Rationale
Communication serves as a vital interpersonal action that facilitates the exchange of information among members of a social community While various methods exist for communication, language stands out as the most significant means for human interaction Language comprises linguistic units, including morphemes, words, phrases, clauses, and sentences According to Crystal (1992: 212), language is defined as "the systematic, conventional use of sounds, signs, or written symbols in a human society for communication and self-expression."
Language and culture are deeply interconnected, with Goodnough (1957) asserting that "the relation of language to culture is that of part to whole." Understanding one requires knowledge of the other, as culture varies significantly across societies and individuals, leading to different norms and acceptabilities Just as clothing and housing reflect cultural identity, language serves as a crucial medium for expressing it Furthermore, culture shapes language use, highlighting the importance for language learners to not only grasp the linguistic system but also to be aware of its cultural context.
In recent years, the teaching and learning of foreign languages, especially English, has gained significant attention in Vietnam due to the country's open-door policy, which has increased the desire to master English for effective communication with foreigners However, the current educational approach often emphasizes linguistic competence—focusing on correct grammar and vocabulary—over communicative competence, leading to a gap where learners may excel in language rules but struggle with practical communication skills in real-world contexts.
This study aims to enhance learners' communicative competence by exploring English-Vietnamese cross-cultural differences and similarities in the sensitive speech act of joking By examining the nuances of humor in both cultures, this research seeks to contribute valuable insights that can help minimize cultural misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication The focus on joking as a key illocutionary act highlights its significance in fostering effective interaction and reducing potential conflicts.
Aims of the study
The aims of the study are:
- To investigate the ways of telling jokes
This article examines the various strategies used in joke-telling across Vietnamese and English languages, highlighting both similarities and differences in cultural approaches By comparing these methods, we aim to enhance understanding of how humor is expressed uniquely within each culture, revealing the distinct linguistic and social nuances that shape comedic interactions.
- To contribute to increasing cross - cultural awareness among foreign language teachers and learners in the speech act of telling a joke.
Scope of the study
This study focuses exclusively on the verbal elements of joking, acknowledging the significance of paralinguistic and non-verbal factors in communication, but intentionally excluding them from the analysis.
This study explores the cross-cultural interaction of English and Vietnamese in the context of joking among friends and relatives It primarily examines the various strategies employed in humor within both languages, highlighting the similarities and differences in their approaches to joking.
The data for this study were primarily gathered through survey questionnaires that explored six specific scenarios involving humor Due to constraints related to time, geography, and budget, recording and videotaping face-to-face interactions were not feasible.
Research questions
The study will focus on dealing with the following questions:
1 What are similarities and differences in the ways English and Vietnamese people telling jokes between friends and relatives in their own languages and cultures?
2 How is the application in using humour in the teaching of foreign language?
Methodology
This study primarily employs a quantitative research method, establishing its theoretical framework through a review of both Vietnamese and English literature The findings and conclusions presented in this thesis are grounded in practical approaches, incorporating various considerations, remarks, and comments from the reviewed publications.
+ conducting survey questionnaires + analyzing the data collection + consulting with supervisor + discussing with colleagues
Design of the study
This study is divided into three parts:
Part A: INTRODUCTION: All the academic routines required for an M A Thesis are presented
Part B: DEVELOPMENT: This part consists of two chapters
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Cross-cultural communication
Speech acts
Joking as a speech act
English sense of humour
Joking in English and Vietnamese culture
1.5.2 Joking in English and Vietnamese
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Data analysis
2.3.1 The informants’ awareness of the sense of humour and joking
2.3.1 Means realized in telling joke
2.3.2 Use of means in joking as seen from communicating partners’ parameters
2.3.3 Use of means in telling jokes as seen from informants’ parameters
2.4 Major similarities and differences findings between English and Vietnamese 2.4.1 Similarities
2.5 Some implications in using humour in the teaching foreign language
PART B - DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Mastering a language is often seen as unattainable without an understanding of its cultural context While the term "culture" is commonly used in conversation, defining it can be challenging due to the varying interpretations offered by different authors.
Goodenough defines culture as the collective knowledge and beliefs necessary for individuals to function acceptably within their society This definition emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural norms and roles that are recognized by the community.
Culture is a vital form of knowledge essential for functioning within society, acquired through social interactions It is not created by individuals alone but is a dynamic product of collective human engagement In the absence of others, concepts like language and culture would be unnecessary, highlighting their dependence on community and interaction.
Cultural groups around the world exhibit distinct ways of thinking, feeling, and acting; however, there are universal behavior patterns that unite humanity Regardless of geographical location, people share common traits, such as the use of verbal language with a finite vocabulary and grammatical structure, as well as the classification of individuals based on age and gender Nguyen Quang (1998: 3) emphasizes that culture encompasses a shared background—encompassing national, ethnic, and religious aspects—shaped by a common language, communication styles, customs, beliefs, attitudes, and values.
Culture serves as a vital tool for human survival, encompassing the diverse learned behaviors we adopt within our societies Each society possesses unique cultural characteristics, which contribute to the rich variety of languages and cultural expressions found around the world.
Cross-cultural exchange, as defined by Kramsch (1998), involves the interaction of two cultures or languages across national boundaries, leading to significant cultural sharing and adaptation This process, known as acculturation, occurs when individuals from one culture adopt aspects of another, often in response to their new environment For instance, Vietnamese Americans may alter their lifestyles, including food preferences, clothing styles, and communication methods, to better integrate into American society.
Cross-cultural communication involves both verbal and non-verbal interactions between individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, shaped by varying cultural values, attitudes, and behaviors (Levince & Adelman, 1993) While individuals typically understand appropriate social behaviors within their own culture, these norms can shift dramatically when they encounter a different cultural environment For example, in Vietnam, it is common to greet someone by asking, "Where are you going?" However, this greeting may be viewed as intrusive by native English speakers, who prioritize personal privacy Therefore, it is essential for Vietnamese individuals to adapt their greeting customs when interacting in Western cultures.
Effective communication involves more than just the use of grammatical and lexical elements; it also includes the performance of actions through utterances, known as speech acts For instance, the statement “I promise I will come tomorrow” not only provides information but also represents the act of making a promise.
The British philosopher J L Austin in his book “How to do things with words”
(1962) is the first to draw attention to the functions performed by utterances as part of interpersonal communication John Austin (1962: 94) defines speech acts as the actions performed in saying something
According to Searle (1969), speaking a language involves executing various speech acts, including making statements, giving commands, asking questions, and making promises He emphasizes that these acts must adhere to specific rules governing the use of linguistic elements.
Speech acts, as defined by two authors, refer to the actions performed through language when someone communicates In essence, a speech act represents an action executed via spoken or written words.
Author John Austin (1962: 109) in his book “How to do things with words” believes that a single act usually contains three related acts: Locutionary act, Illocutionary act and Perlocutionary act
+ Locutionary act is the action performed by uttering a well-formed, meaningful sentence
+ Illocutionary act is the communication force or intention of the speaker or writer which accompanies the utterance, e.g promising, warning, conceding, denying, etc
+ Perlocutionary act is the effect of the utterance on the hearer or the reader who may feel amused, persuaded, warned
Yule (1996) emphasizes that each utterance encompasses three interconnected speech acts: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts For instance, when we say, "It is very hot here," we engage in a locutionary act However, utterances are typically purposeful; in this case, the speaker likely intends to prompt the listener to take action, such as opening a door or turning on the air conditioner, which represents the illocutionary act These speech acts serve essential communicative functions.
Perlocutionary acts, as the third classification of speech acts, are exemplified in the statement “It is very hot here,” which implies a desire for actions such as opening the door or turning on the air conditioner to occur.
Following Austin's foundational work, numerous pragmatists have built upon and refined his speech acts theory, notably Searle's influential classification from 1969 Searle identifies five fundamental types of speech acts, which have become widely recognized and utilized in the field.
+ Declarations are those kinds of speech acts that bring about states of affairs, including namings, firings, hirings, pardons, etc
+ Representatives are those kinds of speech acts that state what the speaker believes to be the case or not including assertions, descriptions, reports, statements, etc
+ Expressives are those kinds of speech acts that state the speaker’s psychological state or attitude, including apologies, compliments, greetings, thankings, etc
+ Directives are those kinds of speech acts that attempt to get the hearer to do something, including questions, requests, orders, etc
+ Commissives are those kinds of speech acts that speaker commits themselves to some future act, including promises, threat, refusals, vow, etc
Similarly, Yule, G (1996: 55) presents five types of speech acts that are shown as in the table below:
Speech act types Direction of fit S = Speaker
Commissives words change the world make words fit the world make words fit the world make the world fit the words make the world fit words
Table 1: The five general functions of speech acts (Yule, G 1996)
According to Yule (1996), speech acts are categorized by the connection between their structure and function He identifies three structural forms—declarative, interrogative, and imperative—and three communicative functions: statement, question, and command or request These forms and functions can be combined to produce two additional types of speech acts: direct and indirect speech acts.
According to G (1996: 54), direct speech acts occur when there is a clear connection between a structure and its function, while indirect speech acts arise from a more ambiguous relationship For instance, the request "Could you please stop smoking?" exemplifies a direct speech act, whereas the question "Don’t you feel cold?" illustrates an indirect speech act.
Major similarities and differences findings between English and Vietnamese…31
- Both the Vietnamese and the English informants employ Bon-mot at the highest rate
- Both groups are careful to employ Vulgarity in telling joke with friends and relatives
- The female, the married and the rural from both groups do not use the Vulgarity in telling joke
- The single from English informants and Vietnamese informants use Allusion with the same rate (8%) In addition, both the urban groups employ Bon-mot at 87%
- Urban, single and above 20 age prefer Allusion much more than rural, married and below 20 age
- English informants employ Bon-mot more frequently than Vietnamese informants in telling joke with friends and relatives
Vietnamese informants refrain from using vulgarity, in stark contrast to their English counterparts, who incorporate it more frequently in everyday humor This difference can be attributed to the Vietnamese informants' careful selection of language when responding to survey questionnaires.
- The Vietnamese informants tend to use Simile more than the English informants
- The male, urban and above 20 age of English group use Allusion much more than those of Vietnamese group (12% vs 7%, 9% vs 8%, 12% vs 5%).
Suggestion for further study
PART B - DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Mastering a language often hinges on understanding its cultural context, yet defining "culture" can be challenging due to varying interpretations by different authors While the term is frequently used in everyday conversations, its complexity becomes evident when attempting to pinpoint a singular definition.
Goodenough’s definition of culture is highly recognized, stating that it encompasses the knowledge and beliefs necessary for individuals to function acceptably within their society This definition highlights the importance of understanding cultural norms to effectively engage in various roles accepted by community members.
Culture is a vital form of knowledge essential for functioning within society, acquired through social interactions It is not created by individuals alone but is a dynamic product of collective human engagement In the absence of others, concepts like language and culture would not exist, highlighting their dependence on social connections.
Cultural groups around the world exhibit distinct ways of thinking, feeling, and acting, yet they also share universal behavior patterns that unite humanity Regardless of geographical location, people communicate through verbal language, which comprises a finite set of words and grammatical structures, and they categorize individuals based on age and gender As Nguyen Quang (1998: 3) explains, culture encompasses a shared background, including aspects such as nationality, ethnicity, and religion, all shaped by common language, communication styles, customs, beliefs, attitudes, and values.
Culture serves as a vital tool for human survival, encompassing the diverse range of learned behaviors acquired within various societies Each society possesses unique cultural traits, leading to the rich tapestry of human languages and cultural expressions.
Cross-cultural exchange, as defined by Kramsch (1998), refers to the interaction between two cultures or languages across national boundaries This exchange leads to acculturation, where individuals adopt elements of a different culture For instance, Vietnamese Americans often adapt their lifestyles, including food preferences, clothing styles, and communication methods, to better fit into their new environment in America.
Cross-cultural communication involves verbal and non-verbal interactions between individuals from different cultures, shaped by their unique values, attitudes, and behaviors (Levince & Adelman, 1993) While individuals typically understand appropriate social behaviors within their own culture, these norms can shift dramatically when they enter a new cultural environment For example, in Vietnam, it is common to greet someone by asking, "Where are you going?" However, this question may be perceived as intrusive by native English speakers, who prioritize personal privacy Therefore, it is essential for Vietnamese individuals to adapt their greeting practices when interacting in Western cultures.
Effective communication involves more than just producing grammatically correct sentences; it encompasses actions performed through utterances, known as speech acts For instance, the statement “I promise I will come tomorrow” serves not only to convey information but also to perform the act of promising.
The British philosopher J L Austin in his book “How to do things with words”
(1962) is the first to draw attention to the functions performed by utterances as part of interpersonal communication John Austin (1962: 94) defines speech acts as the actions performed in saying something
According to Searle (1969: 16), speaking a language involves performing various speech acts, including making statements, giving commands, asking questions, and making promises He emphasizes that these acts adhere to specific rules governing the use of linguistic elements.
Speech acts are defined by different authors, yet they converge on the idea that these acts represent actions executed through language In essence, a speech act is an action carried out by speaking.
Author John Austin (1962: 109) in his book “How to do things with words” believes that a single act usually contains three related acts: Locutionary act, Illocutionary act and Perlocutionary act
+ Locutionary act is the action performed by uttering a well-formed, meaningful sentence
+ Illocutionary act is the communication force or intention of the speaker or writer which accompanies the utterance, e.g promising, warning, conceding, denying, etc
+ Perlocutionary act is the effect of the utterance on the hearer or the reader who may feel amused, persuaded, warned
According to Yule (1996), every utterance encompasses three interconnected speech acts: the locutionary act, illocutionary act, and perlocutionary act For instance, when someone says, "It is very hot here," they are executing a locutionary act However, utterances are rarely made without intent; in this case, the speaker likely aims to prompt the listener to open a door or turn on the air conditioner, which represents the illocutionary act These acts serve a vital communicative function.
Perlocutionary acts refer to the impact that a statement has on the listener's actions or feelings For instance, in the sentence "It is very hot here," the speaker implicitly expresses a desire for the listener to take action, such as opening the door or turning on the air conditioner, to alleviate the discomfort caused by the heat.
Following Austin's foundational work, numerous pragmatists have further developed his speech acts theory, with Searle's (1969: 70) classification being particularly notable Searle identifies five fundamental types of speech acts, making his classification one of the most influential and widely utilized in the field.
+ Declarations are those kinds of speech acts that bring about states of affairs, including namings, firings, hirings, pardons, etc
+ Representatives are those kinds of speech acts that state what the speaker believes to be the case or not including assertions, descriptions, reports, statements, etc
+ Expressives are those kinds of speech acts that state the speaker’s psychological state or attitude, including apologies, compliments, greetings, thankings, etc
+ Directives are those kinds of speech acts that attempt to get the hearer to do something, including questions, requests, orders, etc
+ Commissives are those kinds of speech acts that speaker commits themselves to some future act, including promises, threat, refusals, vow, etc
Similarly, Yule, G (1996: 55) presents five types of speech acts that are shown as in the table below:
Speech act types Direction of fit S = Speaker
Commissives words change the world make words fit the world make words fit the world make the world fit the words make the world fit words
Table 1: The five general functions of speech acts (Yule, G 1996)
According to Yule (1996), speech acts are categorized based on the relationship between their structure and functions He identifies three structural forms—declarative, interrogative, and imperative—and three general communicative functions: statement, question, and command or request These elements can be combined to form two additional types of speech acts: direct and indirect speech acts.
According to G (1996: 54), a direct speech act occurs when there is a clear relationship between a structure and its function, while an indirect speech act arises when this relationship is not straightforward For instance, the request "Could you please stop smoking?" exemplifies a direct speech act, whereas the question "Don’t you feel cold?" illustrates an indirect speech act.