A Vietnamese - American cross-cultural study on disparaging

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. All the considerations, 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 observation
- consultation with supervisor
- discussion with Vietnamese and foreign colleagues
6. DESIGN OF THE STUDY
The thesis consists of three main parts:
Part A: INTRODUCTION – All the academic routines required for an MA thesis are presented
PART B: DEVELOPMENT – This is the focus of the study and consists of 3 chapters
Chapter 1: Literature Review
Chapter 2: Methodology of the study
Chapter 3: Strategies of disparaging
Part C: CONCLUSION: Review of the findings, implications and limitations of the study and
some suggestions for further research.
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