[ TÀI LIỆU ] STRATEGIES USED IN GIVING ADVICE BY ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE STUDENTS | Trường Đại học Hải PHÒNG
Cultural knowledge plays an important role in learning language. To help English learners enrich their cultural knowledge, this study is to 昀椀nd out the similarities and di昀昀erences in the ways of giving advice of English and Vietnamese students. The study uses a quantitative method to collect data by carrying out a survey questionnaire among 60 students from di昀昀erent universities. The study is aimed to 昀椀nd out some signi昀椀cant results. Firstly, in most situations, Vietnamese give advice more frequently than English students. However, in sensitive situations, both of them share the same point of views by avoiding advising. Furthermore, only in Vietnam, advising frequency depends on the level of closeness of relations and the seriousness of the problems. Lastly, in advising, English students prefer indirectness regardless of age and social position. The directness of Vietnamese, in contrast, relies on the closeness and the positions of speakers and hearers. All these similarities and di昀昀erences are explained due to the cultural in昀氀uences. Key words: Giving advice strategies; politeness in advising; direct and indirect advice; Vietnamese culture; Western culture . Tài liệu giúp bạn tham khảo, ôn tập đạt kết quả cao. Mời đọc đón xem!
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lOMoARcPSD|50202050
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG, JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NO. 12(73).2013, VOL. I
STRATEGIES USED IN GIVING ADVICE BY ENGLISH
AND VIETNAMESE STUDENTS
NHỮNG CHIẾN LƯỢC ĐƯỢC SỬ DỤNG ĐỂ ĐƯA RA LỜI KHUYÊN
CỦA SINH VIÊN VIỆT VÀ SINH VIÊN ANH Hoang Tra My
Central University of Construction (CUC)
Email: hoangtramy.hn@gmail.com ABSTRACT
Cultural knowledge plays an important role in learning language. To help English learners enrich their cultural
knowledge, this study is to 昀椀 nd out the similarities and di 昀昀 erences in the ways of giving advice of English and
Vietnamese students. The study uses a quantitative method to collect data by carrying out a survey questionnaire among 60
students from di 昀昀 erent universities. The study is aimed to 昀椀 nd out some signi 昀椀 cant results. Firstly, in most
situations, Vietnamese give advice more frequently than English students. However, in sensitive situations, both of them share
the same point of views by avoiding advising. Furthermore, only in Vietnam, advising frequency depends on the level of
closeness of relations and the seriousness of the problems. Lastly, in advising, English students prefer indirectness regardless
of age and social position. The directness of Vietnamese, in contrast, relies on the closeness and the positions of speakers and
hearers. All these similarities and di 昀昀 erences are explained due to the cultural in 昀氀 uences.
Key words: Giving advice strategies; politeness in advising; direct and indirect advice; Vietnamese culture; Western culture TÓM TẮT
Kiến thức văn hóa đóng một vai trò quan trọng trong việc học ngoại ngữ. Để bồi đắp kiến thức văn hóa cho người học
tiếng anh, nghiên cứu này nhằm tìm ra những điểm giống và khác nhau trong cách đưa ra lời khuyên của sinh viên bản địa và
Việt Nam. Phương pháp phân tích định lượng được áp dụng với một bảng câu hỏi được gửi cho 60 sinh viên từ các trường
Đại Học. Nghiên cứu đã tìm ra một số kết quả đáng chú ý. Trong hầu hết các tình huống, sinh viên Việt đưa ra lời khuyên
thường xuyên hơn, đặc biệt trong những mối quan hệ gần gũi. Tuy nhiên cả hai đều có xu hướng tránh đưa ra lời khuyên trong
nhưng tình huống tế nhị. Cuối cùng, khác với sinh viên bản địa, sinh viên Việt thích khuyên trực tiếp và mức độ trược tiếp tiếp
đó phụ thuộc rất lớn vào mức độ gần gũi và vị trí xã hội của người nói và người nghe. Sự đa dạng về văn hóa giải thích cho những khác nhau này.
Từ khóa: Chiến lược đưa ra lời khuyên; tính lịch sự trong lời khuyên; lời khuyên trực tiếp; lời khuyên gián tiếp; văn
hóa Việt Nam; văn hóa Phương Tây 1. Introduction
are unaware of when and how or what strategies
to give advice. This study, consequently, deals
1.1. Aims of the study
Giving advice is an extremely crucial
speech act in our daily communication;
nevertheless, how to give advice politely is a
really challenging question to everyone,
especially to people coming from different or
opposite culture. Vietnamese students, for
example, meet various obstacles in dealing with
cultural problems when communicating with
Westerners. Among those, the act of giving advice
seems to trouble them most because they with two
main questions (1) in what situations do English
and Vietnamese students give advices? And (2)
which strategies used in giving advice by 1 lOMoARcPSD|50202050
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG, JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NO. 12(73).2013, VOL. I
Vietnamese and English students? 1.2. Literature Review
1.2.1. Social Distance, Directness and Indirectness
Social distance, in the view of Levison
(1987) and Wolfson (1988), is one of the factors
that determine politeness behaviors and Wolfson
(1988) adds by stating that there is very little
solidarity established among strangers and intimates because of the relative pre-existing 2 lOMoARcPSD|50202050
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG, JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NO. 12(73).2013, VOL. I
familiarity of their relationship, whereas the
first one is designed to check the frequency of
negotiation of relationships is more likely to
giving advice through three levels namely real y happen among friends.
necessary, necessary and unnecessary while the
People from English-speaking countries
second one deals with ways English and
often use direct expressions while Oriental people
Vietnamese students apply to advise people in
in general and Vietnamese in particular seem to
different age and social status.
prefer roundabout and indirect patterns (Kaplan;
The survey is carried out among 60 1972)
participants (30 Vietnamese and 30 English).
1.2.2. Giving Advice in Politeness
They are in different ages, coming from various
universities and belonging to varied social status.
Many linguistic scholars have done
Vietnamese students are from some universities in
researches on question of politeness. There are
Hanoi including: Open University, Vietnam
various conclusions made by many scholars such
National University, Hanoi University of
as Grice (1975), Lakoff (1973), Leech (1980),
Education, Hanoi University of Technology and
Scolon (1983), Richard (1985), Yule (1996) and
Hanoi Architectural. The natives are students others.
from some universities in Hanoi and some
Basing on the theory of conventional
universities in English speaking countries, mostly
principles of Grice, Lakoff (1973) has described
from Canada, England and American.
politeness in terms of three rules namely “don’t
impose”, “offer options” and “encourage feelings 2. Data Analysis
camaraderie” while Leech (1983) suggests these
2.1. The advising frequency in English and
maxims accounting for the level of politeness in
Vietnamese
different cultures. Richard (1985), furthermore,
Table 1. The advising frequency used by English and
notes how language expresses the social distance
Vietnamese students (in percentage)
between speakers and listeners and how face- English Vietnamese
work maintains and saves face during
conversation. Especially, Brown and Levinson (1) 3 17 80 30 60 10
(1978) distinguished between ‘positive face’,
one’s desires are approved or accepted and (2) 7 20 73 13 67 20
‘negative face’, one’s desires to be free from imposition from others. (3) 10 50 40 47 50 3
In various situations, people need help from (4) 7 17 76 37 47 16
others; hence, it is important to give a piece of
advice in politeness. The speech act of advising (5) 0 10 90 53 40 7
has to cope with the social cultural backgrounds
in which politeness is an essential norm. As a 5 23 72 36 53 11
result, it is necessary to learn about rules and
norms of giving advice to others. (6) 0 17 83 27 57 16
1.3. Methodology: Survey Research (7) 3 13 84 7 47 46
The study is carried out basing on the
quantitative method. A survey questionnaire (8) 0 10 90 10 37 53
including 10 situations related to social and (9) 10 20 70 27 43 30
family problems is employed in this study. Five
social and five family problems are dealt with (10) 23 27 50 13 43 44
separately to find out the differences and similarities in responses. 7 17 76 17 45 38
The study is divided into two parts; the 3 lOMoARcPSD|50202050
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG, JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NO. 12(73).2013, VOL. I
(1): Situation 1: Your son does not do the 2 3
17 53 27 53 33 7 7 homework (2)
Your younger sister has a messy room 3 7 17 17 60 7 73 13 7 (3) Your mother has taken drugs 4 3 10 14 73 3 70 17 10 (4) Your father smokes a lot (5) 5
Your sister falls in love with a married
10 20 30 40 13 67 10 10 man 6 0 17 27 56 3 60 17 17 (6)
Your friend gets low marks in important exams 7 0 20 23 57 0 40 20 40 (7)
Your close friend has gained a lot of weight 8 3 27 13 57 7 50 20 23 (8)
Your colleague does not want to live with 9 0
17 50 33 17 39 27 17
her parents and decides to rent a house to live alone 10
(9) Your roommate often comes home late 7
10 36 47 10 47 33 10
(10) Your neighbor often makes noise at night 4
16 30 50 16 51 17 16
2.2. Strategies Used by English and Vietnamese S: Situation Students (1) Imperative (2) Modality markers
In advising, people often take advantage of
politeness strategies in order to show their respect
(3) Declarative (4) Interrogative
and concerns towards others. People from 3. Discussions
different culture prefer different politeness
strategies. When people want to show their
3.1. The Advising Frequency in English and Vietnamese
closeness, concern or solidarity, they use positive
politeness strategies or direct ways; however,
3.1.1. The advising frequency in English
when people want to respect others’ independence
As mentioned above, giving advice is an
and privacy, they utilize negative politeness
excessively important speech act in our daily strategies or indirect ways.
communication; however, the frequency of
In this study, politeness positive and
advising in different countries is different due to
negative strategies will be dealt with in the forms
cultural diversity. In most Western countries,
of directness and indirectness in the ways English
people highly appreciate individualism and
and Vietnamese students give advices to others.
independence and they are inclined to respect
The levels of directness are presented in four
others’ privacy and freedom. In terms of family,
suggested options in each situation. These options
all members from grandparents to children have
are illustrated in terms of four forms of advices
freedom to make their own choices and others
namely imperative, modality markers, declarative
tend to respect them. In terms of society,
and interrogative. The data gathered are in the
Westerners move their houses time to time and table below:
this leads to the fact that they rarely pay attention
to neighbors or acquaintances living around them.
Table 2. The use of four forms of advices by English
and Vietnamese students (in percentage)
Furthermore, friends often gather for enjoyment
rather than share problems or difficulties. English Students Vietnamese Students
According to the statistics shown in table 1, S
(1) (2) (3) (4) (1) (2) (3) (4)
despite close relations in family and distant
relations in society, the frequency in which 1 7
13 33 47 47 33 3 17
English students give advice in these relations is
considerable similar. Most English students (72% 4 lOMoARcPSD|50202050
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG, JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NO. 12(73).2013, VOL. I
and 76%) suppose that giving advices is
Vietnamese have extremely close relations with
unnecessary while only 5% and 7% regard it as
friends. If Vietnamese meet any obstacles, they
highly necessary. This number proves that English
always think about finding friends for their
students do not have habits of giving advices.
advices and help. For these reasons, it is
Secondly, English students avoid giving
unsurprising that in both family and social
advice whether they are in higher or lower
relations most Vietnamese students (89% and
positions. For example, in situation 1 and 4, most
62%) regard giving advice is extremely necessary
English students (80% and 76%) disapprove of or highly necessary.
advising although advisers are in higher position
Although in both relations, Vietnamese
in situation 1 (parents) and lower position in
tend to give advices, more students give advices
situation 4 (children). This demonstrates that
in problems related to family than social relations.
English students give advice regardless of
The closeness of communicators and the position.
seriousness of problem can explain for this
Furthermore, in sensitive situations such as
difference. For example, in situation 3, although
situation 5, 7 and 9, few English students suppose
Vietnamese children seldom give advices to the
that it is highly necessary to give advices. Dating,
older because of the respect of age, the relation is
gaining weight or coming home late are extremely
extremely close and the problem is too serious;
private matters in Western culture, nobody should
hence, nearly all of them (97%) choose to raise
or has right to interfere to others’ privacy. Most of
advices. Or in situation 5, 93% Vietnamese
them would like to ignore these problems instead
students would give advice because dating with a of commenting or advising.
married man is unforgivable in Vietnamese
Lastly, although English students avoid culture.
advising in most situations, they are certain to
Furthermore, Vietnamese share the same
raise their voices if someone disturbs their private
opinions with English in giving advice for
life. In situation 10, for example, 50% think it is
sensitive matters. In situations 7 and 9, despite
necessary to advise their neighbors in case, they
being close friends or roommates, 46% and 30%
often make noise at night as Westerners not only
avoid giving advice because they are afraid of
respect others’ independence but also hope to be threatening others’ faces. respected.
In conclusion, Vietnamese regard advising
From all debated data, it can be
as a regular habit; however, the level of frequency
summarized that Westerners are inclined to act in
depends heavily on the closeness of relations and
their own ways and others often respect their
seriousness of problems. In addition, dealing with
privacy and independence by ovoid imposition.
sensitive problems, Vietnamese are slightly
Advising is not a popular habit of English reluctant to give advice.
students. In fact, participants prefer not giving
3.2. Strategies used by English and Vietnamese
advices in most situations, because it may make students
others feel unpleasant and compulsory.
Advising strategies, in this study, are
3.1.2. The Advising Frequency in Vietnamese
analyzed in terms of four forms of speech
Unlike Westerners, Oriental people or
including imperative, modality markers,
Vietnamese often live in extended families with
declarative and interrogative. Generally, advice
three or four generations and they try to show their
can be given directly through imperative or
concern and closeness towards others by frequent
utterances including modality markers such as
communication, especially by pieces of advice. In
should, may, might, can, etc or the verb advise.
terms of social life, Vietnamese usually spend
They may also be given indirectly in the form of
their whole lives in one place and regard their interrogative or declarative.
neighbors as their relatives. Besides that, most 5 lOMoARcPSD|50202050
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG, JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NO. 12(73).2013, VOL. I
Normally, Westerners are supposed to be
because the closer Vietnamese are, the more direct
frank and straight; consequently, they may choose they seem to be.
direct advices. Vietnamese, conversely, are
Lastly, a lot of people use interrogative to
extremely tactful; then, they may prefer indirect
give advice. These advices are often roundabout
advice. However, when studying collected data, it
and highly tactful. In spite of being straight,
is exceedingly surprising to realize that directness
English students use this form with highest
belongs to Vietnamese students while indirectness
percentage because it is like suggestions so it is belongs to English ones.
more flexible and easier to be accepted by hearers.
Firstly, by looking at the table, it can be
This also proves that English do not care much
realized that both native speakers and Vietnamese
about age or status in communication. Unlike,
learners use imperative advices in the lowest
Vietnamese would not like interrogative in
percentage. Westerners tend to respect others’
advising due to its distance, formality and
freedom and privacy so they often keep distance
ceremony. In addition, to some extent,
and leave others chances to refuse their advices.
interrogative is understood as ironical and it may
If they give advice in the form of imperative, make hearers feel unpleasant.
which is extremely curt, demanding and
In conclusion, although English are free to
compulsory, they are certain to threaten hearers’
do what they like, they always respect others’
face and destroy their relation. Likewise,
freedom, independence and privacy. They hate
Vietnamese seem to avoid using imperative in
others’ inference to their lives so they try to keep
advising, except for two first situations. 47%
distance from others. In case, English want to give
Vietnamese students in the first situation and 53%
advice, they are certain to choose indirect ways or
in the second employ imperative to advise due to
suggestions to save hearers’ face. Vietnamese, in
their respect of age and the closeness.
contrast, always want to express their concerns
Secondly, pieces of advice including
towards others through direct advice, especial y in
modality markers are used by only a quarter of
close relations or in higher positions.
English students but a half of Vietnamese students 4. Conclusions
basing on average value of ten situations. This
form is not English’s preference because of its
After analyzing and debating all collected
directness and imposition. In contrast,
data, some significant conclusions can be drawn
Vietnamese tend to take advantage of its
out in terms of the advising frequency and the
directness to show their concerns and regards to directness. hearers.
In terms of advising frequency, it can be
Declarative can be realized as utterances
seen that Vietnamese students give advices more
unrelated to problems; nevertheless, thanks to
often than English ones. English students often
background knowledge, hearers can comprehend
avoid advising, they only give advice in extremely
speakers’ suggestions. By this way, speakers can
necessary situations or when they are consulted.
save hearers’ faces and make hearers feel free to
Vietnamese, in contrast, give advice as frequently
accept or refuse their advice. Unexpectedly, in
as possible. Furthermore, Vietnamese students
average, 30% English students give advices in this
give advice more frequently to people in family or
form. This proves that English students tend to
in close relations while English do not.
advise indirectly in both family and social
In terms of directness, English students are
relations. In contrast, only 17% Vietnamese
more indirect than Vietnamese. English students
students give advice in this form. More
employ declarative or interrogative to advise
interestingly, in family, advising in declarative is
because they want to keep distance and respect
extremely low with 10% while in social relations,
others’ privacy. Vietnamese, in contrast, choose
it is much higher with 23% in average. This is
imperative and modality markers to advise to
manifest their care to others and make them 6 lOMoARcPSD|50202050
THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG, JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NO. 12(73).2013, VOL. I
closer. In addition, English students give advice
indirectly. On the contrary, the level of directness
indirectly regardless of age and social positions.
of Vietnamese students depends heavily on the
Despite being in close relations or in higher
level of closeness and the social position of
positions, English always prefer advising communicators. REFERENCE
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Speech Acts. New York: Academic Press, 1975.
[5] Lakoff, R., The logic of politeness; or minding your p's and q's, Papers from the Ninth Regional
Meeting of the Chicago Lingu istic Society, Chicago: Chicago Linguistic Society, 1973.
[6] Leech, G. N., Language and tact, Amsterdam, 1980.
[7] Scollon, Face in interethnic communication, In: Richards, J.C., Schmidt, R.W. (eds.), Language
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[8] Richards, J. C., The Context of Language Teaching, Cambridge: CUP, 1985.
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[10] Nguyen Van Quang, Intercultural Communication, CFL. Vietnam National University – Hanoi 1998.
[11] Richards, W.H and Vetter, H. Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, Longman, 1985.
[12] Lado, R., Linguistics across cultures: Applied Linguistics for Language Teachers, Ann Arbor: The
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(The Board of Editors received the paper on 08/12/2013,
its review was completed on 25/12/2013) 7