LờI an ủi giữa sinh viên trong tiếng việt và tiếng anh mỹ dưới góc độ giao tiếp đa văn hóa

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Language is essential for communication and serves to convey and preserve culture and cultural connections Conversely, culture significantly influences how language is pragmatically utilized As Seneca noted, a mind devoid of culture cannot yield fruitful results, much like fertile soil requires cultivation to be productive Therefore, using language without cultural understanding can result in ineffective communication, regardless of one's linguistic proficiency.

Learning a new language inherently involves understanding its associated culture (Allwright & Bailey 1991) In Vietnam, however, English teachers and learners primarily emphasize linguistic competence—such as vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation—while neglecting oral skills and cultural nuances This oversight can lead to culture shock and communication breakdowns, even when learners produce grammatically correct sentences With globalization accelerating the need for effective communication with native speakers, it is crucial to teach both pragmatic and cultural competence, highlighting the similarities and differences between cultures This approach enables learners to use the target language appropriately, reducing misunderstandings and offenses.

Speech acts are deeply intertwined with culture, prompting extensive research and cross-cultural studies on acts like thanking, requesting, and complimenting Despite this interest, the speech act of apologizing has received comparatively little attention from researchers.

Comforting is a common aspect of daily life, yet many struggle to support loved ones in pain or difficulty Individuals often wish to provide solace but feel uncertain about what to say, fearing their words may inadvertently worsen the situation In sensitive moments, even the most articulate individuals can find themselves at a loss for words Consequently, exploring the similarities and differences in comforting practices between American English and Vietnamese cultures through verbal cues is essential and valuable.

For all reasons stated, a close look at the speech act of comforting in communication among students would be taken This will be conducted with the title:

“COMFORTING AMONG STUDENTS IN AMERICAN ENGLISH AND

VIETNAMESE- AS SEEN FROM INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION”

Aims of the study

(i) To explore advisable topics for comforting among American and Vietnamese students in American English and Vietnamese culture

(ii) To examine comforting discourse strategies employed by Vietnamese and

American students under the influence of relationship

(iii) To examine comforting discourse strategies employed by Vietnamese and

American students under the influence of gender.

Significance of the study

To effectively teach and learn English as a foreign or second language, it is essential to develop pragmatic and cultural competence in order to implement a communicative approach Consequently, conducting a comparative study on the speech act of comforting is crucial for enhancing English teaching and learning methods in Vietnam.

As the demand for interaction and communication with Native Americans grows, particularly among students, understanding the cultural differences and similarities is essential for effective learning and engagement.

3 students in a new environment to use the target language appropriately and avoid misunderstandings, offenses and communicative breakdowns

It is hoped that the investigation into the ways of comforting among Vietnamese and American students will contribute to the success in the real-life communication.

Scope of the study

The study focuses on verbal communication; paralinguistic and non- verbal factors are not discussed here

The author collected data through self-administered survey questionnaires, focusing on the analysis of strategies derived from two case study situations involving acts of comforting This study examines three types of student relationships: close friends, classmates, and schoolmates.

The age of interlocutors can influence speech patterns, but this study focuses on Vietnamese and American students aged 18-25 to maintain a manageable number of DCT items Expanding the age range would have significantly increased the number of items, potentially overwhelming the participants.

Finally, because of the limitations of time and materials, this study is unable to discuss the ways the addresses respond when they are comforted

In the view of these limitations, the study can only be regarded as a preliminary study and any conclusions are tentative.

Structure of the study

As for the design of the study, it is composed of three main parts:

Part I - Introduction - introduces the rationale, aims, significance, and scope of the study

Part II - Development - consists of three chapters They are:

- Chapter 1 (Literature review) introduces the key theoretical concepts that the study based on: Speech acts, comforting, and discourse strategies

- Charter 2 (Methodology) mentions the research questions, data collection instruments, selection of subjects, data collection procedures and data analysis

- Chapter 3 (Findings and discussions) presents the results of the study in terms of advisable topics and the use of comforting strategies in order to answer the research questions

Part III – Conclusion – summarizes the most important findings of the study, recommend for CCC as well as proposes some suggestions for further research

DEVELOPMENT

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter examines relevant theories and literature related to the study's topic It begins with an overview of speech acts, followed by a discussion on comforting as a specific speech act and the factors that influence it The final section presents various discourse strategies associated with these concepts.

The concept of speech acts, introduced by British philosopher John Austin in his seminal work "How to Do Things with Words" (1962), refers to the actions carried out through language When we communicate, we engage in various linguistic actions, including making statements, asking questions, giving warnings, and offering comfort Essentially, speech acts encompass all the actions we perform while speaking, highlighting the multifaceted nature of verbal communication.

In 1962, Austin identified three types of speech acts: locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary A locutionary act refers to the act of saying something in its literal sense, while an illocutionary act involves using a sentence to fulfill a specific function The perlocutionary act, on the other hand, focuses on the effects produced by the act of speaking Among these, the illocutionary act, which Austin later termed "speech act," is of primary interest to both Austin and other pragmatists (Levinson, 1983).

Yule (1997) defines speech acts as actions carried out through utterances, which in English are categorized into specific types like requesting, apologizing, and offering These actions occur within speech events, where participants engage in language-based interactions aimed at achieving particular outcomes.

According to Searle (1969), language plays a crucial role in action theory, where speech acts encompass verbal actions like promising, threatening, and requesting For instance, while Americans commonly greet each other with "How are you doing?", Vietnamese speakers have their own unique expressions.

Speech acts, such as greeting with "Where are you going?" or making statements like "It's hot here," serve various communicative purposes, including requests and assertions These acts are influenced by cultural contexts, as the way they are expressed is shaped by distinct social norms that vary between communities.

Speech act theory has been extensively analyzed by various theorists, all of whom agree on a fundamental concept: speech acts encompass the actions performed when one communicates verbally.

Comforting is the act of alleviating someone's worries or unhappiness through kindness and sympathy According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, it involves making individuals feel better during distress, while Longman Dictionary emphasizes the importance of kind words or physical touch in this process Additionally, comforting can be understood as providing moral support, soothing those in affliction, and easing both physical and mental pain.

In speech act theory, comforting is categorized as a directive speech act, where the speaker aims to help the hearer relax, improve their emotional state, or alleviate their distress.

E.g A person comforting someone after a break up may say ‘Forget him and find another one!’

In addition, comforting can also be seen as a Commissives in the sense that S offers spending time with the H or promises to help the H out, solving the problem or

7 just entertaining the H In short, the S wants to commit himself to taking an action to help the H out of the current situation

E.g ‘I’m here to listen to you’

Besides, in another aspect, comforting can be categorized into an expressive type of speech act, especially when the S wants to express his feelings to show sympathy to the H’s problem

E.g ‘I’m terribly sorry you’re in so much pain’

Comforting serves as a speech act where the speaker aims to highlight reasons or justifications for why the hearer should not feel sadness or disappointment.

E.g ‘He’s just a jerk; he doesn’t deserve you anymore’

In real-life communication, a notable aspect of this speech act is its composition of various sub-speech acts, including expressing sympathy, giving advice, and encouraging, all aimed at comforting the listener.

E.g.: ‘I’m sorry, but, maybe I’ll be sure to come next time’: This saying comprises two sub-speech acts: apologizing and encouraging

Bui Anh Duong (2008) agrees with Toshihico Suzuki, highlighting that Americans and Vietnamese people utilize distinct strategies for providing comfort in various contexts, often employing at least two different approaches for each situation.

The speech act of comforting is considered a face-enhancing act (FEA) for the hearer, as it involves the speaker providing advice, offering support, or making proposals aimed at benefiting the listener.

Moreover, comforting messages display high person-centeredness as they recognize the other’s feelings by helping the other to articulate those feelings,

8 elaborating reasons why the other are experiencing those feelings, and assisting the other to see how those feelings fit in a broader context (See Burleson, 2003a)

Burleson and Goldsmith (1998) emphasized that person-centered comforting messages are highly beneficial and effective in providing support These messages help reduce emotional stress by fostering a supportive conversational environment, which encourages individuals to make sense of their upsetting experiences.

In summary, comforting is a multifaceted speech act that often incorporates various strategies It consists of several sub-speech acts designed to enhance the face of the hearer.

1.2.3 Socio-cultural factors affecting comforting

METHODOLOGY

This study explores the speech act of comforting in American English and Vietnamese as utilized by native students It addresses the research questions, outlines the data collection instruments, describes the selection of subjects, and details the procedures for data collection and analysis.

2.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS i What topics do Vietnamese and American students suggest comforting in their cultures? ii What comforting strategies do Vietnamese and American students use in the situations studied? iii What and how do socio-cultural factors; namely gender and relationship affect the choice of Vietnamese and American students’ comforting strategies in the situations studied?

This study aims to explore the appropriate contexts for providing comfort and the verbal comforting strategies used in English and Vietnamese It also investigates how Vietnamese students differ from American students in their choice of comforting strategies due to socio-cultural influences.

In this study, data collection instruments include two main questionnaires:

The Metapragmatic Questionnaire (MPQ) was developed to investigate the suitable topics for offering comfort in both American English and Vietnamese cultures Additionally, it aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the situational topics that would be utilized in subsequent parts of the study.

 The Discourse Completion Task (DCT) was designed to elicit some forms of comforting from native students of American English and Vietnamese

Besides, the Vietnamese translated versions of the MPQ and DCT questionnaires were used to collect the same data from the set of Vietnamese students in Vietnamese

The study utilized questionnaires designed in both Vietnamese and English to ensure that native speakers of each language could provide authentic and reliable data The MPQ and DCT questionnaires each consisted of two sections, maintaining consistent content across both languages.

Part one of the survey asks respondents to provide their country of birth, residential area, gender, highest level of education, and any languages acquired beyond their mother tongue This information is crucial for analysis and commentary, particularly gender, which is a key parameter in this study.

The MPQ questions are designed to identify suitable comforting scenarios in both general social contexts and specific situations It comprises five topics derived from personal experiences and online interviews with American students in the USA and Vietnamese students in Hanoi Each topic is categorized by socio-cultural factors, including relationship dynamics and gender roles, allowing subjects to select the most appropriate topics within these parameters.

The second questionnaire, known as the open-ended completion task (DCT), was designed with two scenarios derived from the top two preferred topics selected from five options in the MPQ Additionally, relationship factors were incorporated into each scenario.

This study examines social relationships, categorizing them into close friends, acquaintances (classmates), and nodding acquaintances (schoolmates with occasional interactions) Additionally, gender is considered as a significant factor in these relationships Participants were asked to provide verbal comfort to individuals within these defined social circles.

16 o Close friend (same sex) o Close friend (opposite sex) o Classmate (same sex) o Classmate (opposite sex) o Schoolmate (same sex) o Schoolmate (opposite sex)

The questionnaire was designed to mirror real-life scenarios, and data for the study was gathered through observation to enhance the questionnaire results and validate the information obtained The focus was on various forms of English and Vietnamese comforting behaviors in everyday situations.

A full version of MPQ is provided in Appendix A and a version of DCT is in Appendix B The two questionnaires were then translated into Vietnamese

Questionnaires were distributed to Vietnamese native speakers in Northern Vietnam and American English native speakers in the U.S via email Participants, aged 15-25, were students in high schools or universities, with additional criteria including country of birth, residential area, gender, highest education level, and knowledge of languages beyond their mother tongue Gender emerged as the most significant factor in data analysis, leading to an equal distribution of participants across both genders in the American English Speakers (AES) and Vietnamese Native Speakers (VNS) groups, specifically comprising 16 males and 14 females in the AES group.

22 males and 22 females in VNS group The DCT questionnaires were delivered to 8 males and 7 females in AES group along with 11 males and 11 females in VNS group

Firstly, the items of the MPQ questionnaire were administered to two groups of intended respondents: the Vietnamese version given to 44 Vietnamese students and the

The study involved 30 American students to identify appropriate comforting topics in American English and Vietnamese cultures It aimed to assess the validity and reliability of these topics for future research Participants from both cultures selected preferred comforting topics for peers, allowing for an analysis of the similarities and differences in appropriateness between the two cultures The findings served as a baseline for selecting two valid and reliable topics for the Discourse Completion Task (DCT).

Following the selection of two topics, a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) was created featuring scenarios related to these topics The DCT was administered to 22 Vietnamese participants and 15 American English participants, who were asked to express their responses to the given situations The collected data was coded according to the discourse strategies outlined in the first chapter The statistical analysis results of all comfort tokens are detailed in chapter three.

In our research, we gathered a diverse range of comforting expressions in both English and Vietnamese, focusing on their communicative meanings The data was systematically categorized based on the forms used to convey comfort in each language Through contrastive analysis, we identified the similarities and differences in comforting topics and strategies employed in English and Vietnamese, grounded in the findings from each language.

This study employed quantitative analysis to explore students' preferred topics for comfort and the strategies they most frequently use when comforting others The data collected from the Discourse Completion Task (DCT) was examined in relation to the comforting discourse strategies outlined in Chapter 1 (section 1.4).

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

CHAPTER THREE FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter outlines the study's findings, followed by a discussion aimed at addressing the questions posed in chapter two It evaluates and interprets the relationship between recommended topics and the use of comforting strategies, considering socio-cultural factors such as relationship dynamics and gender across various situations Descriptive statistics and Excel functions are employed for this analysis, with illustrative charts provided, while detailed tables of exact figures comparing AES and VNS can be found in the Appendices.

3.1 OVERALL ADVISABLE TOPICS AND USE OF STRATEGIES FOR COMFORTING

3.1.1 Overall advisable topics for comforting

This section outlines recommended comforting topics for American English and Vietnamese students, highlighting five common issues prevalent in both cultures: love breakups, exam failures, the death of a loved one, loss of possessions or money, and serious illness The accompanying table and figure illustrate the frequency of these preferred comforting topics among American English speakers (AES) and Vietnamese students (VNS).

Table 3.1 Frequency of preferred comforting topics for AES and VNS

Death of loved one 63% Death of loved one 60%

Serious illness 48% Love split-up 53%

Love split- up 39% Losing things/ money

Figure 3.1 Frequency of preferred comforting topics for AES and VNS

The table and graph clearly indicate that "death of a loved one" is the top recommended topic for comfort by both AES and VNS, highlighting its significance in providing support during difficult times.

In a recent analysis, the AES group identified "serious illness" as their primary topic of concern, while the VNS group favored "love split-up," with recommendations at 48% and 53%, respectively Notably, only 39% of the AES group felt it was important to comfort peers experiencing a break-up, and the topic least recommended by the VNS group was losing possessions or money.

3.1.2 Overall use of strategies for comforting

Chapter 1 identifies eight comforting discourse strategies derived from the study's data: expressing sympathy, reassuring feelings, soothing, encouraging, giving advice, offering support, finding excuses, and inquiring about the individual's situation The subsequent table and figure illustrate the frequency of these strategies used in AES and VNS.

Table 3.2 Frequency of preferred strategies for AES and VNS

Figure 3.2 Frequency of overall strategies for AES and VNS Note: (a) expressing sympathy, (b) reassuring H’s feelings, (c) soothing, (d) encouraging, (e) giving advice, (f) offering support, (g) finding excuses, (h) enquiring H’s situation

The table and graph illustrate the varying contributions of eight comforting strategies utilized by AES and VNS across different situations Notably, there are significant differences in strategy usage between the two groups AES predominantly employs the strategy of expressing sympathy, which represents 36% of their preferred methods, while VNS uses this approach much less frequently, at only 14%.

The strategy of "reassuring H's feelings" was the least utilized, while "giving advice" emerged as a preferred approach for AES In contrast, VNS predominantly favored this strategy, using it 30% of the time—ten times more than AES Additionally, AES often employed strategies such as "encouraging" and "supporting," highlighting their distinct communication styles.

“soothing” evenly across situations and VNS opted for strategies (b) reassuring H’s feeling, (e) giving advice

3.2 USE OF COMFORTING TOPICS AND STRATEGIES- AS SEEN FROM SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS

3.2.1.1 Advisable topics for comforting by relationship

The relationship between individuals significantly influences the methods of providing comfort In this study, relationships are categorized into close friends, acquaintances (classmates), and nodding acquaintances (schoolmates with whom participants occasionally interacted) The table below presents the frequency of recommended comforting topics based on these relationship types.

Table 3.3 Frequency of advisable topics for comforting by relationship

Topics Close friend Acquaintance Nodding acquaintance

AES VNS AES VNS AES VNS

The table indicates that both the AES and VNS groups identified "love split-up" as the most commonly recommended topic for comforting close friends However, the AES group ranked "serious illness" as the second most suggested topic at 73%, while the VNS group prioritized "death of a loved one" at 80%.

Both the AES and VNS groups largely concurred on the importance of providing comfort to acquaintances who have experienced the loss of a loved one, reflecting a consistent trend in their responses to comforting topics Additionally, when considering communicative partners of nodding acquaintance, both groups identified the "death of a loved one" as the most frequently suggested topic for discussion.

In VNS, discussing topics like "losing things or money" is generally not recommended when comforting close friends, acquaintances, and nodding acquaintances Similarly, in AES, the subject of "love breakups" is considered the least appropriate for offering comfort to acquaintances and nodding acquaintances.

3.2.1.2 Choice of comforting strategies by relationship in situation 1

A friend has recently ended a relationship with their first love due to infidelity, leaving them feeling deeply upset and disappointed When you meet to support them, it's important to listen and provide comfort during this difficult time.

23 say something to cheer him/her up as a way of comforting What would you say to comfort him/her?”

Table 3.4 Frequency of strategies by relationship in the love split-up situation

Strategies Close friend Acquaintance Nodding acquaintance

AES VNS AES VNS AES VNS

Figure 3.3 Frequency of strategies for close friends in the love split-up situation Note: (a) expressing sympathy, (b) reassuring H’s feelings, (c) soothing, (d) encouraging, (e) giving advice, (f) offering support, (g) finding excuses, (h) enquiring H’s situation

The table and figure illustrate the frequency of preferred strategies employed by AES and VNS to comfort close friends during love break-ups Notably, "love split-up" emerged as the most common scenario for both groups (Table 3.3) While AES utilized a diverse range of strategies almost equally to support their friends, VNS exhibited a distinct variation in their approach.

As can be seen in the chart, there existed significant differences between ANS and VNS preferences in the use of every strategy except for strategies (d)

In the analysis of communication strategies, VNS predominantly employed the techniques of reassuring H's feelings and giving advice, utilizing these approaches more frequently than the other strategies such as encouraging, finding excuses, and inquiring about H's situation Notably, giving advice emerged as the most utilized strategy for VNS, accounting for 30% of their interactions For example, they advised H to "Find another one, be alert next time!" and encouraged them to "Be cheerful and live well, so that when you meet again, it will make them regret."

25 then he will regret when meet you again) Whereas just 15% of AES used this strategy; for example, ‘Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow’ or ‘Go out and have a drink!’

Figure 3.4 Frequency of strategies for acquaintances in the love split-up situation Note: (a) expressing sympathy, (b) reassuring H’s feelings, (c) soothing, (d) encouraging, (e) giving advice, (f) offering support, (g) finding excuses, (h) enquiring H’s situation

The strategies used to comfort acquaintances reveal a significant difference between two groups: VNS and AES While 28% of VNS opted for "reassuring H's feelings," only 4% of AES preferred this approach In Vietnamese, VNS examples include phrases like ‘Thôi vui lên đi ấy!’ (Be cheerful) and ‘Buồn thì giải quyết được gì đâu, không việc gì phải vậy’ (Being upset doesn’t solve anything, don’t be like that) In contrast, AES typically used simpler phrases such as ‘Move on!’ or ‘Cheer up!’.

CONCLUSION

Summary of the findings

This study aims to explore the performance of comforting speech acts among American and Vietnamese native students It addresses key research questions regarding the contexts in which these students engage in comforting behaviors and the socio-cultural factors influencing their approaches Additionally, the study compares the strategies employed by both groups in relation to aspects of relationship dynamics and gender, providing valuable insights into their comforting practices.

The study highlights notable differences and similarities in the topics and strategies used by American English speakers (AES) and Vietnamese speakers (VNS) in two scenarios Both groups employed all five topics and eight strategies, although some were more frequently utilized Vietnamese students tended to focus on reassuring their peers' feelings during comforting speech acts, while American students expressed sympathy more directly Importantly, both groups agreed that the most significant situation for offering comfort to peers was in response to the loss of loved ones.

Socio-cultural factors such as relationship dynamics and gender significantly influence the choice of comforting topics and strategies among peers, with the impact of relationship being more pronounced than that of gender Both groups showed a stronger inclination to comfort close friends during break-ups, employing a greater variety of strategies, while they preferred to support acquaintances in cases of death of a loved one Additionally, both genders agreed that the most suitable comforting topic is the death of a loved one, and more strategies were utilized for same-sex friends compared to those for opposite-sex friends.

Recognizing verbal behaviors in the target culture is crucial for preventing misunderstandings and cultural conflicts The study revealed that students from American and Vietnamese cultures have differing preferences for comforting topics and strategies, influenced by various socio-cultural factors.

Thus, Vietnamese students are suggested to:

 Comfort close friends in some appropriate situations such as having break-ups or having serious illness regardless of gender

When comforting acquaintances who are grieving the loss of loved ones, facing academic failures, or experiencing financial setbacks, it's important to offer genuine support and empathy Regardless of gender, these individuals need reassurance and understanding during difficult times Acknowledging their pain and providing a listening ear can help them navigate their emotions and foster healing.

When supporting friends through a breakup, it's essential to offer encouragement and express sympathy, especially to close friends and acquaintances Instead of probing too deeply into their situation, focus on providing comfort and reassurance, as this approach fosters a supportive environment and helps them feel less alone during a challenging time.

Expressing sympathy is essential when consoling peers who have experienced the death of a loved one, regardless of their gender It is important to refrain from reassuring their feelings or making excuses during this sensitive time Additionally, offering support is not recommended for casual acquaintances, as it may not be appropriate in such situations.

Also, when communicating with Vietnamese students, American students are advised to:

 Comfort close friends in some appropriate situations such as having break-ups or losing loved ones regardless of gender

It is essential to offer comfort to acquaintances, whether close or casual, who are experiencing the loss of a loved one or facing serious illness, regardless of their gender Additionally, it is important to extend support to nodding acquaintances during times of loss, such as financial setbacks or the loss of personal belongings.

 In case of love split-up, give advice to close friends as well as reassure the feelings of acquaintances and nodding acquaintances to cheer them up regardless of gender

Avoid enquiring situations of close friends and offering support for nodding acquaintances

When comforting friends or acquaintances after the death of a loved one, it is essential to reassure their feelings and express sympathy to provide solace While offering support and predicting a better future may seem helpful, these actions are not recommended in such sensitive situations Instead, focus on acknowledging their grief and providing a compassionate presence.

Some recommendations are hoped to contribute to the success of communication between American and Vietnamese students

This study offers a preliminary exploration of comforting behaviors among Vietnamese and American English native students To enhance comprehension and application of comforting techniques, several areas for future research are recommended.

 Cross-cultural study in the English comforting and comforting response made by Vietnamese learner of English or vice versa

 The focus of the age factor to study the differences and similarities in comforting

 Investigation in directness and indirectness in comforting

 Investigation in formality-informality in comforting

 Investigation in non-verbal cues in comforting

 Investigation in the use of positive and negative politeness strategies of English and Vietnamese people in daily communication

The author has diligently completed the thesis, putting forth her utmost effort and knowledge While there may be some shortcomings and limitations, she genuinely appreciates any constructive and insightful feedback from readers Thank you for your support!

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Vietnamese cultures, M.A Thesis, CFL-VNU, Hanoi

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(Eds.), Handbook of communication and social interaction skills (pp 551-594)

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Alleviating emotional distress through conversationally induced reappraisals In P A

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Suzuki, T (2008), A Corpus-based Study of the Speech act of ‘Comforting’: Naturalness and Appropriateness for English Language Teaching, The Proceedings for the 13th Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics (PAAL 2008): 77-80

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‘Comforting’, The Cultural Review 36: 81-103 Tokyo, Japan: Waseda Commercial

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This questionnaire aims to support our research on "Comforting among Students in America and Vietnam through the Lens of Intercultural Communication." We seek to understand various situations related to this topic, and your participation in completing the questionnaire is invaluable Rest assured, your responses will remain anonymous and will not be identifiable in any discussions regarding the data Thank you for your assistance.

A General information: Please complete each question by filling the blank space or circle your choice

6 Highest level of education: High school University Others

7 Do you speak any other languages?

Please read the situation and tick (√) your answers in the appropriate column (More than one option can be possible)

When your peer feels really upset or depressed for some reasons, in which situations would you be willing to comfort her/him?

Close friends Acquaintances Nodding Acquaintances

Male Female Male Female Male Female

Others: Please add some more advisable/inadvisable situations to comfort a peer (if possible)

Phiếu điều tra này được thiết kế để phục vụ cho nghiên cứu về “Lời an ủi giữa sinh viên trong văn hóa Việt và văn hóa Mỹ” Mục tiêu của các câu hỏi là để khám phá cách đánh giá của bạn về các tình huống khác nhau Chúng tôi rất trân trọng sự hỗ trợ của bạn trong việc hoàn thành phiếu điều tra này và cam kết bảo mật thông tin cá nhân của bạn Xin chân thành cảm ơn sự hợp tác của quý vị!

A Thông tin chung: Quý vị hãy điền thông tin hoặc khoanh tròn lực chọn của mình

3 Nơi cư trú: Thành thị/ Nông thôn

Phần I: Quý vị hãy đọc tình huống sau và đánh dấu (√ ) lựa chọn của mình vào ô thích hợp (Có thể lựa chọn nhiều hơn 1 đáp án)

Khi bạn của bạn đang trải qua nỗi buồn vì một sự việc nào đó, có nhiều tình huống mà bạn nên an ủi họ Đầu tiên, nếu họ vừa trải qua một thất bại hoặc mất mát, sự hiện diện và lời động viên của bạn có thể giúp họ cảm thấy bớt cô đơn Thứ hai, khi họ chia sẻ nỗi buồn với bạn, hãy lắng nghe một cách chân thành và không phán xét để họ cảm thấy được thấu hiểu Cuối cùng, trong những lúc họ cần một người bạn để trò chuyện hoặc chỉ đơn giản là cùng nhau làm điều gì đó vui vẻ, hãy chủ động đề xuất những hoạt động giúp họ thoải mái hơn.

Người mà bạn an ủi

Bạn thân Bạn quen biết Bạn quen biết sơ qua

Nam Nữ Nam Nữ Nam Nữ

Thất bại trong thi cử

Tình huống khác: (Hãy thêm vào những tình huống mà bạn nghĩ là nên hoặc không nên an ủi với bạn bè)

APPENDIX B: DISCOURSE TASK COMPLETION (DCT)

This questionnaire is designed for our research titled “Comforting among students in American and Vietnamese- as seen from intercultural communication”

This questionnaire aims to assess various situations, and your participation in answering the following items is highly valued Rest assured, your responses will remain anonymous and will not be linked to your identity in any discussions regarding the data collected.

Part I General information: Please complete each question by filling the blank space or circle your choice

Please read the situations and write down exactly what you would say directly in a normal conversation

Recommendation for further study

This study offers an initial exploration of comforting behaviors among Vietnamese and American English native students To enhance understanding and improve the application of comforting strategies, additional areas for future research are recommended.

 Cross-cultural study in the English comforting and comforting response made by Vietnamese learner of English or vice versa

 The focus of the age factor to study the differences and similarities in comforting

 Investigation in directness and indirectness in comforting

 Investigation in formality-informality in comforting

 Investigation in non-verbal cues in comforting

 Investigation in the use of positive and negative politeness strategies of English and Vietnamese people in daily communication

The thesis has been diligently completed, reflecting the author's utmost efforts and understanding While there may be inherent shortcomings, the author sincerely welcomes constructive feedback and insightful comments from readers Thank you for your support!