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A Warm Welcome A Warm Welcome to You All!to You All!

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Syntactic and Semantico-Pragmatic features of Syntactic and Semantico-Pragmatic features of Yes - No questions in English and Có - Không Yes - No questions in English and Có - Không questions in Vietnamesequestions in Vietnamese

(ĐÆc ®iÓm có ph¸p vµ ng(ĐÆc ®iÓm có ph¸p vµ ngữữ nghÜa - ngữ dông häc nghÜa - ngữ dông häc cña c©u hái cña c©u hái cã- kh«ngcã- kh«ng trong tiÕng Anh vµ tiÕng trong tiÕng Anh vµ tiÕng ViÖt)ViÖt)

PresenterPresenter: : Bui Thi Dao, Course 13Bui Thi Dao, Course 13SupervisorSupervisor: : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Huu

ManhManh Hanoi, September 2007Hanoi, September 2007

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Contents

Introduction

Conclusion

Development

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

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RationaleRationale

Can you Can you please please

find out?find out?

Chị cất giùm tôi Chị cất giùm tôi số tisố tiềền nàyn này nhé?nhé?

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How to use Yes-No How to use Yes-No questions effectively questions effectively in different in different communicative communicative contexts?contexts?

Rationale

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To help learners of English use To help learners of English use Yes-No questions effectively in Yes-No questions effectively in different communicative contexts.different communicative contexts.

To give some practical value in To give some practical value in language teaching.language teaching.

Rationale

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Aims of the studyAims of the study An account of different Yes-No question types An account of different Yes-No question types

in English.in English.

Similarities and differences between Y/N and Similarities and differences between Y/N and C/K in English and Vietnamese in terms of C/K in English and Vietnamese in terms of syntactic and pragmatic features.syntactic and pragmatic features.

How Yes-No questions in English and How Yes-No questions in English and Vietnamese are used in various contexts.Vietnamese are used in various contexts.

Possible solutions to different types of Possible solutions to different types of mistakes and mistakes and errorserrors commonly committed by commonly committed by Vietnamese learners of English.Vietnamese learners of English.

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Scope of the studySyntactic structural patterns of Yes-No Syntactic structural patterns of Yes-No

questions in English and Vietnamese. questions in English and Vietnamese.

Pragmatic features (some illocutionary Pragmatic features (some illocutionary forces) in English and Vietnamese.forces) in English and Vietnamese.

Possible implications for the teaching English Possible implications for the teaching English to Vietnamese learners, which originate from to Vietnamese learners, which originate from any researches into Yes-No questions.any researches into Yes-No questions.

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Quantitative Qualitative

Research method

Inductive Deductive

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Data analysis

Three famous Vietnamese Three famous Vietnamese

films films • Mùa ổi (The Guava house) Mùa ổi (The Guava house) • Mùa hè chiều thẳng đứng Mùa hè chiều thẳng đứng • (The Vertical Ray of the Sun).(The Vertical Ray of the Sun).• Chuyện Của Pao ( Pao’s story)Chuyện Của Pao ( Pao’s story)

Three famous American & Three famous American & English filmsEnglish films

• TitanicTitanic• Home aloneHome alone• Romeo & JulietRomeo & Juliet

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Criteria for the choice of filmsCriteria for the choice of films (English & Vietnamese)(English & Vietnamese)

Quality Length

Participants

Criteria

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Method of the studyAdvantagesAdvantages

One of type of Arts close to people’s life and One of type of Arts close to people’s life and social activities. social activities.

Help exploit prominent features of language-in-Help exploit prominent features of language-in-use normally realized via various types of Y/N.use normally realized via various types of Y/N.

Many conversations containing different sub-Many conversations containing different sub-types of Y/N types of Y/N

Translate into variety of broadcast standards for Translate into variety of broadcast standards for world-wide distribution with specialized support world-wide distribution with specialized support structure.structure.

(David Wharton and Jeremy Grant, 2001)(David Wharton and Jeremy Grant, 2001)

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Method of the study

DisadvantagesDisadvantagesCannot reveal the linguistic Cannot reveal the linguistic

features actually in many features actually in many contexts in a given language. contexts in a given language.

Cannot observe directly all types Cannot observe directly all types of interpsersonal insituations in of interpsersonal insituations in which Yes-No questions seem to which Yes-No questions seem to be required.be required.

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Chapter I: Theoretical Background

Exclamatoryyes-no questions

Yes-No questions

Y/N with auxiliariesas operators

Positive

Tag questions

Declarativequestions

Modal auxiliaries

Primary auxiliaries Negative

Positive

Negative

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Theoretical Background

(Geoffrey Finch, 2000:189)

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Chapter Chapter II:II: Syntactic and semantico- Syntactic and semantico- pragmatic features of pragmatic features of yes -no questionsyes -no questions in in

English and English and có - khôngcó - không questionsquestions in in VietnameseVietnamese

2.2.1. Y/N used to request and command2.2.1. Y/N used to request and command

Major findings

à

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2.2.2. Y/N used to offer to do something

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2.2.3. Y/N used to make a suggestion

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2.2.4. Y/N used to ask for permission 2.2.4. Y/N used to ask for permission (AFP)(AFP)

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2.2.5. Y/N used to make invitation

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2.2.6. Y/N used for greetings

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2.2.7. Y/N used to express 2.2.7. Y/N used to express attitudes and feelingsattitudes and feelings

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Approval Disapproval Surprise Disappointment

Vietnamese

English

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summary

Both Y/N and C/K are found to be nearly similar in the usage of positive Y/N.

The usage of Neg in English Y/N is different from C/K in Vietnamese.

The most obvious types of illocutionary forces of Y/N and C/K are perhaps requests and commands.

The Vietnamese seem to be more direct in making Y/N for a command with particles: nhé, nhá, hả, à, …

The English seem to be more polite when using Y/N for requests (Can/ Could).

Both Y/N and C/K use Tqs, Dqs and Neg to express attitudes and feelings.

Learners should learn more about the cultural differences in the two languages.

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Mistakes anderrors

Mistakes anderrors

Chapter 3: Implications

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For example

• Don't you like your Don't you like your teacher?teacher?

• YesYes ( (means I don’t like means I don’t like her/him)her/him)

• Don't you like your Don't you like your teacher?teacher?

Or: You don't like Or: You don't like your teacher, do your teacher, do you?you?

• * * NoNo or No or No, I like, I like.. (means I like her/him.)(means I like her/him.)

• Cậu có muốn đi ăn Cậu có muốn đi ăn bây giờ không?bây giờ không?

• Không.Không. (No- means (No- means that she doesn’t want that she doesn’t want to go eating now).to go eating now).

• Cậu không muốn Cậu không muốn đi ăn bây giờ sao?đi ăn bây giờ sao?

• VângVâng (Translated (Translated literally into English literally into English will be “will be “Yes!Yes!” the ” the meaning “she doesn’t meaning “she doesn’t want to go eating want to go eating now”.)now”.)

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CONCLUSION

1. Syntactic features1. Syntactic features

The Ss of English The Ss of English are more direct than are more direct than Vietnamese Ss in the usage ofVietnamese Ss in the usage of position of position of auxiliaries (auxiliaries (modal and primarymodal and primary) at ) at the beginning of the questions the beginning of the questions (operators) (operators)

The Vietnamese Ss seem to be The Vietnamese Ss seem to be sensitive to the imposition of using sensitive to the imposition of using particlesparticles at the end of the at the end of the questions.questions.

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CONCLUSION

2. . Semantico-pragmatic featuresSemantico-pragmatic features Similarities:Similarities: Performing the illocutionary forces Performing the illocutionary forces

mentioned. mentioned. DifferencesDifferences The English speakers: The English speakers:

Y/N to make requests, suggestions, invitations, Y/N to make requests, suggestions, invitations, offering to do something, expressing approval, offering to do something, expressing approval, surprise, and disappointment. surprise, and disappointment.

English Y/N with auxiliaries.English Y/N with auxiliaries.Vietnamese Ss: Vietnamese Ss:

Y/N for greetings, commands, AFP and expressing Y/N for greetings, commands, AFP and expressing disapproval. disapproval.

Y/N with particles. Y/N with particles. Ss’ intentions, attitudes and contexts are of great Ss’ intentions, attitudes and contexts are of great

importance.importance.

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Limitation of the study

Does not claim to assess the social factors in Does not claim to assess the social factors in different contexts (employees & employers; different contexts (employees & employers; brothers & sisters; wives & husbands; the brothers & sisters; wives & husbands; the old & the young; …). old & the young; …).

Foreign English speakers’ questionnaires Foreign English speakers’ questionnaires and learners of Vietnamese’ questionnaires and learners of Vietnamese’ questionnaires were not backed up with a quick interview were not backed up with a quick interview with some of the surveyed students.with some of the surveyed students.

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Suggestions for further research

The responses to Y/N in English The responses to Y/N in English and Vietnamese. and Vietnamese.

Prosodic modality markers of Y/N Prosodic modality markers of Y/N in English and Vietnamese.in English and Vietnamese.

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Thank you very Thank you very much much

for your for your attention!attention!