A cross-cultural stydy of pauses and time-fillers in some American and Vietnamese films

A cross-cultural stydy of pauses and time-
fillers in some American and Vietnamese films
Nghiên cứu giao văn hóa về việc sử dụng các
quãng lặng và các yếu tố khỏa lấp trong một số
bộ phim Việt Nam và Mỹ

Nguyễn Thị Hồng Nhung

University of Languages and International Studies
M.A. Thesis. English linguistics; Mã số: 60 22 15
Supervisor : Nguyễn Quang Pr.Dr
Năm bảo vệ: 2012

Abstract. The present study is a comparative and exploratory study of the use of
silence/pauses and time-fillers in American and Vietnamese films. Its aims are to
investigate: (i) How the Vietnamese characters perform silence/pauses and time-fillers
in the contexts studied, (ii) How the American characters perform silence/pauses and
time-fillers in the contexts studied, and (iii) What the major differences between
American and Vietnamese characters in performing silence/pauses and time-fillers are.
Data are collected from four Vietnamese and four American films. They are analyzed
against the three reference points of availability, proportionality and manifestability to
find out major similarities and differences between American and Vietnamese
characters (and hopefully, the American and the Vietnamese) in using silence/pauses
and time-fillers. The results show that American and Vietnamese characters have
different preferences for using silence/pauses and time-fillers in the films under
investigation. They are significantly different not only in the number of pause and
time-filler occurrences, but also in the duration and location. Moreover, the variables
of power such as ‘high-to-low’, ‘low-to-high’, or ‘equal’ tend to have a significant
influence on the occurrence, the duration and the location of silence/pauses and time-
fillers for both groups.
Keywords. Giao văn hóa; Tiếng Anh; Ngôn ngữ học

Content.
The study consists of three parts:
Part I. Introduction, which provides the rationale, scope, aims and methods of the sudy.
Part II. Development, which consists of three chapters.
Chapter 1. Theoretical preliminaries. This chapter covers the relationship
between language and culture, language and communication, cross-cultural
communication, high-context and low-context culture, non-verbal communication and
paralanguage.
Chapter 2. Silence/pauses and Time-fillers. This chapter reviews the issues
relevant to the study including silence/ pauses and time-fillers. Then the notions of
silence/ pause and time-filler definitions and usages are discussed.
Chapter 3. Findings and Discussions. The strategies of using silence/pauses and
time-fillers are identified and major cross-cultural differences and similarities
discussed.
Part III. Conclusion, in which the main findings are reviewed, the implications for
cross-culture interactions, the limitations of the study pointed out and suggestions for
further research offered.
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Vietnamese film: Mùa lá rụng.
Vietnamese film: Lập trình trái tim.
Vietnamese film: Phía trước là bầu trời.
Vietnamese film: Cô gái xấu xí – Tập 69.
American film: Enchanted
American film: Smart people
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