VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES ANDHUMMANITIES FACLUTY OF ENGLISH LINGUICTICS AND LITERATURE TRẦN THỊ THÚY VÂN INTERMEDIATE LEARNERS’ UNDESTANDING OF ENGLISH QUESTIONS FOR DIFFERENT COMMUNICATIVE PURPOSES: AN INVESTIGATION AT VIETNAM-AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH SCHOOL A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ART (TESOL) SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN HOÀNG TUẤN, Ph.D HO CHI MINH CITY - 2010 i CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled: INTERMEDIATE LEARNERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ENGLISH QUESTIONS FOR DIFFERENT COMMUNICATIVE PURPOSES: AN INVESTIGATION AT VIET NAMAUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH SCHOOL In terms of the statement of Requirement for Theses in Master’s Programs issued by the High Degree Committee Ho Chi Minh City, April 2010 TRẦN THỊ THÚY VÂN ii RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS I hereby state that I, TRẦN THỊ THÚY VÂN, being the candidate for the degree of Master of TESOL, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and the use of Master’s Theses deposited in the Library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for care, loan or reproduction of theses Ho Chi Minh City, April 2010 TRẦN THỊ THÚY VÂN iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Dr Nguyễn Hoàng Tuấn, for his valuable assistance, guidance, encouragement and comments during the time of implementing the thesis Without his help, I could not have finished this thesis I am deeply grateful to Ms Nguyễn Thị Kiều Thu - Dean of the Department of English Linguistics and Literature, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Mr Trương Hớn Huy - Deputy Dean of the Department of English Linguistics and Literature, for their valuable advice in carrying out the methodology of the research for the thesis I own many thanks to all of my teachers for their dedication and helpful instruction during the course My sincere thanks to all the teachers and learners at Vietnam-Australia International English School who made meaningful contribution in the collection of data for my research Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and my friends for their love, encouragement, understanding and moral support iv ABSTRACT Question, besides the basic function of asking for information, can be used to perform other communicative purposes just as other sentence types Although intermediate Vietnamese learners of English (VlsE) at Vietnam-Australia International English School (VAS) have acquired the general knowledge of the English language, they still have troubles in using English questions for different communicative purposes and responding to them appropriately This thesis aims at (1) exploring how Intermediate-level VlsE at VAS use English questions for different communicative purposes; (2) investigating their awareness of the speaker’s intention in asking question and (3) offering some recommendations for raising learners’ pragmatic awareness of the communicative functions of English questions in communication In order to achieve these objectives, a survey was carried out by using a questionnaire delivered to 128 intermediate-level VlsE at VAS The results of the study show that the majority of the learner subjects could not recognize other communicative functions of English questions besides the function of asking for information Most of them could not interpret the intention of the speakers in asking questions properly and they responded to questions inappropriately From the findings of the study, the thesis recommends that teachers should incorporate teaching the pragmatic functions of English questions in teaching Besides, the supplementing of authentic materials and other teaching materials including language functions is necessary With regard to learners, the study recommends that learners should be aware of the different speech acts realizations of English questions in communication and compare the use of questions in their mother tongue with that of English to avoid the interference of their mother tongue to the target language in communication v LIST OF ABBRIVIATIONS VAS : Viet Nam- Australia International English School VlsE : Vietnamese learners of English DSA : Direct Speech Act ISA : Indirect Speech Act ODCT : Oral Discourse Completion Task DRPT : Discourse Role Play Task DSAT : Discourse Self-Assessment Task RPSA : Role Play Self-Assessment WDCT : Written Discourse Completion Task MDCT : Multiple Choice Discourse Completion Task vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Certificate of originality .i Retention and use of the thesis ii Acknowledgements iii Abstract iv List of Abbreviations v Table of contents vi List of figures xi List of tables xii Chapter INTRODUCTION 1.1 The rationale of the study 1.1.1 Description of Vietnam-Australia International English School 1.1.2 Description of the syllabus for Intermediate learners of English at VAS 1.2 Statement of Purpose 1.3 Significance of the study 1.4 Definition of terms 1.5 Organization of the study Chapter 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW Issues relating to questioning in communication 2.1.1 Speech acts 2.1.2 Felicity Conditions 2.1.3 Classification of Speech Act 10 2.1.4 Direct and Indirect Speech Act 12 2.1.5 Cooperative Principle 14 2.1.6 Politeness 15 vii 2.2 The typology of questions 16 2.2.1 The typology of questions in English syntax 16 2.2.2 The typology of questions in the cognitive domain 19 2.3 The pragmatic functions of English questions in communication 21 2.3.1 Question as Assertion 22 2.3.2 Question as Command 22 2.3.3 Question as Exclamation 22 2.3.4 Question as Greeting 22 2.3.5 Question as Informing 23 2.3.6 Question as Invitation 23 2.3.7 Question as Offer 24 2.3.8 Question as Promise 24 2.3.9 Question as Request 24 2.3.10 Question as Statement 25 2.3.11 Question as an Equivalence to a Negative Statement 25 2.3.12 Question as Suggestion 26 2.3.13 Question as Warning 26 2.3.14 Question as Combination of Illocutionary Acts 26 2.3.15 Other illocutionary acts of questions 27 2.6 Summary 28 Chapter METHODOLOGY 29 3.1 Research questions 29 3.2 Research design 29 3.2.1 Subjects of the study 29 3.2.1.1 Characteristics of the subjects 30 3.2.2 Data collection method 30 3.2.2.1 The pilot study of the questionnaire 33 viii 3.2.2.2 The Questionnaire 35 3.2.3 Data collection procedures 39 3.3 Summary 39 Chapter DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 41 4.1 Data analysis 41 4.1.1 Learners’ responses to the questionnaire 41 4.1.1.1 Learners’ overall knowledge of the use of English questions for different communicative purposes 41 4.1.1.2 Learners’ use of English question for different communicative purposes 42 4.1.1.2.1 Learners’ use of English question in Requesting 43 4.1.1.2.2 Learners’ use of English question in Offering 45 4.1.1.2.3 Learners’ use of English question in Greeting 47 4.1.1.2.4 Learners’ use of English question in Exclaiming 48 4.1.1.3 Learners’ choice of using English questions in speech acts performance 50 4.1.1.3.1 Learners’ choice of using English questions in Suggesting 50 4.1.1.3.2 Learners’ choice of using English questions in Warning 51 4.1.1.3.3 Learners’ choice of using English questions in Promising 52 4.1.1.4 Learners’ awareness of the speakers’ intention in asking questions 53 90 B If you don’t slow down, you’ll be fined C You are driving too fast D Do you see the speed limit over there? 12 You promise to come to your friend’s party You say: A I promise to come to your party B Would I miss your party? C I will not miss your party D I will come to your party 13 It is 11 p.m and the son is still watching TV The mother says to the son “Are you still watching TV?” In saying this, the mother A asks if the son is still watching TV B complains about the son’s watching TV C requests the son to go to bed D B and C 14 “Is it right to cheat in any exams?” In asking his/her students this question, the teacher A asks if cheating is allowed in exams B states that cheating is not allowed in exams C complains about students’ cheating in exams D warns that cheating in exams will be punished 15 “Did you know that John had an accident?” in saying this, your friend A asks if you knew about John’s accident B informs you of John’s accident C worries about John’s accident D tells you to visit John 16 Your English class starts at 7:30 am, you come to your class at 8:15 am You teacher says: “Hi, what time is it now?” In saying this, your teacher A asks you to tell him/her the time B complains that you are late 91 C greets you D A and C 17 You are on the way to school and a stranger asks you: “Excuse me, you have a watch?” You say: A Yes, I B No, I don’t C Yes, It’s half past three D Sorry, I don’t have a watch 18 You are playing music loudly at night One of your neighbors says: “Must you play the music so loud?” You say: A Yes, I love loud music B No, I need not C I’m sorry I’ll play it down D Yes, because the music is so beautiful 19 You invite a friend to your birthday party this Saturday evening He says: “Can I bring the wine?” You say: A Yes, you can B No, you can not C Well, thanks If you’d like to D No, you don’t need to 20 You are going out and your mother says: “Why don’t you bring a raincoat with you? It may rain” You say: A Because I forget B Because I like rain C Thank you for reminding me D Good idea THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION IN COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE 92 APPENDIX (Questionnaire for pilot study) QUESTIONNAIRE FOR VIETNAMESE LEARNERS OF ENGLISH This is the questionnaire for thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts of TESOL Studies, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities The purpose of this study is to Enhance Learners’ Pragmatic Competence through the Use of English Questions Please fill the questions below The data will be used for research purposes only All your responses will be strictly confidential and accessible only to researcher I PERSONAL BACKGROUND Age A under 18 years old B from 20 to 25 years old C 30 years old D from 35 to 40 years old Gender A Male B Female Occupation: Have been learning English for: A less than year B from to years C from to years D more than years II PLEASE GIVE YOUR OPINION (Below are some situations that need your answer For each situation, please choose one that you think is your best option.) When you want someone to pass the salt, which of the following is your best choice? A Pass me the salt B I’d like you to pass the salt 93 C Could you pass me the salt? When you want to suggest your friend that he/ she should apply for the job you think is suitable for him/her Which of the following would you choose? C You should apply for that job D Why don’t you apply for that job? E I think that job is suitable for you You greet your friend on Monday morning, what would you say to him/her? ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… You and your friend are at the airport Your friend says to you “Would you like some help with your luggage?” Which of the following would you choose to respond to your friend? A Yes, I would/ No, I wouldn’t B Yes, Please/ No, thanks It is 11 p.m and the son is still watching TV The mother says to the son “Are you still watching TV?” The mother’s intention in saying this is: C to ask if the son is still watching TV D to complain about the son’s watching TV C to request the son to go to bed D B & C 10 You want to invite someone to your birthday party, please number from to with as the best option A Please come to my birthday party on Saturday evening B I would like to invite you to my birthday party on Saturday evening C Can you come to my birthday party on Saturday evening? D Would you like to come to my birthday party next Saturday evening? 11 Your friend is driving too fast You warn him/her of being fined for speeding 94 A If you don’t slow down, you’ll be fined B You are driving too fast C Do you see the speed limit over there? 12 You are on the way to school and a stranger asks you: “Do you have a watch?” A Yes, I do/No, I don’t (and walk away) B Yes It’s three o’clock 13 You and your friend are going out and the weather is very nice, you like it very much What would you say to your friend? A Wonderful weather B Wonderful weather, isn’t it? 14 You are turning your radio loudly at midnight One of your neighbors says: “Must you turn the radio so loud?” A Yes, I must /No, I need not B I’m sorry about that I’ll turn it down 15 “ Is it right to cheat in any exam?” In asking his/her students that question, the teacher: A asks if cheating is allowed in exams B warns that cheating is not allowed in exams 16 You invite a friend to your birthday party this Saturday evening, he says: “Can I bring the wine?” A Yes, you can/ No, you can not B Well, thanks If you’d like to/ No, you don’t need to 17 You are going out, your friend says: “Why don’t you bring a raincoat with you? It may rain” A Because I forget B Good idea C Thank you for reminding me 18 You promise to come to your friend’s party A I promise to come to your party B Would I miss your party? C I will not miss your party 19 You don’t know that John has an accident until your friend tells you: “Do you know that John has an accident?” A Yes, I do/ No, I don’t 95 B Oh, really? When did that happen? C Oh dear It’s nothing serious, I hope THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION IN COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE 96 APPENDIX (Questionnaire for pilot study) QUESTIONNAIRE FOR NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH This is the questionnaire for thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts of TESOL Studies, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities The purpose of this study is to Enhance Learners’ Pragmatic Competence through the Use of English Questions Please fill the questions below The data will be used for research purposes only All your responses will be strictly confidential and accessible only to researcher I PERSONAL BACK GROUND Age A 20 years old B from 25 to 30 years old C from 35 to 40 years old D more than 45 years old 2.Gender A Male B Female First language: Occupation: II PLEASE GIVE YOUR OPINION Do you think politeness is important to a successful communication? A Yes B No In terms of politeness, which mode of expression you prefer? A Speaking in a direct way B Speaking in an indirect way Please tick the frequency of using indirectness in your daily communication Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always Below are some situations that need your answer For each situation, please choose one that you think is your best option 97 When you want someone to pass the salt, which of the following is your best choice? D Pass me the salt E I’d like you to pass the salt F Could you pass me the salt? When you want to suggest your friend that he/ she should apply for the job you think is suitable for him/her Which of the following would you choose? F You should apply for that job G Why don’t you apply for that job? H I think that job is suitable for you 10 You greet your friend on Monday morning, what would you say to him/her? ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… 11 You and your friend are at the airport Your friend says to you “Would you like some help with your luggage?” Which of the following would you choose to respond to your friend? C Yes, I would/ No, I wouldn’t D Yes, Please/ No, thanks 12 It is 11 p.m and the son is still watching TV The mother says to the son “Are you still watching TV?” The mother’s intention in saying this is: E to ask if the son is still watching TV F to complain about the son’s watching TV C to request the son to go to bed D B & C 98 13 You want to invite someone to your birthday party, please number from to with as the best option A Please come to my birthday party on Saturday evening B I would like to invite you to my birthday party on Saturday evening C Can you come to my birthday party on Saturday evening? D Would you like to come to my birthday party next Saturday evening? 14 Your friend is driving too fast You warn him/her of being fined for speeding A If you don’t slow down, you’ll be fined B You are driving too fast C Do you see the speed limit over there? 15 You are on the way to school and a stranger asks you: “Do you have a watch?” A Yes, I do/No, I don’t (and walk away) B Yes It’s three o’clock 16 You and your friend are going out and the weather is very nice, you like it very much What would you say to your friend? A Wonderful weather B Wonderful weather, isn’t it? 17 You are turning your radio loudly at midnight One of your neighbors says: “Must you turn the radio so loud?” A Yes, I must /No, I need not B I’m sorry about that I’ll turn it down 18 “ Is it right to cheat in any exam?” In asking his/her students that question, the teacher: A asks if cheating is allowed in exams B warns that cheating is not allowed in exams 19 You invite a friend to your birthday party this Saturday evening, he says: “Can I bring the wine?” A Yes, you can/ No, you can not B Well, thanks If you’d like to/ No, you don’t need to 20 You are going out, your friend says: “Why don’t you bring a raincoat with you? 99 It may rain” A Because I forget B Good idea C Thank you for reminding me 21 You promise to come to your friend’s party A I promise to come to your party B Would I miss your party? C I will not miss your party 22 You don’t know that John has an accident until your friend tells you: “Do you know that John has an accident?” A Yes, I do/ No, I don’t B Oh, really? When did that happen? C Oh dear It’s nothing serious, I hope THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION IN COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE 100 APPENDIX TEACHING THE COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS OF ENGLISH QUESTIONS REQUESTS AND PERMISSION Level: Intermediate Time: 45 minutes Goal: to discuss and raise learners’ awareness of the use of English questions in making Requests and asking Permission Language: Could you ?, Would you mind ?, Is it OK if ?, etc Skill: Listening and Speaking Text book: New English File (Intermediate Multipack A) Unit: - PRACTICAL ENGLISH: IN THE OFFICE Description of the activity: In this lesson, learners revise and extend ways of asking people politely to things and asking permission This language is presented through a series of exchanges between people in the office Procedures: a Teacher tells learners to look at the photos in the book and talk about the people they have known in the previous episode: Who are they? What is their relationship? b Teacher tells learners that they are going to listen to a dialogue and then will be asked to answer the following questions: What does Jacques ask Mark to do? What does Mark ask Ben to do? What does Nicole ask Allie? 101 c Teacher asks learners to close their books and listen to the dialogue for the first time Then (s)he plays the dialogue again, pausing after the answer to each question and asks learners to give the answer Teacher checks the answers and reminds learners that time off = time when you don’t have to work Answers: to send him the concert dates to help him (open a computer document) if she can have tomorrow afternoon off d Teacher asks learners to look at the dialogue Then they will work in pairs to read and see if they can guess or remember the missing words Learners are asked to write the words on a separate sheet of paper e Teacher plays the dialogue again for learners to check and finds out if learners had guessed the words correctly or if their alternatives also fit Dialogue: (J = Jacques, M=Mark, B=Ben, A=Allie, N=Nicole) J: Mark? Would you mind me those concert dates? (sending) M: Of .not Ben, are you busy? (course) B: Me? Never M: you help me? I can’t open this document (Could) B: (Sure) M: Thanks A: Hi, Nicole N: Could you sign this, please? A: Sure N: Is it .if I take tomorrow afternoon off? (OK) A: I’m , but tomorrow’s really difficult (sorry) 102 N: What about Friday afternoon? A: Friday? That’s fine Do you you could .me the request by email? (think) (send) N: Er, yes, of (course) A: Hello Hi, Mark .Could you hold a moment, Mark? Thank you, Nicole you come and see me when you have a moment? (Can) f Teacher focuses on the key phrases highlighted in the dialogue and plays the dialogue pausing after the beep for learners to repeat Encourage learners to follow the rhythm and intonation J: Mark? Would you mind sending me those concert dates? M: Of course not M: Could you help me? B: Sure N: Is it OK if I take tomorrow afternoon off? A: I’m sorry, but tomorrow’s really difficult A: Do you think you could send me the request by email? N: Yes, of course A: Can you come and see me when you have a moment? f Teacher asks learners to look at the highlighted phrases and work in pairs or individually to complete the chart Teacher compares answers in pairs 103 Answers: Request Response - Would you mind (sending me those - Of course not concert dates)? - Could you help me? - Sure - Do you think you could (send me the - Yes, of course request by email?) - Can you come and see me when you have a moment? Permission Response - Is it OK if (I take tomorrow - I’m sorry but afternoon off)? Teacher points out to learners that: - In making requests, the expression (question) used in a given situation often depends on the how big the favour is asked (the task type) and how well the speakers know each other (relationship of the speakers) - The questions Can/Could/May I ? can be used to ask for permission, e.g May I use your phone? - The verb after Would you mind ? must be the –ing form This phrase requires a negative answer, e.g (No,) of course not if the hearer agrees to the request - Apart from of course not, the other responses can be used for all requests/permissions g Teacher asks learners go around the room and talk to another one to make requests Learners are given a time limit to make requests At the end, teacher finds who got the most learners agree to help him/her 104 Communication Making Requests (Student A + B) a Look at the verbs below Choose one thing you would like someone to for you - look after (my children, my dog, my cat, etc.) - lend me (some money, your car, a book, etc.) - give me a lift (home, to the center, etc.) - help me (with my home work, paint my flat, etc.) b Ask as many students as possible Be polite, and explain why you want the favour How many people agree to help you? ... Description of Vietnam- Australia International English School Vietnam- Australia International English School was founded in the educational co-operation program between Vietnamese teachers of English and... how Intermediate- level Vietnamese learners of English at Vietnam- Australia International English School use English questions for different communicative purposes 2) to investigate learners? ?? awareness... Vietnamese learners of English (Abbreviated to VLsE) at Vietnam- Australia International English School (Abbreviated to VAS) use of English questions for different communicative purposes and brings