MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M.A THESIS IMPLICATURE IN ENGLISH FUNNY STORIES (HÀM NGÔN TRONG MỘT SỐ TRUYỆN CƯỜI TIẾNG ANH) HOÀNG THỊ LIÊN Hanoi, 2016 HOÀNG THỊ LIÊN ENGLISH LANGUAGE 2014 - 2016 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M.A THESIS IMPLICATURE IN ENGLISH FUNNY STORIES (HÀM NGÔN TRONG MỘT SỐ TRUYỆN CƯỜI TIẾNG ANH) HOÀNG THỊ LIÊN Field: English Language Code: 60220201 Assoc Prof Ho Ngoc Trung, Ph.D Hanoi, 2016 CỘNG HOÀ XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM Độc lâp - Tự - Hạnh phúc XÁC NHẬN LUẬN VĂN ĐÃ CHỈNH SỬA THEO GÓP Ý CỦA HỘI ĐỒNG CHẤM LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ STT NỘI DUNG CHỈNH SỬA TRANG Nội dung 1: Structure of chapter and 4: The methodology, finding and discussion were corrected in line with the guided fomat Nội dung 2: The objective of the study was mere reiteration of the aims of the study Nội dung 3: Review of previous study included the similarities and differences between the studies review in section 2.1 has been pointed out and met the answer for the question the reason why there should be a study of kind topic The relevance of the content of section 2.2 was discussed as request Nội dung 4: The research question 29-55 5-27 Tôi xin cam đoan chỉnh sửa theo góp ý hội đồng Hà Nội, ngày … tháng … năm … HỌC VIÊN (ký ghi rõ họ tên) GIÁO VIÊN HƯỚNG DẪN (ký ghi rõ họ tên) CHỦ TỊCH HỘI ĐỒNG (ký ghi rõ họ tên) CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled IMPLICATURE IN ENGLISH FUNNY STORIES submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in English Language Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis Hanoi, 2016 Hoàng Thị Liên Approved by SUPERVISOR Assoc Prof Ho Ngoc Trung, Ph.D Date: ……………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis could not have been completed without the help and support from a number of people First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Assoc Prof Ho Ngoc Trung, my supervisor, who has patiently and constantly supported me through the stages of the study, and whose stimulating ideas, expertise, and suggestions have inspired me greatly through my growth as an academic researcher A special word of thanks goes to lecturers in Hanoi Open University, without whose support and encouragement it would never have been possible for me to have this thesis accomplished Last but not least, I am greatly indebted to my family, my friends for the sacrifice they have devoted to the fulfillment of this academic work ii ABSTRACT This study is written in an attempt to uncover the implicature in English funny stories in terms of maxims The study is implemented with the investigation into selected English funny stories and collects data by writing down dialogues in which breakings of the four maxims occurred In the study, it is noticed to which of the four – quality, quantity, relation and manner is broken in each story and which are broken most frequently From that, the study points out some implications on the use of funny stories in teaching English as a foreign language so that the learners of English can understand and make full use of advantages of funny stories to make English learning less challenging iii 21.Grice, H.P (1975) ‘Logic and conversation’ In Cole, P & Morgan, J (eds.) Syntax and 22.Halliday, M.A.K,& R Hasan (1976) Cohesion in English, London: Longman 23.Hatch, Evelyn ( 1992) Discourse and Language Education, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 24.Hill, D.J (1988) Humor in the classroom: a handbook for teachers (and other entertainer!) Springfield: Charles Thomas Publishers 25.Ho Ngoc Trung, (2014) Lectures on discourse analysis 26.Levinson, S.C (1984) Pragmatics London: Cambridge University Press 27.Levinson, Stephen C (1983), Pragmatics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 28.Lillis, T, & McKinney, C (2003) Analysing Language in Context: A student work book Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books 29.Linguistics, ed R Asher, pp 3168–71 Oxford: Pergamon Press 30.Nguyen Hoa (2000), An introduction to Discourse Analysis, Hanoi National University 31.Nguyen Hoa (2004), Understanding English Semantics, Hanoi National University 32.Pepicello, W J & Weisberg, R W (1983) Linguistics and humor In P.E McGhee & J H Goldstein (Eds) Handbook of humor research: vol Basic Issues Pp 59-83 New York: Springer-Verlag 33.Searle, J.R (1969), Speech Acts, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 34.Semantics, Volume New York: Academic Press 35.Thao, Phan Phuong (2005) A study on historical, political and social background of English humour through English jokes MA thesis: VNU 36.Thomas, J (1996) Meaning in Interaction: an Introduction to Pragmatics London and New York: Longman 37.Thomas, Jenny (1995), Meaning in Interaction: An introduction to pragmatics Harlow: Pearson Education 38.Widdowson, H G (1978) Teaching English as communication Oxford: Oxford University Press Websites: http://biblioteca.universia.net/html_bura/ficha/params/id/35526919.html http://cuoi.net/truyen-cuoi/pstory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitcom http://itesl.org/techniques/Chiasson-Humour.html http://iteslj.org/c/jokes-long.html 63 http://iteslj.org/c/jokes-puns.html http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/jokes http://rd.com.Reader’s Digest 10.http://thejokes.co.uk/ 11.http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_I.htmll 12.http://www.basicjokes.com/djoke 13.http://www.iep.utm.edu/humor/ 14.http://www.rd.com/jokes/ 15.http://www.teachingnenglish.org.uk/think/article/sense-humour 16.http://www.tienganhonline.net/pages/world-english.htm 17.http://www.tuoitrecuoi.com 18.http://www.wisegeek.com/what- is-a- joke.htm 19.http://www/ahajokes.com 20.www.anglorama.com.pl/html/laugh.php 21.www.Englishcouncil.org 64 APPENDICES 34 ENGLISH FUNNY STORIES I MAXIM OF QUANTITY [1] It is not My Dog There is a woman sitting on a park bench and a large dog lying on the ground in front of the bench A woman comes along and sits down on the bench Man: Does your dog bite? Woman: No (The man reaches down to pet the dog The dog bites the man’s hand.) Man: Ouch! Hey! You said your dog does not bite Woman: He does not but that is not my dog [2] A New Trick The conjurer was arranging a new stage trick, and on the day before its introduction he asked his young son to help him “ When I ask for a boy to come on the stage, you must come at once But you must not anything or say anything that will make the audience think that you know me” The boy said he understood everything and when the conjurer asked for help, he came forward quickly and was invited on the stage When he got there, the conjurer said: 65 “ Look at this boy! He has never seen me before, have you, my boy?” “ Yes, father!” answered the boy [3] Blonde House Fire A blonde's house was on fire She called 911 and said, - "My house is on fire." The dispatcher said, - "Well, can you tell me how we get there?" - "Duhhhh, in the big red trucks, of course." [4] I Know Men Blanche: You think Dirk looks at me and sees an old woman? He sees a young, vibrant, passionate contemporary Dorothy: Blanche, you haven't even been out with him yet Blanche: My instincts are infallible about this Believe me I know men Dorothy: No arguments here [5] Meeting a Woman Steven: Wilfred is meeting a woman for dinner tonight Susan: Does his wife know about it? Steven: Of course she does The woman he is meeting is his wife [6] 66 A: Can you tell us about your team’s line- up next Sunday? B: Sure, there will be eleven players [7] A: So, how’s the search for the new principal and vice-president going? Do you have a shortlist yet? B: I can’t tell you anything about it; the proceedings of the committee are confidential [8] A: So, how’s the search for the new principal and vice-president going? Do you have a shortlist yet? B: I can’t tell you anything about it; the proceedings of the committee are confidential John: Where’s Meredith? Elizabeth: The control room or the science lab [9] A: So, how’s the search for the new principal and vice-president going? Do you have a shortlist yet? B: I can’t tell you anything about it; the proceedings of the committee are confidential John: Where’s Meredith? Elizabeth: The control room or the science lab 67 A: How did Harry fare in court the other day? B: Oh he got a fine [10] John is a doctor who has complete confidentiality regarding his patients He is asked by the press to reveal something about the patient that he is treating and he replies: John: I am sorry but I can’t tell you anything [11] A: “Excuse me! Do you know what time it is?” B: “Yes” II MAXIM OF MANNER [12] I’m Sick Pete: I’m not gonna make it on Saturday Rory: How come? Pete: I’m on antibiotics Rory: What for? Pete: I’m sick [13] Formal Occasion The booking clerk at a small station warned a villager: 68 -“You’ll have to change twice before you get to London” The man, unused to traveling by train, mused: -“Goodness me! And I’ve only got the clothes I am wearing [14] I’m not Done Yet, Actually John: Are you done yet? Meredith: Well, let’s see, I’ve had to deal with seven near-catastrophic systems failures in the last four hours, Elizabeth dragged me to four different useless meetings, and someone replaced my regular coffee with decaf, so I’m only just getting caffeine in my system and I still have to track down whoever did it and slowly eviscerate them, which is a little higher on my to-do list at the moment than fixing your stupid computer, so no, no, I’m not done yet, actually John: Jeez, a simple “no” would have sufficed [15] Dumb and Beauty Man says to God: “God, why did you make woman so beautiful?” God says: “So you would love her” “But God” the man says, “Why did you make her so dumb?” God says: “So she would love you.” [16] Go to the Theatre Mary: I hear you went to the theatre last night; what play did you see? 69 John: Well, I watched a number of people stand on the stage in Elizabethan costumes uttering a series of sentences which corresponded closely with the script of Twelfth Night [17] Serious Things Jerry: We should talk Harvey: Yeah That's the way I am I always like to settle business before the meal Jerry: Harveyetc there's no question that you were there for me from the start […] Jerry: And, and you've done a very professional job And I've paid youetcI mean, the sliding scale You know, even though it slid toward you Nowetc now I see myself moving in a whole new direction Harvey: Meaning? Jerry: Basically, I'm interested in more serious things A novel, maybe some plays, maybe not even comedy Harvey: The dollars are in the funny stories Funny is money I mean, you know, as a hobby, later, when you're rich someday, if you want to try a booketc fine Jerry: Harveyetc [18] (A and B are attending a boring lecture) 70 A: What’s the time? B: It’s two o’clock, twenty minutes and forty-five seconds [19] Brooke: Is this a woman’s hair? Jerry: Is thisetc is this a woman's hair? I mean, it could beetcI suppose Possibly from, uh, the taxi It wasetc I mean, I think, you know, all the people in and out ,I probably sat up inetc I guess, the woman's hair I am exhausted [20] Susan: “Do you believe in clubs for young people?” Peter: “Only when kindness fails.” III MAXIM OF QUALITY [21] Native Language An English asked her neighbour: -“ Why did the Brown start learning French all of a sudden?” -“ They adopted a French baby and fear that they won’t understand it when the baby begins speaking” [22] Who Needs Women? A man walks into the bar and orders shots of whiskey and the man drinks one and pours the other shot in his hand, the man did this times before the bartender finally asks him “why is it you drink shot and pour the other in 71 your hand?” The man replies “I'm getting my girl friend drunk” [23] Which You Like? Mary: Jenny, you like this novel with its blue cover? Jenny: Oh, I like the red cover [24] Pigs Can Fly Laura: Come on, I’m taking you to the gym Meredith: Yes, and pigs can fly [25] Elizabeth: A lot of people are depending on you Meredith: Thanks, that really takes the pressure off [26] Diner: Waiter! There is a fly in my soup! Waiter: etcetc everyone will want a fly now [27] Wife: Dear, look at the new spouse thereetcetc the husband always kisses his wife forehead first Why not you so? Husband: “How can I dare? If I so, her husband will surely get mad” IV MAXIM OF RELATION 72 [28] How Deaf? An old man is talking to the family doctor -"Doctor, I think my wife's going deaf." The doctor answers, - "Well, here's something you can try on her to test her hearing Stand some distance away from her and ask her a question If she doesn't answer, move a little closer and ask again Keep repeating this until she answers Then you'll be able to tell just how hard of hearing she really is." The man goes home and tries it out He walks in the door and says, - "Honey, what's for dinner?" He doesn't hear an answer, so he moves closer to her - "Honey, what's for dinner?" Still no answer He repeats this several times, until he's standing just a few feet away from her Finally, she answers, - "For the eleventh time, I said we're having MEATLOAF!" [29] Last Request A murderer, sitting in the electric chair, was about to be executed “Have you any last request?” asked the chaplain “Yes” replied the murderer “Will you hold my hand” [30] Delivery Time 73 Dilbert: Did you order the plastic casings I need? Dilbert’s colleague: They take two weeks for delivery Dilbert: I see that you’ve cleverly avoided my actual question in favor of an imaginary one involving delivery times Now I’m fantasizing about ripping off your mustache and using it to shine your head Dilbert’s colleague: I hear that a lot [31] What Kind of Business? Jerry: Listen, I'm a little busy now Can I ring you back? Harvey: Look, I was up to NBC There is nothing doing up there Not right now Things being equal, they'll change Right now they are not equal Look, I'd like to have lunch with you this week I need a business thing done We have to talk I got a business thing to discuss Jerry: What kind of business? What you mean? Harvey: There's nothing to get anxious about It's about the future Goodbye [32] Do You Love Me? Meredith: You really love me? John: I like Ferris wheels, and college football, and things that go real fast [33] A: What can you tell me about your student C, who has applied to graduate school here? 74 B: Well, I’ve taught C in three courses now, and I can tell you that C always comes to the lectures on time and with neatly combed hair that B is reluctant to say so outright [34] John: We just have to fly real close to the corona of the sun! Meredith: You’re lucky you’re pretty 75 SUMMARY OF THE MASTER THESIS Full name: Hoang Thi Lien Code: 60220201 Field: English language Graduation year: 2016 Thesis title: Implicature in English funny stories Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Ho Ngoc Trung This study is written in an attempt to uncover the implicature in English funny stories in terms of maxims The study is implemented with the investigation into selected English funny stories and collects data by writing down dialogues in which breakings of the four maxims occurred In the study, it is noticed to which of the four – quality, quantity, relation and manner is broken in each story and which are broken most frequently From that, the study points out some implications on the use of funny stories in teaching English as a foreign language so that the learners of English can understand and make full use of advantages of funny stories to make English learning less challenging “One of the best ways to understand people is to know what makes them laugh” (H Golden) Funny stories play an important role in social interaction A humorous story can break the tension in an awkward conversation Laughter may also relieve stress and distract people from pain Sometimes, it can be used as a means of weapon to fight again the 76 negative things in the society Being a student of English as a foreign language, I truely believe that the use of humor in funny stories would improve second language learning However, to understand the implicature in English funny stories is not an easy task In order to build a deep understanding of implicature mechanism to English learners as well as increase the interest in the English learning, the study on “Implicature in English funny stories” is carried out Key words: Implicature; maxim; funny stories Signature Hoang Thi Lien 77 ... point out the implicature in terms of flouting conversational maxim (ii) examine and investigate the contribution of implicature in English funny stories in learning and teaching English for English. .. arising from the findings for example: Comparising the implicature in English funny stories to Vietnamese funny stories ; to be meaningful to the practicing researchers in case of teaching English. .. understand the implicature in English funny stories is not an easy task In order to build a deep understanding of implicature mechanism to English learners as well as increase the interest in the English