A politeness strategy in expressing sympathy by american and vietnamese speakers

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

TA THI THANH HIEN

A POLITENESS STRATEGY IN EXPRESSING
SYMPATHY BY AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE
SPEAKERS
(CHIẾN LƯỢC LỊCH SỰ TRONG VIỆC DIỄN ĐẠT SỰ CẢM
THÔNG CỦA NGƯỜI MỸ VÀ NGƯỜI VIỆT NAM)

MINOR MA THESIS

Linguistics
60 22 15
Supervisor: Prof. Assoc. Tran Huu Manh, PhD

HANOI, 2010


2

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES

TA THI THANH HIEN

A POLITENESS STRATEGY IN EXPRESSING
SYMPATHY BY AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE
SPEAKERS
(CHIẾN LƯỢC LỊCH SỰ TRONG VIỆC DIỄN ĐẠT SỰ CẢM
THÔNG CỦA NGƯỜI MỸ VÀ NGƯỜI VIỆT NAM)

MINOR MA THESIS

Linguistics
60 22 15
Supervisor: Prof. Assoc. Tran Huu Manh, PhD

HANOI, 2010


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TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................

1.1.Background and significance of the study ….. .

1.2.Objectives …………………………………. ...

1.3.Overview of the study………………………....
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................

2.1.Speech acts …………………………………. .

2.2.Politeness…………………………………… ..

2.2.1. Theory of politeness………. ............................................................ 7
2.2.2. Social factors affecting politeness .. …………………………………8
2.2.3. The notion of face ………………………………………………......9
2.2.4. The notion of positive and negative politeness………………..…….9

2.3.Directness and indirectness………………… ...............................
2.3.1. Direct speech acts…………. ......................................................... 10
2.3.2. Indirect speech acts………… ........................................................

2.4.Cooperative principles………………………. .............................

2.5.The speech act of comfort…………………. ................................

2.6.Politeness in expressing sympathy………… ...............................
2.7. Sympathy and antipathy……..………………………………………… 17
CHAPTER 3: METHODLOGY ..................................................................
3.1. Research methods of the study…………….. ........................................ 19
3.2. Research questions…………………………. ...................................... 19
3.3. Research design…………………………….. ....................................... 19
3.3. 1. Selection of subjects………. ........................................................ 19
3.3.2. Data collection instruments……. ................................................... 20
3.3.3. Data collection procedure…. ........................................................ .23
3.4. Analytical framewor………………………… ......................................
3.4.1. Internal modification………. ......................................................... 24
3.4.2. External modifications……. .......................................................... 25


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3.4.3. The Head Act formula……. .......................................................... 26
CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ..........................................

4.1.The choice of strategy………………………. ..

4.2.The choice of External modification or Supportive Mov

4.3.The internal modifications………………………

4.4.The realization of sympathy expression……… ............

4.5.Summary of major findings…………………. .

4.6.Discussion of findings………………………. ..
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS............................

5.1.Conclusion…………………………………….

5.2.Implications………………………………………

5.3.Suggestions for further study……………… ................
REFERENCES .............................................................................................
APPENDIX A ..................................................................................................
APPENDIX B................................................................................................
APPENDIX C .............................................................................................
APPENDIX D………………………………………………………….…….XII