proposal thesis đề cương chi tiết

TRÂM ANH NHỚ LÀM THÊM BÌA NGOÀI
RESEARCH PROPOSAL

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Statement of the problem
1.1.1. Theoretical background
The final purpose of learning and teaching a language in general and English in
particular is that learner can communicate effectively. In order to obtain a
successful communication, we should take a careful consideration of every
aspect of a language. In fact, linguistic features are involved in syntax,
semantics and pragmatics. Besides, other basic factors such as phonology,
lexicology, morphology are also important. Therefore, degree words are like
“small bricks” of the “language building” and they have their own colorful
features. Although many books and studies have mentioned English degree
words, it remains a rather complicated and difficult aspect of language. The
questions of whether the contribution of these degree words is conceptual or
procedural, and how they behave in the structure of the utterance realizing the
speech acts of various discourse are still unsolved.
1.1.2. Practical background
As for many Vietnamese learners of English, especially students at upper
secondary school, understanding the meaning and learning how to use degree
words is not an easy task. Most of their utterances produced in English tend to
be bared statements without the modification of degree words or if their
utterances are modified, there is likely the negative transfer due to the habit of
using degree words in their mother tongue - Vietnamese. In most cases, the
words are used regardless of its particular context, and also, the use of degree
words is restricted to one degree word - “very”.


1.2. Aims and objectives of the study
1.2.1. Aims

The aims of this study – the semantics of degree words in English vs the
Vietnamese translational equivalents are:
- To examine the semantic features of English degree words
- To examine the semantic features of Vietnamese degree words
- To find out the similarities and differences of degree words between the two
languages.
- To help students of upper secondary schools understand more about degree
words.
1.2.2. Objectives
The study is planned to:
- Investigate the wide range of degree words in semantics
- Discover the possible interferences that the Vietnamese students of English in
upper secondary school may encounter in language transfer.
- Find out the possible solutions or remedy to use degree words successfully.
1.3. Research questions:
In order to reach the aims and objectives above, I try to answer these four
research questions:
- What are the semantics functions of degree words?
- What are the similarities and differences of English and Vietnamese
degree words?
- What are the common mistakes that the Vietnamese students may often
have in using degree words?
1.4. Scope of the study:


The study examines the semantics of degree words under 4 main categories:
degree adverbs, degree adjectives, degree nouns and degree verbs.
1.5. The significance of the study:
When the thesis was completed, we hope to help Vietnamese learners of English
( especially students at upper secondary school ) get a better insight of the nature

and the use of degree words in the two languages.
1.6. Organization of the study:
This study is designed with 5 chapters
Chapter 1 presents the introduction. In chapter 2, we mention literature and
theoretical background. Chapter 3 is about the method and procedures of study.
Chapter 4 presents our finding and discussion. Chapter 5 is our conclusion and
implications for language learning and recommendation for further research.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW:
There have been many linguistic books written about semantics in general so far.
Studies on the semantics of the degree words of such writers as Leech (1983)
Lyons (1975) Palmer (1980) has supplied us with valuable information of
semantics.
One of the most noticeable studies about degree words is Degree words by
Bolinger in which classes of degree words were established .
In the book Ngữ pháp Tiếng Việt by Đinh Văn Đức (1986), he pointed out the
degree meaning through the combination of adjectives with words referring to
direction.
Le Thu Huyen (2001) made a research on “lexical intensifiers in English and
Vienamese - A contrastive analysis.
Le Nguyen Kim Oanh (2003) examine the words in the class of amplifiers and
intensifiers in terms of semantics and syntax.


3. THE DESIGN – METHODS AND PROCEDURES
3.1. Research design:
This is a descriptive and qualitative study executed with a contrastive analysis in
which English is chosen as the source language and Vietnamese as target
language.
3.2. Data collection:
3.2.1. Sample:

The samples are utterances containing degree words randomly picked out from
the population of the utterances modified with degree words.
3.2.2. Instruments:
Two kinds of instrument will be used:
- Survey with observation of the contexts where degree words are used.
- Questionnaires and interviews to illicit the information from the Vietnamese
students as users of degree words in English.
3.3. Data analysis:
The data will be interpreted qualitatively and quantitatively.
For the qualitative information, the study will look into the semantic functions
and pragmatic functions that the degree words may have in different contexts. I
will also look into their syntactic behaviours in different clause structures of
utterances. This will be made in referring to the particular discourse of lecture.
For the quantitative information, the study will count the occurrence of types of
degree words in semantic categories, pragmatic functions in discourse of lecture.
3.4. Procedures:
The research paper will be conducted in two main phases:


1/ Phase 1: it aims to focus on semantic analysis of degree words under four
main word classes: adjective, adverb, noun and verb
2/ Phase 2: The research is based on the information obtained from the
questionnaires and interviews.
a. The first stage is intended to survey students’ understanding about issues
concerning the use of degree words.
b. The second stage relates to the statistical figures obtained from the first
step.
c. The third stage is the comment of the qualitative and quantitative
information and the generalization of the conclusions over the population
under investigation.

4. TIME SCHEDUlE
Work

Time

- Reading materials, collecting data and

- From November/2008 to

analysing data.

31/March/ 2009.

- First draft

- From 01/April to 15/ May/2009.

- Final draft

5. PROPOSED OUTLINE

- From 01/June to 30/ July/2009


Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1.

Rationale

1.2.

Aim and objectives

1.2.1. Aim
1.2.2. Objectives
1.3.

Scope of the study

1.4.

Research questions

1.5.

Definitions of terms

Chapter 2: Literature and Theoretical Background
2.1.Literature review
2.2.Theoretical knowledge
2.2.1. The syntax of degree expressions
2.2.1.1 Two classes of degree expressions
2.2.1.2. Attachment to non-adjectival projections
2.2.1.3. Omission of the adjective
2.2.1.4. Adjunction
2.2.1.5. Topicalization
2.2.2 The semantics of degree expressions
2.2.2.1 Degree expressions as existential quantifiers
2.2.2.2 Extraction

Chapter 3: Method and Procedures
NHO DIEN THEM CAC MUC VAO CHUONG NAY (GIONG PHAN
METHOD AND PROCEDURE O TREN)


Chapter 4: Findings
4.1 .Degree adverbs in English conversation
4.1.1 Identifying the readings of adverb
4.1.2 The three readings of degree adverb
4.1.2.1 Truth attesting
4.1.2.2 Emphasizing
4.1.2.3 Degree reinforcing
4.1.3 Degree adverb in intonation
4.1.3.1 Truth attesting
4.1.3.2 Emphasizing
4.1.3.3 Degree reinforcing
4.2. Degree modifiers of adjectives in spoken English
4.2.1 Degree adjectives : with positive meaning
4.2.1.1 Higher on a scale
4.2.1.2 Lower on a scale
4.2.2 Degree adjectives : with negative meaning
4.2.2.1 Higher on a scale
4.2.2.2 Lower on a scale
4.3 .Degree nouns
4.3.1 Degree and non-degree nouns with intensifying adjectives
4.3.2Collocations of lexical intensifiers with degree nouns
4.3.3 Degree nouns with such : extensibility
4.3.4 Non- degree nouns with such : extensibility
4.3.5 Intensification with preposition of

4.3.6 Hyberbole, boosters and diminishers
4.4 Degree verbs
4.4.1. Degree and nondegree verbs with respect to intensification
4.4.2.Extensibility in verb
4.4.3. Interpretation of degree and quality description
4.4.4. Degree verbs with some grammaticized intensifiers
4.5.Semantic features of degree words in Vietnamese
4.5.1 Grammaticized intensifiers
4.5.2 Ungrammaticized intensifiers
4.5.3. Similarities and differences between Vietnamese and English
degree words
4.6. Surveys on semantic usage of students in upper secondary schools in
Danang
4.7. Challenges for using degree words to language learners
4.8. A statement of unsolved problems
Chapter 5 . Conclusion

REFERRENCES


In Vietnamese :
1. Diệp Quang Ban (1996), Ngữ Pháp Tiếng Việt , Nxb Giáo dục, Hà Nội
2. Đỗ Hữu Châu (1998), Cơ sở ngữ Nghĩa học từ vựng , Nxb Giáo dục ,
Hà Nội
3. Nguyễn Đức Dân (1998) , Lôgic và tiếng Việt , Nxb Giáo Dục, Hà Nội
4. Đinh Văn Đức ( 1986) Ngữ Pháp Tiếng Việt (Từ loại), Nxb Đại Học và
Trung học Chuyên nghiệp, Hà Nội.
5. Nguyễn Kim Thản (1997), Nghiên Cứu Về Ngữ Pháp Tiếng Việt, Nxb

Gi áo Dục Hà Nội .
In English:
6. Backlund (1973), The Collocation of Adverbs of Degree in English,
Upprela
7. Bolinger, Dwight ( 1972), Degree Words, the Hangue Paris, Mouton
8. Lorenz, Gunter R (1999), Adjective Intensification – Learners Versus
Native Speakers, Amsterdam.
9. Rolf Herwig (1987), the Interrelation Between adverbs of Manner and
Adverbs of Degree, NHA XUAT BAN???
10. Stoffel, C. (1901), Intensives and Downtoners, Carl Winter’s
universitats Bunch Hand Lung, Heidelberg.