Hanoi Open University Faculty of English and Modern Languages *** graduation paper b.a degree in english Influence of Some Factors in Western Culture on English Learner s ’ Commu nication in Vietnam Supervisor : §Æng Quèc TuÊn Student: NguyÔn D¬ng Lan Anh Date of birth: 10-10-1985 Course: 2004-2008 Hanoi, April 2008 Graduation paper DECLARATION Influence of Some Factors in Western Culture on English Learners’ Communication in Vietnam. (Graduation Paper submitted in Partial Fulfilment for B.A Degree in English). I certify that no part of the above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other person’s work without acknowledgement and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor. Date submitted: 08/05/2008 Student Supervisor NguyÔn D¬ng Lan Anh §Æng Quèc TuÊn Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 2 Graduation paper Acknowledgements I would like to express my thanks to many people who have assisted my graduation paper. Firstly, to my supervisor, Mr. §Æng Quèc TuÊn, M.A.,I owe a special debt of gratitude for him scholarship, patient guidance, impossible to enumerate the number of tasks he has so kindly taken on. I am indebted to all teachers at the Faculty of English-Hanoi Open Universitty who have given us a place to study to improve our knowledge. I would like to thank survey respondent in my class (K11G group) and from students in Faculty of English Department, who contributed to the data of this thesis. I take this opportunity to thank all my friends who have stimulated and helped me develop ideas for the thesis. The support extended me by members of my family has been immeasurable. I am profoundly grateful to my parents and my brothers for their heartfelt support and stimulation. Without them, my work would be less meaningful. Hanoi, May 2008 Nguyen Duong Lan Anh Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 3 Graduation paper Tables of contents Part A: Introduction I. Rationale…………………………………… ……1 II. Aims of the study………………………………… 2 III. Scopes of the study…………………………… ……2 IV. Methods of the study………………………… …….2 V. Design of the study…………………………… …… 3 Part B: Development Chapter I: literature review I.1 Overview of culture………………………………… 4 I.1.1 Definition of culture…………………………………… … 4 I.1.2 Culture and the meaning it represents……………… …….5 I.2 Communication………………………………… …… 6 I.2.1 The definition of communication …………… ……….6 I.2.2 Models of communication…………………… ……… 7 I.2.2.1 Verbal communication……………………… ………….7 I.2.2.1.1. Overview of verbal communication………… ………….7 I.2.2.1.2 Culture and verbal communication…………………… 8 I.2.2.2 Nonverbal communication………………………… ……8 I.2.2.1 What is nonverbal communication? 8 I.2.2.2 Culture and nonverbal communication…………… 9 I.3 The cross-cultural communication………………… 10 I.4 The roles of culture in communication…………… 12 I.5 The relationship between language and culture…… 13 Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 4 Graduation paper I.6 Summary………………………………………… ……14 Chapter II: The study II.1 Some similar features between Western and Vietnamese communicating cultures……………… ………………… 15 II.1.1 In eyes contact……………………… …………………… 15 II.1.2 In gesture…………………………… ………………………16 II.1.2.1 Gestures express emotion status… ……………………… 16 II.1.2.2 Gestures express human’s relationship…… ……………… 16 II.2 Some differences in communicating culture between Vietnam and Western countries…………… …………….17 II.2.1 In Giving and Accepting Compliment Behaviors……… 18 II.2.2 In Greeting…………………………………………… …… 19 II.2.3 In Making Requests………………………………. .……… 22 II.2.4 In Giving invitation……………………… …………… 25 II.2.5 Non-verbal communication…………… ……………….27 II.2.5.1 In eye contact………………………. ………………… 27 II.2.5.2 In Facial Expressiveness………….…………………… 29 II.2.5.3 In Using Gesture and Body Positioning…………… ….31 II.3 Summary………………………………………….…… 34 Chapter III: Some difficulties of Western communicating cultures on Vietnamese Learners of English III.1 Misunderstanding in communication……… ………… 35 III.1.1 What is the misunderstanding? 35 Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 5 Graduation paper III.1.2 Misunderstanding in Behavior… …………………………… 36 III.1.3 Misunderstanding in response… …………………………… 38 III.1.4 Misunderstanding in Nonverbal Communication…….…….39 III.2 Culture Shock………………………………… ……….40 III.2.1 What is Culture Shock?………………………………………40 III.2.2 In Giving Refusal…………………………………………… 40 III.2.3 In Using Language…………………………………………….42 III.3 Some difficulties in learning English……………… 44 III.3.1 In learning styles………………………………… 44 III.3.2 In relationship between teachers and students … 46 III.3.3 In Non-Verbal Communication………………… 47 III.4 Summary…………………………………………. .… 48 Chapter IV: Some Suggestions IV.1 How to overcome misunderstanding and culture shock? IV.1.1 Misunderstanding…………………………… ……….49 IV.1.2 Culture shock…………………………………. .…….51 IV.2 Some suggestions for teachers and students…… 53 IV.2.1 Keeping eye contact………………………… … 53 IV.2.2 Facial expression in the classroom………… … 53 IV.2.3 Greeting and Addressing Friendly………… … 54 IV.2.4 Some other suggestions…………………… …….54 IV.3 Summary…………………………………… …… 55 Chapter III: conclusion…… … … …… 56…… Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 6 Graduation paper References…………………………………. .……… 57 Influence of Some Factors in Western Culture on English Learners… Communication in Vietnam Part A: Introduction II.Rationale Communication today is almost instantaneous, it happens with a high speed. It is interesting to note how the speed of communication has changed the world. To many people, the world has become smaller because of the modern technology. Although each country around the world has their own language, the trend of learning another common language like English, one of the most international languages in the world become popular. Thus, the universalized education of English is being carried out strongly and globally. In Vietnam, English is rather popular, people at different ages and in different fields learn English with the aim to enhance the effectiveness of communication. On the other hand, learning English is a good chance to discover the people, lifestyle, tradition of other countries and to exchange culture as well as providing opportunities for people so that they could live, work and study oversea. However, most of learners of English and people using English are affected by some cultural factors of language in communication. As we know, culture is the essence of communication and each country has its own culture which is reflected in language, so the communication activities of each nation reflect the culture of that nation. Many Vietnamese people who learn and use English are affected so much by cultural factors in communication. This brings a lot of advantages in conversational process, however, it causes some troubles for both sides such as misunderstanding or refusing. This may lessen the effectiveness of their communication and sometimes causing bad consequences or leading them to embarrassing situations. II. Aims of the study To solve these problems, in the framework of the study, I research …Influence of Some Factors in Western Culture on English Learners… Communication in Vietnam… with the aims to help learners of English Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 7 Graduation paper understand and know more about some similarities and differences in Vietnamese and Western cultures that cause advantages as well as difficulties in communication. Since then, English learners can master some knowledge about the culture of English and Vietnamese people in conversational process and using English more correctly and effectively. They know about the essence of the problem and then they cannot only speak English more correctly and effectively but they can also communicate in English styles. This may help people avoid the misunderstanding in communication, and then enhance the effectiveness in communicative activities. III. Scopes of the study Because of space and time, the framework of my study can not cover the whole field of culture and all the objects. In my graduation paper, I would like to focus on the following items: • Similar features between Western – Vietnamese communicating cultures. • Differences between Western – Vietnamese cultures • Some difficulties and suggestions IV. Methods of the study As the parts of the searching objects are concerned to foreign culture which Vietnamese people do not have chances to get in touch with constantly so in the study, I mostly rely on documents, books, sources from internet related to the scope of my study. Besides, I combined the result of the analysis with the suggestions from the supervisor, teachers and friends in my Faculty to make a complete study. V. Design of the study To gain the above aims, my paper is divided into three parts: Part A: Introduction This part provides an overview introduction about the rationale, aims, scope, methods and design of the study. Part B: Development This part consists of four chapters - Chapter I (Literature Review) aims introducing the comprehensive view about theory, definition of communication, culture and behavior and giving the relationship, role of culture and behavior to prepare Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 8 Graduation paper for the following analyses. - Chapter II (the study) which focuses on the cultural similarities and differences of Vietnam and some other countries. - Chapter III: Some difficulties of Western communicating culture on Vietnamese learners of English - Chapter IV: Some suggestions to overcome the difficulties Part C: Conclusion: This part is the summary of my study References Part B: Development Chapter I: literature review I.1 Overview of culture I.1.1 Definition of culture Human beings have created culture since the dawn of the man’s society. Each society has its own culture that is far from being similar to others because culture comes from society and it reflects the society in which it is formed. The term ‘culture’ has been concerned with such a long time and attracted much interest from scientists to do a thorough research. The concept as well as the content of the term ‘culture’, however, is so extensive that many scientists have still not understood clearly and profoundly. Therefore, anthropologists, sociologists and linguists, have applied the definition of culture in a variety of ways over the years, and up to this time they still continue to argue about how it should be defined. Culture, according to Edward Burnett Tylor writing from the perspective Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 9 Graduation paper of social anthropology in the UK in 1971 ‘Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society .’ Linton, R. (1945). The Culture Background of Personality. New York. ‘Culture is a configuration of learned behaviors and results of behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society .’ Lederach, J.P. (1995) define culture as follows: ‘Culture is the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them’ (P.9). More recently, the United Nations Educational, scientific and cultural organization (UNESCO) (2002) described culture as follows: ‘…Culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompassed, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions, and beliefs .’ According to Tran Ngoc Them (1997:27), in Vietnamese language, ‘culture is an organic system of material and spiritual values that mankind has accumulated and created in the process of practical activities, in the interaction between man and his natural and social environment’. From these above definitions, we can see how diverse and various the concept of culture is. Though all the authors expressed their view differently, however, all definitions mention the distinct traits of spirit and material of each society. It shows that each culture has a unique characteristic and the culture of a society is reflected in communication. I.1.2 Culture and the meaning it represents In fact, people who are in contact with members of a different culture will realize that a knowledge of the sounds, the vocabulary, and the grammar of their foreign language is indispensable when it comes to sharing information. However, that does not guarantee that understanding will take place. The critical factor in understanding has to do with cultural meaning. What does seem clear is that the language learner must first be made aware of himself as a cultural being, a product of his cultural environment. He shares a background (for example, national, ethnic and religious) which results from a common knowledge and communication style, customs, beliefs, attitudes and values. Cultural meaning is expressed in the cognitive structures as well as Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 10 [...]... becomes aware that some kind of misunderstanding has occurred According to the American Heritage Dictionary of English Language (2000), misunderstanding means an understanding of something that is not correct or putting the wrong interpretation on something In brief, misunderstanding in communication between the different cultures is unavoidable and it becomes a common phenomenon in interaction process III.1.2... contribute an important role to maintain relationships in the society In brief, greetings are social phenomena, which appear frequently in social interactions From a number of above greetings in Vietnamese as compared with those used in English, I assume that the age of interlocutors in the most important factor in selecting linguistic forms of greeting in Vietnam II.2.3 In Making Requests Requesting... cross-cultural in communication Studying cross-cultural communication is the essence demand of many people who like to use foreign language correctly and fluently without any influence of cultural factors I.4 The roles of culture in communication One factor that we can not unconcern about in communication is the culture As we know, culture is the essence of communication, so it is certain that being master of. .. Communication is the transfer of information from one person to another According to Nguyen Quang Communication is the process of sharing meaning through verbal and nonverbal behavior Therefore, it can be classified into two kinds those are verbal communication and nonverbal communication I.2.2.1 Verbal communication I.2.2.1.1 Overview of verbal communication Nguyen Quang defined: Verbal communication is... common types of indirect speech act in English has the form of an interrogative This is true to inviting In fact, this is a great difference between inviting English and Vietnamese An indirect speech act of inviting in English expressed via the question: Why dont you join our trip to the Dead Sea this weekend? may not be interpreted as an invitation in Vietnam To the Anglicists, whose culture is negative-politeness... to the informal and often hidden patterns of human interaction, expressions, and viewpoints that people in one culture share The hidden aspects of culture have significant effects on behavior and interaction with others It is obvious that a clear understanding if these will help a lot in mastering a new language for communicative purposes I.2 Communication I.2.1 The definition of communication In daily... communication is the transmission of a message from a source to a receiver The definition of communication from Wikipedia, an encyclopedia: communication is a process interaction among human beings It is the act of passing information and the process by which meanings are exchanged so as to produce understanding Nguyen Quang (1998b, 38) communication is the process of sharing meaning through verbal and nonverbal... and giving invitation between English and Vietnamese The learners of English should know them to avoid misunderstandings when communicating with foreigners II.2.5 Non-verbal communication Non-verbal communication plays an important role in most culture, sometimes to accompany and reinforce linguistic symbols, sometimes as a substitute for words Non-verbal communication expresses meaning or feeling without... working category in intercultural communication studies Generally speaking, misunderstandings have gained the role a raison-detre for studying intercultural communication, in particular under the premise that the communication in question is between cultural others, thus transforming misunderstanding into intercultural misunderstanding In other studies, conflicts, uncomfortable moments, and miscontextualization... have concluded some general rules which both English and Vietnamese people use In an ordinary conversation between two persons, normally, we often use eye contact in one third of the whole time When beginning a conversation, we see the receivers eyes Then, after knowing that they are concentrating on the talk, we see at something Sometimes, we see back whether they are listening, understanding us or not . Anh Date of birth: 10-10-1985 Course: 2004-2008 Hanoi, April 2008 Graduation paper DECLARATION Influence of Some Factors in Western Culture on English Learners’ Communication in Vietnam. (Graduation. University Faculty of English and Modern Languages *** graduation paper b.a degree in english Influence of Some Factors in Western Culture on English Learner s ’ Commu nication in Vietnam Supervisor. research Influence of Some Factors in Western Culture on English Learners… Communication in Vietnam with the aims to help learners of English Nguyễn Dương Lan Anh Group K11G 7 Graduation paper