown 21 Mama and me Nelie MCKAY 22 Mama knows best Jessie J 23 Mama said Metallica 24 Mama tried Merle Haggard 25 Mama, can you hear me? ACE HOOD 26 Mom Berlin 27 Mom Bony Tyler 28 Mom Earth, wind and fire 29 Mom Lucero 30 Mother Pink Floyd 31 Mother would comfort me Charles Sawyer 32 Mother‟ little helper The Rolling stones II 33 Mother‟s Day song Adam Sandler 34 Music of my heart NSYNC 35 Our house Madness 36 Sadie R.Kelly 37 Slipping through my fingers ABBA 38 Soldier‟s last letter Earnest Tubb 39 Super woman Karyn White 40 Thank you, Mom Good Charlotte 41 Thanks to you Richard Marx 42 That‟s my mama 43 The baby Blake Shelton 44 The best day Taylor Swift 45 The mom song Anita Renfroe 46 The perfect fan Backstreet Boys 47 Treat your mother right Mr T 48 Turn to you Justin Bieber 49 You‟ll be in my heart Phil Collins III 50 Your mother and mine Wendy Darling (soundtrack of Peter Pan film) IV APPENDIX B LIST OF VIETNAMESE SONGS No Names of songs Authors or singers À tay Mẹ Trần Viết Tân Bà mẹ quê Phạm Duy Bài hát tặng mẹ Kyo Bàn tay mẹ Bùi Đình Thảo Bao la tình mẹ Quốc An Bóng Vũ Quốc Việt Bơng hồng cài áo Thích Nhất Hạnh Ca dao mẹ Trịnh Cơng Sơn Chỉ mẹ Lê Minh Trung 10 Chúc mừng tuổi mẹ Lê Đức Long 11 Chuyện mẹ Phi Hùng 12 Con cò Lưu Hà An 13 Đất nước Phạm Minh Tuấn 14 Đất nước lời ru Văn Thành Nho 15 Đi tìm lời ru mẹ Vân Quang Long V 16 Đời mẹ Xuân Hiếu 17 Đưa cơm cho mẹ cày Hàn Ngọc Bích 18 Hát mẹ Việt Nam anh hùng An Thuyên 19 Huyền thoại mẹ Trịnh Công Sơn 20 Lời ru cho Nguyễn Xuân Phương 21 Lời ru mẹ Mạnh Quỳnh 22 Lời ru mẹ Trần Tử Thiêng & Tấn An 23 Lời ru nương Trần Hồn 24 Lịng mẹ Y Vân 25 Mẹ tia nắng Trịnh Vĩnh Thành 26 Mẹ Vũ Việt Hùng 27 Mẹ Mạnh Quân 28 Mẹ Phật Võ Tá Hân 29 Mẹ quê Phương Thanh 30 Mẹ tơi Đồn Bổng 31 Mẹ tơi Ngơ Trần Nguyễn VI 32 Mẹ yêu Ba mèo 33 Mẹ yêu Nguyễn Văn Tý 34 Mơ mẹ Dương Thụ 35 Mừng tuổi mẹ Trần Long Ẩn 36 Người mẹ tơi Xn Hồng 37 Nhật kí mẹ Nguyễn Văn Chung 38 Nhớ mẹ Đình Văn 39 Nhớ mẹ quê Nguyễn Đức Trung 40 Nhớ ơn mẹ Phan Đinh Tùng 41 Nỗi buồn mẹ Minh Vy 42 Quang gánh mẹ Lê Đức Hùng 43 Tấm áo chiến sĩ mẹ vá năm xưa Nguyễn Văn Tý 44 Thư xuân cho mẹ Vũ Đức Hạnh 45 Tiếng ru thần tiên mẹ Phương Thùy 46 Tình mẹ Nguyễn Nhất Huy 47 Tình mẹ Quang Lê 48 Tự khúc mẹ ru Vũ Khắc Tuận VII 49 Vắng cha Quốc An 50 Về thăm mẹ Trần Chung VIII