A CROSS CHUTRAL STUDY ON THE WAY IN WHICH SPEAKER OF VIETNAMESE AND SPEAKER OF ENGLISH

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