Rationale
Prosody is crucial in communication as it helps convey emotions and sentiments, allowing individuals to express attitudes like happiness, sadness, anger, love, or hate However, many speakers struggle with effectively using prosody, often leading to misunderstandings of the intended meanings behind utterances Therefore, understanding and selecting appropriate prosodic elements can significantly enhance communication and bridge gaps in understanding.
Selecting appropriate prosodic features is essential for effective communication, as it enables speakers to achieve their communicative goals For instance, a speaker might elevate their tone at the end of a statement to indicate a question, rather than relying on traditional question words, as illustrated in the example: "While the teacher is teaching, students can talk."
Responses play a crucial role in communication, facilitating the flow of conversation between speakers and listeners The manner in which individuals respond influences the direction and continuation of the dialogue, making it a vital aspect of effective communication.
We hope that the study not only contributes a small part in the success of each conversation but also can be considered as the ground stage for further researches.
Aims of the study
This study is limited to the classroom context, focusing specifically on the prosodic features in the interactions between teachers and students Consequently, the primary goals of the study are outlined as follows.
* To find out the similarities and differences in the responses between teacher and students in context of a class
* To look at the way how teachers and students express their responses showing agreement and disagreement in classroom context
* To find out the prominent intonation strategies preferably used in agreeing and disagreeing responses by teacher and students.
Scope of the study
This study explores the various types of speech act responses, specifically focusing on how teachers and students express agreements and disagreements It also emphasizes the importance of prosodic features, particularly the role of intonation in these utterances, to better understand communication dynamics in educational settings.
Due to constraints in time, expertise, and knowledge, the research focuses on English classes for grade 11 at Ischool Hatinh, where the researcher primarily observes and describes the interactions and responses between the teacher and students.
Method of the study
The study utilizes quantitative research to explore the relationship between variables This approach involves either descriptive or experimental designs, relying on personal observation and factual data to establish general principles.
The participants of the study include teacher and students at Ischool Hatinh high school.
Structure of the study
The study is divided into three main parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion
As many other studies, this part introduces briefly the rationale, aims, the scope, methods and organization of the study
This part includes three chapters:
This article provides a comprehensive overview of theories related to speech acts and prosodic features, highlighting previous research and key issues in the field It explores essential concepts such as Speech Acts theory, the distinction between sentences and utterances, and the varying responses between teachers and students Additionally, it defines intonation and examines its structures and functions, offering insights into how these elements interact within communication.
This chapter introduces quantitative method as the main method for the research In particular, it describes the research questions, participants, data collection and data analysis framework
This chapter presents findings on intonation in agreeing and disagreeing responses of teacher and students in class context
The last part will summarize the over all of the study and provide limitation and suggestions for further study.
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Sentence and Utterance
A sentence, as defined by Crystal (1980: 319-320), is a natural language expression that serves as a grammatical unit It typically comprises one or more words and exhibits minimal syntactic connection to the preceding or following words.
A sentence is a meaningful grouping of words that conveys a statement, question, exclamation, request, or command It typically includes both function and content words, along with unique properties of natural language, such as intonation and timing In English, sentences are generally identified by the presence of a finite verb, as illustrated in the example "She gives me a dollar," where "gives" serves as the finite verb According to Crystal (1991), sentences can be categorized into four main types based on their structure.
* Simple sentence consists of a single independent clause with no dependent clauses The sentence below has one independent clause, which contains one subject: baby, and one predicate: cried
* Compound sentence consists of multiple independent clauses with no dependent clauses These clauses are joined together using conjunctions, punctuation, or both
Eg: ''Do you want to stay here or go shopping with me?''
* Complex sentence consists of at least one independent clause and one dependent clause As we can see in the following example:
Eg: ''I ate the meal that you cooked''
''I ate the meal'' is an independent clause and ''that you cooked'' is a relative clause
* Complex-compound sentence (or compound-complex sentence) consists of multiple independent clauses, at least one of which has at least one dependent clause
Eg: ''The dog lived in the backyard, but the cat, who knew he was superior, lived inside the house''
Basing on their purpose, sentence are divided into five types, exclamative, imperative, informative, declarative and interrogative sentences (Crystal 1991: 322)
* Exclamative sentence: An exclamative or exclamatory sentence expresses the speaker's emotion
Eg: ''I'll never finish this paper in time!''
An imperative sentence serves to issue commands, requests, directions, or instructions These sentences are designed to engage the audience, encouraging them to take action or refrain from doing something.
* Informative sentence is more for the mutual benefit of both the listener and the speaker, and, in fact, requires more of an interaction between both parties involved
Eg: ''We are going to school now''
A declarative sentence is the most prevalent type of sentence in any language, serving the primary function of conveying information to the listener or reader It expresses an idea, whether objective or subjective, and is typically concluded with a period in written form.
Eg: ''The earth goes around the sun''
* Interrogative sentence asks a question and, therefore, ends with a question mark
Eg: "What do you want?"
In general, ''sentence is neither a physical event nor a physical object It is, conceived abstractly, a string of words put together by the grammatical rule of language''
According to Hurford & Heasley (2003: 15), an utterance is defined as a piece of language, which can include a sequence of sentences, a single phrase, or even a single word, used by a specific speaker on a particular occasion Unlike written language, utterances are natural units of speech that represent complete units of talk The authors clarify that anything enclosed in double quotation marks signifies an utterance, while italicized text denotes a sentence or part of a sentence, such as a phrase or word.
Eg: ''Help" represents an utterance
''The postillions have been struck by lightening'' represents a sentence
Following the ideas of Hurford and Heasley, from the beginning to the end of the study, all utterances and sentence will be illustrated in the form above
According to the Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics (1985: 273), Richards et al define a response as "an act of answering or replying," which can be expressed through verbal communication or physical actions For instance, students might respond to their teacher's questions in various ways.
Teacher: (angry) '' How many of you complete the homework?''
Lan: (looks down and doesn't say anything)
Lan and Mai answer their teacher's question in different ways and the teacher understands that his/her students haven't finished their homework yet
Responses should reflect the meaning of the previous question, as demonstrated in the example In certain situations, questions imply a need for a suitable answer For instance, during a lesson, if a student named Tu is distracted while the teacher is instructing, the teacher may address him directly to regain his attention.
Eg: Teacher: ''What is the meaning of not paying attention Tu?'' Tu: ''I am sorry"
Tu recognizes that his teacher's question serves as a reminder to focus on the lesson, prompting him to apologize for his lack of attention Conversely, if Tu had misinterpreted the question, he would have needed to clarify what "not paying attention" means.
In one another case, if the sentence is too long, the speaker may use intonation to emphasize the key words for example:
Eg: "this 'afternoon, I will have a dis'cussion with our 'headmaster about studying English through extra curricular activities so that the
'deadline for the 'essay will be to'morrow''
In this study, while body language can serve as a form of response, the focus is specifically on verbal communication The research emphasizes the analysis of utterances gathered through observations and interviews, highlighting the importance of spoken language in the context of the findings.
Speech Acts
According to Austin (1962: 75), many utterances serve as actions rather than mere conveyors of information, suggesting that speaking can equate to doing Speech acts encompass a variety of actions, including agreeing, disagreeing, promising, ordering, greeting, warning, inviting, and congratulating This concept highlights that the meaning of an utterance can vary significantly based on context.
Eg: ''Our headmaster is over there"
(a) It could be uttered as a means of complaining to a students that they are very noisy then
(b) It could be understood as a warning of teacher to his students not to make any trouble because their headmaster is looking at them
(c) It could be uttered to introduce the headmaster to students
Each of utterance can include its meaning, which is why Austin (1962), Searle
(1976) and Quang (2009) said that ''to make an utterance, the speaker must do three acts: Locutionary, Illocutionary act and perlocutionay act'' In addition, in Austin's theory
(1962: 75), speech acts included three levels: The first is locutionary act, which is the performance of an utterance, the actual utterance and its ostensible meaning in the sense of
"say" based on words or structure of the utterance
Eg: "I want to drink an orange juice"
The speaker aims to execute a locutionary act, demonstrating that utterances are rarely made without purpose In this case, the speaker's desire for orange juice also serves as a requirement, illustrating an illocutionary act Furthermore, Austin identifies a third level known as the perlocutionary act, which influences the hearer or speaker, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Yule (1996: 48) emphasizes that communication is purposeful, stating, "In communicating, we do not simply create an utterance without intending to have an effect." For instance, when someone says, "I want to drink an orange juice," they are expressing a desire for someone to bring them a glass of orange juice This intention behind the utterance is known as a perlocutionary act.
Beside the theory of Austin, Searle (1976: 54) divided speech acts into five types:
(1) Commissives are acts that commit the speaker in doing something in the future such as promising, swearing, threatening etc
Eg: ''I will come back tomorrow, I promise''
(2) Declaratives are acts that can change the available situation via utterance
Eg: ''I now pronounce you husband and wife''
(3) Directives are acts that get the hearers to do something because they are acts of offering, requesting or ordering
Eg: "Could you open the door?"
(4) Expressives are the ways that speakers express their feelings and attitudes such as apologizing, thanking, congratulation etc
Eg: "Congratulation! You've passed your examination"
(5) Representatives/ assertives are acts that the speakers utter the assertions, reports or conclusions and they are responsible for that situation
Eg: ''I am sure that he is wrong''
Yule (1996: 49) categorizes acts into direct and indirect types, defining direct acts as those that exhibit a clear relationship between structure and function, while indirect acts demonstrate a more nuanced connection between the two.
Eg 1 Student: "I think the topic ''friendship'' is related to culture shock'' Teacher: ''Really? I do not agree with you'' (a)
Eg 2 Student: "In my opinion, we should come back to the bus stop to find the boy"
Teacher: "Actually, we can find another way'' (b)
Eg 3 Student: I think the girl should apologise the boy Teacher: ''Good! How about others' opinions?'' (c)
Direct disagreement is exemplified in statement (a), where the speaker clearly opposes the hearer's opinion, making their stance immediately understandable In contrast, statements (b) and (c) represent indirect disagreement from teachers towards their students, as they aim to refuse politely while encouraging alternative responses According to Searle (1976: 54), indirect speech acts convey more meaning than what is explicitly stated, which characterizes the nature of responses (b) and (c) as indirect answers.
According to Searle's speech acts theory (1976), acts play a crucial role in various contexts, particularly in the dynamics of agreement and disagreement between teachers and students, categorized as representative acts Additionally, Yule's theory (1996) distinguishes between direct and indirect speech acts, further enriching our understanding of communication in educational settings.
1.2.2 Response as an act of speech
In conversation, a response is defined as an utterance, which involves three essential acts as highlighted by linguists Austin (1962) and Quang (2009): the locutionary act, the illocutionary act, and the perlocutionary act These concepts are crucial for understanding the dynamics of communication.
This study explores the various types of responses between teachers and students, emphasizing that responses can vary based on context and are not always purely agreement or disagreement Focusing on a case study approach, it examines these interactions through the lens of Yule's theory of direct and indirect acts, highlighting the complexities of communication in educational settings.
Prosodic Features
Prosody plays a crucial role in speech understanding and has been extensively researched, particularly in the context of speech acts, which are characterized by their natural and spontaneous nature The significance of prosody in these studies has grown, highlighting the importance of elements such as stress, intonation, and rhythm in conveying a speaker's intent Analyzing these prosodic features enhances our comprehension of utterances, making it essential for effective communication.
According to Richard et al (1992) in the Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, stress refers to the emphasis placed on a specific word or syllable, making it stand out more than the others in a sentence This emphasis is achieved by using greater airflow from the lungs during pronunciation.
Rhythm, on the other hand, is ''creating by the contracting and relaxing chest, muscles'' (Richard, J C et al 1992: 346)
Intonation is defined as ''raises and falls in pitch level'' (Richard, J C et al 1992:
155) and will be clarified in the next part
Stress, rhythm, and intonation are crucial elements of prosodic features, each serving distinct functions This thesis will primarily concentrate on intonation in the subsequent sections.
Intonation
Intonation is a famous component in making every utterance This is also an interesting topic for researchers There are different definitions about intonation
According to Quang and Tam (2009: 37) English intonation was ''the rises and falls in pitch level'' This means that when we utter any sentences, intonation is presented
According to O'Connor (1973), English intonation refers to the pitch patterns and melodic qualities of spoken English, highlighting its musical characteristics Intonation is a fundamental aspect of spoken language.
Intonation is the variation in pitch and loudness during speech, forming recognizable patterns that enhance communication According to Richard, J C et al (1992), speakers adjust their voice's pitch and emphasize certain syllables, which contributes to the rhythm of their speech These patterns are not random; they can be systematically analyzed based on their structure and functions Intonation serves to convey additional information beyond the literal meaning of words, enriching the overall message.
Intonation is related to sentence, stress is related to word but tone is related to syllable
Tone is the use of pitch in language to distinguish words According to Roach (1983: 62),
Tone, defined as a unit of speech marked by pauses and characterized by voice pitch, plays a crucial role in communication by conveying speakers' intentions, such as proclamations, agreements, disagreements, questions, or hesitations According to Ladefoged (1982), there are four basic tones: fall, rise-fall, rise, and fall-rise, while Roach (1988) identifies five tones, including a rarely used level tone In effective communication, emphasis should primarily be placed on the fall, first-rise, second-rise, and fall-rise tones.
Intonation in English differs from stress, which pertains to the emphasis placed on syllables within words Each English word typically has a specific stress placement In contrast, intonation relates to the patterns of speech during conversation According to Roach (1988: 121), the structure of an individual tone unit in English comprises four components: Head, Pre-tonic segment, Tonic or nucleus, and Tail.
Head Pre-head Tonic/nucleus Tail
The head of a tone-unit encompasses everything from the first stressed syllable up to, but not including, the tonic syllable For a clearer understanding, we can refer to an example provided in Roach's 1988 publication.
Eg: 'give me those (Roach, 1988:123) The first two syllables are the head of the tone-unit (those)
Eg: 'Bill 'called to 'give me those (Roach, 1988:123) The head is first five syllables
Eg: in an hour (Roach, 1988:123)
In this example, the absence of a stressed syllable before the tonic syllable "hour" means there is no head present The phrase "in an" serves as the pre-head in this context.
Pre-head includes all the unstressed syllables before the head in a tone-unit
Therefore, we can find out pre-head in two cases: The first is in the last example above The second is "in a" in the following example:
Eg: In a 'little 'less than an hour (Roach, 1988:124)
The pre-head is "in a", the head is "little" and "less than an" and the tonic syllable is "hour"
The tail occurs between the tonic syllable and the conclusion of the tonic unit, as illustrated in the phrase "did you say." The tonic syllable serves as the essential and mandatory component of the tonic unit, highlighting its significance in speech.
O'Connor (1973) identified four fundamental shapes of tunes that convey speakers' emotions and intentions He discovered that the shapes of tunes depend on the emphasis placed on key words within an utterance, reflecting the speaker's attitude Consequently, variations in focus on important syllables can lead to diverse interpretations of spoken words, resulting in multiple possible tunes in utterances.
In short, catching intonation in conversation is necessary because it helps the addressee to avoid misunderstanding in mutual relationship
O' Connor (1973) proposed four shapes as follow:
The falling tune (the Glide-down) shows the definite assurance of the speaker
The falling intonation is primarily utilized in WH questions, exclamations, tag questions, yes-no questions, responses to prior information, and commands This intonation pattern features a drop in pitch from a high tone to a low tone, typically occurring on the stressed syllable or extending from the stressed syllable to the subsequent one.
In single-syllable words, the voice naturally falls within that syllable For multi-syllable words, the emphasis typically falls on the stressed syllable, or the voice may drop to the next syllable Additionally, unstressed syllables at the end of words tend to be pronounced at a lower pitch.
If there are any unstressed syllables before stressed syllables, this can be shown that:
In groups of more than three important words, each stressed syllable decreases in prominence, leading to the term "Glide-Down." A simpler method to demonstrate the Glide-Down involves placing an apostrophe (') before the stressed syllable where the voice drops, as in 'Definitely This technique eliminates the need for additional markings to indicate the low unstressed syllables that follow, since any unstressed syllables after a fall are inherently low.
Therefore, with these few marks we can show all the features of the glide-down They are mostly used in definite statement or an assurance
The Glide-up is a vocal technique that mirrors the Glide-down, but concludes with an upward inflection instead of a downward one In this technique, both significant and less significant words preceding the rise are handled in the same manner as in the Glide-down.
Eg: Teacher: ''Is it right or wrong?'' /iz it 'rait ɔ: 'rɔη/
The initial unstressed syllable in the utterance is low, followed by a rise in pitch to the stressed syllable, which is referred to as the first rising tune It's important to note that the stressed syllable can also appear at the beginning of the utterance.
Eg: Teacher: "Right or wrong?"
The second rising intonation, known as Take-off, follows the glide-down and glide-up phases It features a rise in pitch at the end, similar to the Glide-Up, but begins with low words and syllables This intonation is frequently employed by speakers to express feelings of anger and annoyance.
Eg: Student: ''Yeah, I see your opinion"
/ jeə ai si: jɔ: ə'piniən/
The Take-Off technique is akin to an airplane's ascent, beginning at a low level before soaring into the sky This upward movement can occur in a single syllable, as seen in the word "everything," or can be distributed across multiple syllables.
METHODOLOGY
Context setting
In addition to employing quantitative analyses for our research, we recognize that the topic is too vast for a comprehensive study Therefore, we aim to focus on a typical case to facilitate our examination.
Ischool Hatinh High School, located at ischool.vn, is a prestigious private institution managed by the renowned Nguyen Hoang Group, specializing in education and information technology Offering fourteen classes across grades 10, 11, and 12, Ischool emphasizes its core values encapsulated in the acronym "I," which stands for Innovative, Intelligent, and International.
In grade 11, students are introduced to the academic environment of the school, with class 11A selected for study All students in this class possess a medium level of English proficiency.
The researcher is actively engaged in a high school that provides a clear understanding of students' lifestyles, psychology, and abilities Despite the students being at a medium academic level, the school has made significant investments in teaching and learning technologies, including stereo systems, computers, and various other educational facilities.
Due to the limited abilities of the students, the Headmaster implemented a curriculum of four English classes per week, exceeding the three classes offered by other high schools in the city In addition to standard lessons, five English teachers conduct reflex classes, workshops, and an English-speaking club to enhance students' language skills This study involves the researcher participating in reflex classes to observe and record interactions between teachers and students, with data collected in May 2010.
Participants
Rory Bradley, a 35-year-old American teacher, has dedicated many years to volunteering as an English teacher in Vietnam Known for his enthusiasm and innovative teaching methods, Bradley excels in pronunciation, making his classroom communication highly effective and engaging His expertise and passion for teaching have earned him an invitation to join a prestigious study, highlighting his impact in the field of education.
Bradley leads a reflex class in the study program, focusing on discussions about "family," "friendship," and "love." Each session lasts forty-five minutes, and he conducts these discussions three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday afternoons.
The students involved are forty-two students in class 11A Their English skills are medium but they all are very eager to study English in extra activities
Increasing the number of participants and conditions can enhance the sample size for study; however, this applies only in specific cases We emphasize the importance of teaching experiments conducted by educators and the honest responses from students Consequently, we will meticulously analyze both the number of participants and the frequency of interactions among them.
The research questions will be answered in the next chapter as the body of thesis Moreover, the questions have not been answered yet by any of previous papers
1, What are the similarities and differences in the responses between teacher and students at Ischool Hatinh High School?
2, How do the teachers and students express their agreement and disagreement in conversations?
3, What are the prominent intonation strategies preferably used via agreeing and disagreeing by teacher and students?
This thesis relies on authentic data collected from natural settings, utilizing naturalistic observations and elicitation techniques to ensure accurate results.
In class 11A, communication between the teacher and students primarily involved note-taking, interviews, and recordings The lessons focused on speaking skills related to factual topics, including discussions about "family."
"friendship" and "love" All those lessons are taught at room number A21 at Ischool Hatinh high school
The conversations, which are collected carefully and taken note or sometimes recorded to clarify the intonation of users, are expressed in appendix
In addition, the researcher also interviews Bradley to reconfirm the intonation he used in the lessons
Data analysis framework
This thesis explores the prosodic features in English responses and their equivalent expressions in Vietnamese, analyzing various related factors through data collected from observations and interviews.
After participating in three observation periods and conducting interviews with teachers, key utterances were documented These examples are utilized in the first chapter, while suggestions for enhancements based on the findings are presented in the subsequent chapter.
On the other hand, all the collected data are used in the light of intonation functions The structures of intonation are used based on theory of Roach (1988).
Summary
This chapter is crucial as it outlines the study's methodology, incorporating essential elements like context setting to frame the research At Ischool Hatinh High School, students exhibit unique abilities and study conditions that distinguish them from other high schools in the region.
The chapter also concerns on participants, consisting one of American teacher and students at Ischool Hatinh high school
The following part of this chapter gives out research questions, in which most of misunderstandings about thesis are put into consideration
Data collection involves gathering information through two primary methods: observation and interviews By utilizing these techniques, researchers can effectively document and record relevant utterances The final stage of the process is the data analysis framework, which provides a structured approach to analyze the collected data in accordance with established theoretical standards.
FINDINGS
Findings
3.1.1 Similarities and Differences in responses between teacher and students at Ischool Hatinh high school
Response refers to the act of providing feedback or a reply, particularly in a classroom setting where teachers and students engage in dialogue Both parties can convey their feelings, as well as their agreement or disagreement, through appropriate responses To truly understand a response, one must grasp the emotions and sentiments expressed by the speaker in their utterance.
Teacher and students are mostly kind and polite to respond to each other
Vietnamese students often conclude their sentences with "ạ" and begin with "dạ thưa" or "thưa" to demonstrate politeness towards their teachers This practice is rooted in the cultural traditions of several Asian countries, including Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and China, where moral standards are highly valued The Vietnamese proverb "tôn sư trọng đạo," which translates to "respecting teachers and moral standards," emphasizes the importance of honoring educators and adhering to ethical principles Consequently, teachers hold a revered position in Vietnamese society, reflecting the cultural expectation of respectful behavior in student-teacher relationships.
In fact, students have to be polite, courteous with their teachers The actions such as quarrelling, making a fuss and having bad behaviors are not accepted
In Western countries, the relationship between teachers and students is characterized by a friendly dynamic, where students feel comfortable expressing their disagreements through both behavior and verbal communication American teacher Bradley notes that students frequently convey their genuine emotions during discussions and interactions.
Let us have a look at the following table between responses of Vietnamese and American students
English expressions Equivalent expressions in Vietnam
Student A: ''Fantastic'' Student C: ''Tuyệt quá ạ ''
Student B: ''Yeah, I agree'' Student D: ''Dạ, em đồng ý ạ''
In the examples provided, Student A uses a rising intonation to convey eagerness, while Student B employs a falling intonation to indicate reluctant acceptance Additionally, Students C and D also demonstrate falling intonation in their responses, as they conclude their utterances with the sound "ạ."
The responses from teachers and students exhibit notable differences that vary depending on the situation Teachers typically use a neutral tone to maintain equality among students, while students tend to employ a more respectful language For instance, when a teacher agrees with Student A by saying, "I agree," their voice may lower to affirm the student's idea However, when expressing the same sentiment to Student B, the teacher employs a similar tone to convey the same level of support and emotion to both students, highlighting the distinct yet balanced communication styles in educational settings in both America and Vietnam.
In educational settings worldwide, students consistently strive to demonstrate politeness in their interactions with teachers Behaviors such as wincing or raising their voices are viewed as disrespectful Conversely, teachers maintain a steady and equal tone when addressing students The forthcoming section will delve into the thoughtful consideration behind teachers' responses to students' ideas.
3.1.2 Agreeing samples via English and equivalent expressions in Vietnamese
In three periods, the total responses from teachers and students amounted to thirty-three, with twenty-five agreeing and eight disagreeing Detailed conversations can be found in the appendix.
T: ''Ok, but the topic about love is on Saturday"
T: ''Really? But we may think of others' opinions''
Partial agreeing responses occur when a teacher initially expresses agreement with phrases like "Ok" or "really," before introducing contrasting ideas with "but." These responses serve to illustrate the nuances of disagreement within a conversation.
According to data collected from three periods at Ischool Hatinh high school, there are seventeen agreeing responses from teacher towards students
Agreeing via English equivalent expressions in Vietnamese
Ok/ Yes/ Yeah/ That's true
Good, today we will discuss about
You are right about your (answer)
That's a good point /That's a good idea
I find the idea that you have just given out is fine
I tend to agree with you
I see no reason to oppose to (you) Đúng vậy Đúng rồi, rất tốt Chính xác là vậy
Tốt, hôm nay chúng ta sẽ thảo luận về "tình bạn''
Em nói đúng Một ý hay đấy Thầy thấy ý em vừa đưa ra rất tốt Thầy/Cô đồng ý với em
Em hoàn toàn đúng về
Table 1 Agreeing samples of teacher towards students
The responses in Table 1 reflect direct actions from a teacher aiming to validate students' ideas These replies are predominantly clear and concise, facilitating student comprehension Throughout the lessons, the teacher consistently employs this approach.
The other utterances also direct responses but it seems to be longer and difficult in understanding at spoken time However, the teacher may stress at key words ("right",
"good", "agree" and ''no reason'') to narrow down the meaning of the utterances
Eg: "You are 'right about your opinion"
"That's a 'good point / that's a 'good idea"
"I tend to a'gree with you"
"I see 'no 'reason to oppose"
The teacher's use of direct acts clearly demonstrates his objectives, as students not only grasp the material quickly but also feel motivated and enthusiastic about the lessons This is why Bradley, the teacher, exclusively employs direct agreements in his teaching approach.
In a study of student responses during Bradley's lessons at Ischool Hatinh, eight out of twenty-five student agreements were noted The accompanying table features quoted statements from students, illustrating the various ways agreement can be expressed It is important to highlight that these utterances, contextualized in the appendix, specifically pertain to reflex periods rather than regular classroom activities.
The table below illustrates student responses to teachers, highlighting the frequent use of phrases such as "fantastic," "yes," "right," and "I agree with you" across three periods, which will be referenced as examples in this study.
Agreeing via English equivalent expressions in Vietnamese
I am all in favour of that we entirely agree with you
Dạ vâng ạ/ dạ/có ạ Hết ý ạ/ tuyệt quá ạ
Em hoàn toàn đồng ý ạ Chúng em hoàn toàn đồng ý ạ
Dạ, đó cũng là điều em đang muốn nói Thầy/Cô ạ
Table 2 Agreeing samples of students towards teacher
Culture significantly influences student behavior, particularly in Vietnam, where students demonstrate deep respect for their teachers This respect is evident in their language, as they often use polite expressions such as "ạ" at the end, "dạ" at the beginning, and "xin" in the middle of their statements.
In response to Bradley, the teacher, students typically express agreement with direct phrases such as "Ok," "Yes," "Yeah," "Fantastic," "It's fine," and "I agree." These expressions reflect their vocabulary skills and are commonly used in everyday communication Additionally, students with a stronger command of English may employ more varied phrases to convey their agreement.
Eg: "I am all in favour of that "
"We entirely agree with you"
On the other hand, all the phrases above are very formal in class context except
Observations indicate that when students say "Ok" or "Yeah," it often reflects a lack of genuine agreement and may signal negative emotions For instance, during a reflex period at Ischool Hatinh High School, this phenomenon was evident, suggesting that these responses can indicate dissatisfaction rather than acceptance.
Students do not want to do exercise so that it is easy to understand the reason why they pull the voice in longer way and use "yeah"
In brief, agreeing responses from students are similar to agreeing from teachers The speakers try to use direct acts to make the hearers understand clearly as fast as possible
3.1.3 Disagreeing samples from teacher towards students via English and equivalent expressions in Vietnamese
Summary
This chapter focuses on three issues:
In Vietnam, students commonly use respectful terms such as "ạ," "dạ," and "thưa" when addressing their teachers, while in English, students may lower their intonation to convey emotions Conversely, teachers typically respond with a neutral tone to maintain a sense of equality among all students.
In the reflex periods at Ischool Hatinh High School, volunteer teacher Bradley emphasizes constructive communication by encouraging students to express their agreement or disagreement respectfully Observations by the researcher led to the creation of tables detailing the responses of both the teacher and students, highlighting their mutual efforts to foster a positive learning environment.
An investigation into the intonation functions of agreeing and indirectly disagreeing responses reveals that both teachers and students typically use a falling intonation to affirm information In contrast, when students provide incorrect answers, teachers often respond indirectly, encouraging further contributions from other students.
In conclusion, this study effectively summarizes its primary objectives, highlighting the key findings and insights However, it acknowledges certain limitations, pointing out areas that were not addressed within the research Additionally, the article offers suggestions for future investigations, encouraging further exploration of these overlooked aspects to enhance understanding in the field.
Recapitulation
This study aims to explore the differences in responses between teachers and students within a classroom setting, focusing on how they express agreements and disagreements It also seeks to identify the prominent intonation strategies employed by English teachers and students when responding Data collected from classes at Ischool Hatinh High School reveal significant insights into these dynamics.
To encourage student engagement, teachers strive to prevent any loss of face among students by providing thoughtful responses They maintain a consistent tone when addressing all students, fostering a sense of equality in the classroom This approach cultivates a respectful attitude from students toward their teacher While American students may not use formal terms like "ạ," "dạ," or "thưa" as seen in Vietnamese culture, they often rely on intonation to convey respect and acknowledgment.
The article presents three tables that showcase the agreement and disagreement responses between teachers and students, highlighting English expressions alongside their Vietnamese equivalents In this context, the teacher expresses agreement directly while conveying disagreement indirectly Meanwhile, students, constrained by their vocabulary, utilize familiar expressions to indicate agreement, as detailed in the third table.
In classroom interactions, teachers and students often utilize a falling intonation to indicate agreement Conversely, when a teacher seeks further clarification or additional responses from students, they employ a rising intonation If student responses become lengthy, the teacher emphasizes key words by stressing tonic syllables to highlight important concepts within the discussion.
The use of intonation plays a crucial role in classifying clause structures, especially when utterances are ambiguous The intonation strategies employed by English teachers and students in agreeing or disagreeing responses largely depend on their communicative goals Typically, both teachers and students favor a falling intonation to express agreement and to reaffirm correct answers In contrast, teachers often utilize a rising intonation, known as the glide-up, to convey disagreement in a more indirect and polite manner.
2 Limitation and Suggestions for further research
This study examines the intonation patterns in agreement and disagreement responses between teachers and students in the classroom at Ischool Hatinh High School Despite thorough data analysis, the research faced limitations and unexpected challenges due to time constraints and other influencing factors.
The study's findings would be more robust with a larger participant pool Due to time constraints, the researcher had to limit the study's scope Therefore, conducting a larger-scale study with more participants is recommended for more comprehensive conclusions.
Furthermore, the non-verbal responses not only in class context but also between men and women, between members in family for example are recommended topics for further studies
Last but not least, any critical opinions and contributions for this thesis paper will be highly appreciated
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REFLEX CLASS ON MONDAY 24, MAY 2010
TOPIC: NUCLEAR AND EXTENDED FAMILY
Number Conversations between Teacher (T) and Students (Ss)
1 T: ''Tell me some kinds of family in our society nowadays''
S: ''There are two kinds: nuclear and extended family''
2 T: (angry) '' How many of you complete the homework? All of you complete the exercise?"
Lan: (looks down and doesn't say anything)
Dzung: "I am sorry for not doing exercise"
3 T: ''What is the meaning of not paying attention Tu?''
4 T: ''Our headmaster is over there"
5 T: "Now, look at pictures and repeat"
Ss: (take turn and repeat)
6 S1: "I think many young people do not like to live in an extended family"
T: ''Is it right or wrong?''
7 S1: "I think many young people do not like to live in an extended family"
T: ''Is it right or wrong?''
8 S1: "Extended family includes more than two generations lively together in a family They work in a similar factory"
T: "Your first answer about extended family is good, however, the second one is not quite right"
9 S: "Living with parents are wonderful"
T: "I tend to agree with you How about the other's opinions?"
S: " Living far from home is very boring"
10 S: "In Western countries, people tend to live in nucleus families"
T: "I see no reason to oppose to your opinion"
11 S: "Extended family is a family with more than two generations"
12 T: "This afternoon, I will have a discussion with our headmaster about studying
English through extra curricular activities so that the deadline for the essay will be tomorrow''
REFLEX CLASS ON WEDNESDAY 26, MAY 2010
Number Conversations between Teacher (T) and Students (Ss)
1 T: "Can you guess what will we talk today?"
T: "Good, today we will discuss "friendship"
T: "Actually, we may think of others' opinions''
S3: "I am all in favor of that this topic is interesting because it may be the status for a true love"
T: "I see no reason to oppose"
S4: "We entirely agree with you"
T: ''Ok, but the topic about love is on Saturday"
2 S1: "I think the topic is related to culture shock''
T: ''Really? but we may think of other opinions''
3 S: "In my opinion, we should come back to the bus stop to find the boy"
T: "Actually, we can find another way''
4 S: ''I think the girl should apologise the boy ''
T: ''Good! How about others' opinions?''
5 S1: ''Friendship helps us overcome difficulties"
REFLEX CLASS ON SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010