i VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES -*** - TRẦN THỊ THANH HUYỀN A STUDY ON ENGLISH – VIETNAMESE CROSSCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN TABLE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS (NGHIÊN CỨU GIAO TIẾP GIAO VĂN HÓA ANH – VIỆT TRONG CÁC CÁCH SẮP XẾP CHỖ NGỒI) Minor thesis Field: English Linguistics Code: 60 22 15 ii VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES -*** - TRẦN THỊ THANH HUYỀN A STUDY ON ENGLISH – VIETNAMESE CROSSCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN TABLE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS (NGHIÊN CỨU GIAO TIẾP GIAO VĂN HÓA ANH – VIỆT TRONG CÁC CÁCH SẮP XẾP CHỖ NGỒI) Minor thesis Field: English Linguistics Code: 60 22 15 Supervisor: Prof Nguyễn Quang, Ph.D HANOI - 2010 vii Table of contents CERTIFICATE OF the ORIGINALITY OF STUDY PROJECT REPORT iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv Abstract v Lists of tables and figures vi Table of contents vii Part i: introduction 1 Rationale Aims of the study Scope of the study Methodology Description of the questionnaire Description of the informants Design of the study Part II: Development CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKROUND 1.1 What communication? 1.2 What non-verbal communication? 1.3 What table seating arrangement? CHAPTER 2: SEATING ARRANGEMENT AS NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION10 2.1 Table shapes 10 2.1.1 Square tables 10 2.1.2 Round tables 12 2.1.3 Rectangular tables 14 2.2 Table seating positions 16 2.2.1 Corner position 17 2.2.2 Cooperative position 18 2.2.3 Competitive – Defensive position 19 viii 2.2.4 Independent position 20 2.3 Seating arrangements 21 2.3.1 Desk-row 22 2.3.2 Cluster .24 2.3.3 Circle or semi-circle .25 2.3.4 Table-row .26 2.3.5 Pairs 27 2.3.6 Activity zones 29 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 30 3.1 Data analysis 30 3.1.1 Use of table shapes 30 3.1.2 Use of table seating positions 30 3.1.3 Frequency of using seating arrangements 36 3.2 Major similarities and differences 38 PART III: CONCLUSION 42 Conclusion .42 Suggestions for further study 43 References .44 Appendices I vi Lists of tables and figures Figure – Nguyen Quang’s diagram of communication components (2008) Figure – Square table 11 Figure – Round table 13 Figure – Positioning at a rectangular table 15 Figure – Seating positions 17 Table 1-1: Use of table shapes in the office in Vietnam and English-speaking countries 30 Table 2-1: Use of seating positions in different settings 31 Table 2-2: Use of seating positions in different situations by Vietnamese informants 34 Table 2-3: Use of seating positions in different situations by Anglophone informants 35 Table 3-1: Frequency of seating arrangements used in class in Vietnam 37 Table 3-2: Frequency of seating arrangements used in class in English-speaking countries 38 Part i: introduction Rationale Language is the basic form of communication between human beings and in a society As it is the basic form, it is also the most developed We cannot communicate in any real sense without language, other than through gestures However, we communicate through some non-verbal forms called non-verbal communication including gestures, postures, facial expressions, touching behavior, etc Non-verbal communication occupies up to 90 percent of our message and therefore plays an important role in our life But it is observed that there are non-verbal differences across cultures that may be the source of confusion for foreigners Thus, it is essential that the study of non-verbal communication be paid more attention to It is clear that where people seat others or where they sit on their own can affect the outcome of a communication encounter There is a "seating" language People can create the illusion of power or equality in their relationship-building efforts by where they sit and where they seat others at meetings, conferences and after-hours events Also, aspects of people‟s attitude towards others can be revealed in the position they take in relation to each other Indeed, the environment may have an effect on the position chosen Apparently, seating positions in the public bar of a hotel can vary from the seating positions taken in a high-class restaurant and different seating behaviors can be observed For instance, intimate couples prefer to sit side-by-side wherever possible, but in a crowded restaurant where the tables are close together, this is not possible and the couples are forced to sit opposite each other in what is normally a defensive position Hence, everyone should be aware of the meaning of different positions to act in a proper way Moreover, the way teachers organize tables and seats in their class also has influence on the effectiveness of the lesson, especially in language classroom It is necessary for native language teachers as well as Vietnamese ones to be well aware of that so as to take the best advantage of class seating arrangements For the above reasons, ‘A Study on English – Vietnamese Cross-Cultural Communication in Table Seating Arrangements’ is worth considering With an effort to raise the awareness of people in general and of teachers in particular of „something around the table‟, this area of non-verbal communication is chosen as the topic of the author‟s study Aims of the study The research is conducted:  To study different types table shapes;  To identify the meanings of basic table seating positions;  To investigate suitable seating arrangements used in classroom;  To compare and contrast the use of different types of seating positions in various situations of the two cultures for the discovery of the similarities and differences in the ways English and Vietnamese people seat others and sit themselves Scope of the study In this study, three basic types of table shapes which are square, round and rectangular are mentioned, but the survey will be narrowed down to table shapes in the office setting only Four kinds of seating positions including corner, cooperative, competitive-defensive and independent are identified in this study As the findings will be limited if attention is paid only to academic and office settings, public setting is thus included in this part Seating arrangements vary greatly in the classroom That is the reason why the author only focuses on the statistics of how teachers seat their students and tables in learning environment As age and gender of the informants not contribute significantly in the data analysis, the author decides to ignore them and focuses only on the informants‟ nationality and occupation Methodology In order to achieve the aims set above, the major method to be employed is quantitative In addition, contrastive analysis is also used All the considerations, comments and conclusions in the thesis are largely based on the following methods:  Reference to publications  Survey questionnaires  Statistics, descriptions and analysis of data  Consultations with supervisor  Personal observations  Discussions with Vietnamese and foreign colleagues Description of the questionnaire The survey questionnaire consists of questions in which the informants are requested to tick (√) to the table shapes, seating positions and seating arrangements they think appropriate The questions cover three aspects of the study: question - table shapes, questions and - seating positions and question - seating arrangements The questionnaire has two versions, one in English for the English native informants and the other in Vietnamese for the Vietnamese informants In the first question, the informants are asked to tick (√) to the type(s) of table that is/are the most commonly used in the office Among the four most common seating positions including corner, cooperative, competitive – defensive and independent positions, the informants are asked to tick (√) to the most widely used in different settings (academic setting, office setting and public setting) They are also requested to choose appropriate seating positions in different situations The situations are as follows: Situation 1: When you interview Lee Situation 2: When you persuade Lee Situation 3: When you discuss with Lee Situation 4: When you shout at Lee Situation 5: When Lee is your boss and you are presenting to him Situation 6: When you confide in Lee Situation 7: When you not know Lee Situation 8: When you not wish to contact with Lee Situation 9: When Lee is angry with you and you want to make it up with him Situation 10: When you want to get acquainted with Lee (Supposing that Lee is the person you are talking with and he is taking a permanent seat) In the last question, the informants are asked about the frequency of seating arrangements used in class in their countries Types of seating arrangements consist of deskrow, clusters, circle/ semi-circle, table-row, pairs and activity zones Because of its limitations, the thesis should only be regarded as a preliminary study and the result is believed to be tentative and suggestive Description of the informants In this study, the survey questionnaires are administered to two groups of informants The first group is the Vietnamese who are living in Hanoi, Vietnam 60 questionnaires are delivered to them and 50 of the completed questionnaires are chosen for analysis The second group is English native speakers who are living and working in Vietnam as well as some English-speaking countries such as the US, Australia, England and Canada 50 questionnaires are delivered to them directly or via e-mails, and then 50 completed ones are received Only teachers, students and staff officers are chosen as informants because the study mostly confines itself to academic and office settings Design of the study This study consists of three main parts: PART I: INTRODUCTION All the academic routines required for an M.A thesis are presented PART II: DEVELOPMENT This is the focus of the study and is composed of three chapters Chapter 1: Theoretical background Chapter 2: Seating arrangement as non-verbal communication Chapter 3: Findings and discussion PART III: CONCLUSION 38 Table-row 68 10 18 Pairs 12 80 Activity zones 76 20 Table 3-2: Frequency of seating arrangements used in class in English-speaking countries % 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 Desk-row Cluster Circled/ S emi-circled Often Sometimes Table-row Rarely Pairs Activity zones Never Chart 8: Frequency of seating arrangements used in class in English-speaking countries The chart above shows that all the six types of seating arrangement are popular in English-speaking countries Desk-row and cluster are used quite often with 50% and 40% informants think that Most of Anglophone informants (about 70 and 80 percent) share the same idea that the other four kinds are sometimes used in class The percentage of informants who think that these six kinds of seating arrangement are never used is very low The highest percentage is 18% (who think that table-row is never used in class) 3.2 Major similarities and differences  Similarities: 39 - In terms of table shapes, it is certain that square and round tables are also used in the office but much less than rectangular tables Traditionally, this type of table shape has been favored by a lot of staff officers It is easy for them to arrange positions in meetings, discussions, group-work, pair-work and independent work as well Office is the place where meetings and discussions are normally held, so rectangular table is a wise choice That is why rectangular table is so popular in offices both in Vietnam and many Anglo-Saxon countries - In terms of seating positions, there are quite a lot of similarities between the use of seating positions perceived by Vietnamese and Anglophone informants In academic setting, cooperative position is supposed to be the most commonly used by both the informants Similarly, competitive-defensive position is favored the most in office setting Both in Vietnam and English-speaking countries, independent position is the last choice for communicators It may be because public setting is the environment for communication and interpersonal communication, independence is not encouraged In the ten mentioned situations, the percentage of Vietnamese and Anglophone informants choose to take similar seating positions Particularly, in S1 (when interviewing someone), most of them take competitive-defensive position, there is just a small proportion of corner position is chosen No one takes cooperative and independent position in this situation In S8, both Vietnamese and Anglophone informants show their preference on independent position, the next is on competitive-defensive position A very small percentage of Vietnamese informants choose corner and cooperative position (only 2% each), and it is not considerable Similarly, in S9, most of them choose to take cooperative position and their next choice is corner one - In terms of seating arrangements, desk-row is the most popular seating arrangement in class both in Vietnam and English-speaking countries, the second is cluster Desk-row is the ideal arrangement for teachers to give lectures It is also easier for students to follow teachers‟ lessons It is especially suitable for class of theoretical subjects Moreover, it is perfect for testing It is the traditional type which has been using widely in many different countries 40  Differences: - In terms of table shapes, although rectangular table is the most popular in offices, square and round tables are also used very commonly in English-speaking countries Whereas, in Vietnam, they are rarely used - In terms of seating positions, Anglophone informants not choose to take corner position in S3, S4 and S5 whereas more than 20% of Vietnamese ones take it When getting acquainted to someone, Vietnamese would prefer cooperative position while Anglophone would not, they prefer competitive and corner position - In terms of seating arrangements, there are main types of seating arrangements mentioned in the study However, not all of them are widely known in Vietnam According to Vietnamese informants, circle/semi-circle and activity zones have never been used in classes They may appear in meetings, conferences but not in classes Each of these two kinds has its own advantages that should be applied in teaching That is the reason why in many Englishspeaking countries, not only these two kinds but also all the six types of seating arrangements are used No type is thought to have never been used in class in these countries While circle/semi-circle is never used in classes (in Vietnamese informants‟ opinion) and is considered rather rare in Vietnamese classes, it is used quite often in English-speaking countries This also makes learners more excited and comfortable to concentrate on the lectures, which makes a difference in studying atmosphere between Vietnam and these countries Table-row is the traditional type of seating arrangement Classrooms in Vietnam are mostly arranged in this way This may restrict students‟ activeness The way classrooms is organized in many English-speaking countries are vary various and creative, which motivates students a lot and promotes them to join in every activity in a positive way All of these help develop students‟ ability of working in groups, in pairs or independently It is suggested that 41 Vietnamese teachers apply various types of seating arrangements in organizing their classrooms in order to take the best advantage of it 42 PART III: CONCLUSION Conclusion In this study, basic types of table shape have been discussed In addition, the study helps provide a clear view on seating positions which reveals different meanings and people‟s implications when seating themselves or others People should be aware of the meaning of each position because sometimes seating position itself carries messages of the person taking it or it may show their implied attitudes to others (http://www.fastweb.com) For instance, you are in the canteen enjoying your lunch A friend from school comes (you not know him very well), holding his lunch and takes a seat of the same table with you Supposing that there are some seats left, including all the four positions (corner, cooperative, competitive-defensive and independent He takes the independent one So what message is he carrying? Should you start a conversation with him during the lunch time or just smile and say hi? The answer is „you shouldn‟t‟ His choice of position reveals that he either does not want to talk with you or wants you not to interrupt him The message here is „Leave me alone‟ On the contrary, if he takes corner or cooperative position, it may mean he is going to talk something to you and is not going to be silent during the lunch time 43 In chapter 2, the thesis author has discussed different types of seating arrangement in classrooms as well as their advantages and disadvantages There is no doubt that seating arrangements play an important role in learning activities No seating arrangement can be regarded as the best, as it depends upon various factors e.g Class size, number of students, type of chairs and tables in the room, age of students, nationality, personality of student or type of activity to take place in the classroom Therefore, teachers should be well aware of these to arrange their class in an appropriate way for a more effective lesson and get all students involved Some suggestions have also been made in the findings For this purpose, the study, to some extends, may be useful to teachers of adults and children as well In conclusion, the study hopefully has provided an insight, as it was, into the use of seating arrangements by the Vietnamese and English native speakers Suggestions for further study This study is only an initial and partial investigation into the use of seating arrangements by Vietnamese and English native speakers The following topics are well suggested for further study towards better understanding of English-Vietnamese cross-cultural differences and similarities in seating arrangements and occupations: - Seating arrangements and occupations at meals, - Seating arrangements in lectures and tutorials, - Table seating and table manners - … The study has been completed with the author‟s all-out efforts and to the best of her knowledge However she is fully conscious that shortcomings are abundantly there Therefore constructive comments are most welcome 44 References In English Alexandra Ramsden (12/16/99) Seating Arrangements University of Delaware Do Thi Mai Thanh (2000) Some English – Vietnamese Cross Cultural Differences in Requesting M.A Thesis, VNU-CFL Doff, A (1988) A Training Course for Teachers Britain: Cambridge University Press Fotitch, T (1961) Teaching Foreign Languages in the Modern World Washington: The Catholic University of America Press Hall, E.T (1959) Silent Language Doubleday & Co New York Hybels, S & Weaver II, R.I (1992) Communicating Effectively USA: McGraw – Hill, Inc Knapp, M & Hall, J (1997) Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction Harcourt Brace College Publisher, Orlando, USA Levine, D.R & Adelman, M.B (1982) Beyond Language – Intercultural Communication for English as a Second Language Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Nguyen Quang (1998) Cross-cultural Communication CFL – Vietnam National University – Hanoi 10 Nicole Cusick (12/16/99) Typical Classroom Seating Arrangements in US Elementary Schools University of Delaware 11 Phan Thi Van Quyen (2001) Some English – Vietnamese Cross Cultural Differences in Refusing a Request M.A Thesis, VNU-CFL 12 Saville-Troike, M (1986) Teaching English as a second culture In R Crymes & W Norris (Eds.), ON TESOL ‟74 Washington: TESOL 13 Suzanne Pitner (Jun 2,2009) How to Plan a Classroom Seating Arrangement 14 Verderber R F (1993) Communicate Belmont, California: Wadsworth, Inc 45 15 Wright, A (1987) How to Communicate Successfully Cambridge University Press, Cambridge In Vietnamese 16 Nguyễn Quang (2002) Giao tiếp Giao tiếp Giao văn hóa NXB Đại học Quốc Gia Hà Nội 17 Nguyễn Quang (2008) Giao tiếp phi ngơn từ qua văn hóa NXB KHXH, Hà Nội Photo credits http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap17.html http://www.vuonggiaphat.vn http://www.furnitrade.net http://www.hotelvietnamtravel.com http://www.roundtable.klein.org http://www.furnitureinfashion.net http://www.specialevent.on.ca http://www.thietkevanphong.vn http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap17.html http://www.noithatvietnam.net http://www.uaa.alaska.edu http://www.englishquarter.com http://www.candidatecoach.co.uk http://www.machsong.org http://www.huntington.edu http://ematusov.soe.udel.edu/EDUC390.99F http://www.thefxcode.com/seduction/blanguage15.htm http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap17.html I Appendices SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE This is a cross-cultural study of seating arrangements Would you please spend a little time completing the following survey questionnaire? I assure that your name and personal information will not be identified in any cases Your assistance in answering the questionnaire is of great importance to the successful completion of this study Thank you so much! Firstly, kindly provide me with the following fundamental information: Your nationality: Please circle the best answer for the following questions: What kind of table is the most commonly used in the office in your country? A Square table B Round table C Rectangular table Following are some most common seating positions in interpersonal communication: A B Which ones are mostly used in… - Academic setting (classroom) - Office setting - Public setting (restaurants, bars, cafés) (you can choose more than answer) C D II What position would you take in these situations? Please tick (√) to your choices Supposing that Lee is the person you are talking with and he is taking a permanent seat (refer to the figure below) Note: Lee You A B C D Situations A B C D a When you interview Lee b When you persuade Lee c When you discuss with Lee d When you shout at Lee e When Lee is your boss and you are presenting to him f When you confide in Lee g When you not know Lee h When you not wish to contact with Lee i When Lee is angry with u and u want to make it up with him j When you want to get acquainted with Lee How often are the seating arrangements mentioned below used in the classroom in your country? Often Desk-row (*) Cluster (*) Sometimes Rarely Never III Circle/ Semi-circle Table-row (*) Pairs Activity zones (*) Note: Desk-row: teacher stands in the front of the room and all the students‟ desks face the teacher Cluster: four or five desks pushed together so every desk is facing another one Table-row: long tables placed in rows, perpendicular to the front and back of the room Activity zones: five or six tables set up in the room, students are doing their individual work but they are all helping each other IV BẢN ĐIỀU TRA Phiếu điều tra thiết kế nhằm phục vụ cho đề tài nghiên cứu giao tiếp giao văn hóa Anh-Việt cách xếp chỗ ngồi Kết điều tra sử dụng luận văn thạc sỹ trường ĐH Ngoại Ngữ - ĐH Quốc Gia Hà Nội Sự đóng góp quý vị có ý nghĩa lớn cho thành công nghiên cứu với cá nhân Tôi mong nhận giúp đỡ quý vị Xin chân thành cảm ơn quý vị Xin quý vị vui lòng cho biết số thông tin cá nhân: Quốc tịch: ……………………… Ở nước qúy vị, loại bàn sử dụng rộng rãi văn phịng? D Bàn vng E Bàn tròn F Bàn chữ nhật Dưới vị trí ngồi phổ biến giao tiếp liên nhân: A B C Vị trí ngồi sử dụng nhiều bối cảnh: - Lớp học - Văn phòng - Các nơi công cộng (nhà hàng, quản rượu, quán cà phê) (có thể lựa chọn nhiều đáp án) D V Trong tình sau, quý vị chọn vị trí chỗ ngồi nào? Đánh dấu (√) vào câu trả lời bạn chọn Giả sử q vị nói chuyện với Lee Vị trí Lee cố định (như hình dưới) Lưu ý: Lee Quý vị A B C Ngữ cảnh D A B C D a Khi quý vị vấn Lee b Khi quý vị thuyết phục Lee c Khi quý vị thảo luận với Lee d Khi quý vị to tiếng với Lee e Khi Lee ông chủ quý vị trình bày f Khi quý vị giãi bày tâm với Lee g Khi quý vị không quen biết Lee h Khi quý vị không muốn tiếp xúc với Lee i Khi Lee giận quý vị muốn làm lành j Khi quý vị muốn làm quen với Lee Các cách xếp chỗ ngồi sử dụng với mật độ lớp học nước quý vị? Thường xuyên Desk-row (*) Thi thoảng Hiếm Không VI Cluster (*) Circle/ Semi-circle (*) Table-row (*) Pairs (*) Activity zones (*) Giải thích: Desk-row : giáo viên đứng trước lớp, sinh viên quay mặt phía giáo viên, ngồi theo dãy hàng ngang Cluster : 4-5 bàn chụm lại, bàn quay mặt vào bàn để làm thành nhóm Circle/ Semi-circle : hình trịn/ bán nguyệt, giáo viên tất sinh viên quan sát Table-row : bàn dài xếp thành hàng, vng góc với trước sau lớp học Pairs : ngồi theo cặp Activity zones : 5-6 bàn phòng học, sinh viên ngồi chung bàn làm việc khác giúp đỡ Thank you for evaluating AnyBizSoft PDF Merger! To remove this page, please register your program! Go to Purchase Now>> AnyBizSoft PDF Merger  Merge multiple PDF files into one  Select page range of PDF to merge  Select specific page(s) to merge  Extract page(s) from different PDF files and merge into one ... differences and similarities in seating arrangements and occupations: - Seating arrangements and occupations at meals, - Seating arrangements in lectures and tutorials, - Table seating and table manners... VIETNAMESE CROSSCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN TABLE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS (NGHIÊN CỨU GIAO TIẾP GIAO VĂN H? ?A ANH – VIỆT TRONG CÁC CÁCH SẮP XẾP CHỖ NGỒI) Minor thesis Field: English Linguistics Code: 60... following components of verbal and non-verbal communication: COMMUNICATION VERBAL COMMUNICATION NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION Intralanguage - Lexicon - Rules of grammar - Rules of phonetics - Rules