Making and accepting invitation in. Vietnamese and English: contrastive. analysis

Transcription

1 Making and accepting invitation 1 Running ahead: Making and accepting invitation - Vietnamese and English Making and accepting invitation in Vietnamese and English: contrastive analysis Nguyen Ngoc Quynh Anh Class 5CQBT05 HCMC University of Pedagogy

2 Making and accepting invitation 2 Abstract Making and accepting invitation is speech act used very often and naturally in our daily life. It plays an important role in communication. In day-to-day life, we are in interpersonal relationship. Therefore, we are often in some cases of making and accepting invitation. In order to get a harmonious relationship, we should master the ways to make and accept invitation. In a contrastive analysis aspect, I collected some investigations of some kinds of structures used for making and accepting invitation in Vietnamese and English. In the first part of this paper, we will discuss making invitation in both English and Vietnamese and make a comparison between them to find out their similarities and differences. The second part of this paper focuses on accepting invitation. We also talk about this issue in two languages mentioned above. From this, we will indicate some similarities and differences between them. Those two fields will help learners enrich their communication in both making and accepting invitation. Moreover, based on these, learners can avoid some mistakes when talking to foreigners or translating English into Vietnamese or vice versa. So, in this third part, some implications for language teaching are discussed.

3 Making and accepting invitation 3 Making invitation Definition In order to understand what making invitation means, let us look at the meaning of the verb invite. As for the Oxford Advanced Learner s Dictionary, to invite means to ask somebody to come to a social event or to ask somebody formally to go somewhere or do something (819). Making invitation in Vietnamese As a whole, in Vietnamese, invitation is made directly. Vietnamese people usually frankly address their invitation to the person they want to invite. It makes easier for listeners to get the content of invitation. In common, Vietnamese invitation takes four forms. They are performative sentence, declarative sentence, imperative sentence, and interrogative sentence. In order to make clear, we will follow step to analyze them with their examples. Performative sentence In general, this kind of performative sentence in making invitation is different from others about containing the verb mời. It means that the person who makes invitation will say the word mời in his or her saying. Let us look at some following examples: Tức thì một người bưng khay bài ra đặt lên cái sập gỗ kín mít đánh xi trơn bóng: - Mời các ông lấy chỗ.

4 Making and accepting invitation 4 - Mời ông bà xơi cơm ạ! There are two kinds of performative sentences used for making invitation. They are performative sentence without subject and performative sentence with subject. Now, let us have a look at them. - Performative sentence without subject: making invitation belonging to this kind of sentence does not contain the person who is making invitation. Thưa, ông lạnh lắm phải không? - Phải tôi lạnh lắm. - Vậy mời ông sưởi cho ấm. Văn cười: - Các bác cho tôi đánh đụng với nhé! - Mời thầy. Those examples show us that the person who is making his or her invitation does not appear in their saying. - Performative sentence with subject: invitation is made in a sentence which contains the person who is speaking out his invitation and the verb mời. Some instances for this kind of sentences are: Năm mới, vợ chồng chúng tôi mời ông xơi với chúng tôi một bữa cơm rau. (Khai Hưng, p. 53)

5 Making and accepting invitation 5 Nhà sẵn có chai rượu, tôi xin mời mỗi người một cốc. Declarative sentence The writer Khai Hung (1994) gives these declarative sentences in his short stories as typical examples of making invitation. Nhân người ấy phàn nàn về sự tiếp khách chậm trễ của bọn hầu sáng, tôi liền mời: - Hay ông sang ngồi cùng bàn với tôi cho vui. ( Khai Hưng, 314) chàng. Không thấy người lạ trả lời, thiếu nữ yên lặng bóc một quả cam Bố Hạ đưa cho - Ông ăn cho đỡ khát. Imperative sentence Em uống nước đi! Anh giai uống đi! ( Pham, p.135) Em tôi cầm một chén cơm lạt và một bó nhang : - Anh ăn đi cho đỡ đói! (Mac Can, p.194) Those instances belong to declarative sentence and imperative sentence mentioned above show us that making invitation following these types has the same meaning. Invitations here can be considered as orders. They are just different from containing the word đi in imperative sentence and without it in declarative sentence.

6 Making and accepting invitation 6 Interrogative sentence People frequently use interrogative sentence for making invitation indirectly. In other words, it is a reminding saying which contains the meaning of invitation. People use it for expressing their warm and friendly welcome to invited person. Ông Đoàn, sao lâu nay không thấy ông lai chơi? (Khai Hung, p.315) In some other cases, people use many phrases such as kính, hân hạnh, rất hân hạnh, trân trọng, xin trân trọng, có nhã ý when giving their invitation to those who are in higher social position than them. It is also a way to show their respect to the people who are invited. Tôi lấy làm hân hạnh mời ông lại nhà chơi. Ngày mai tôi có nhã ý mời anh tới chơi In the past, especially in feudal period, Vietnamese people often use the word rước instead of mời when making invitation. Nàng đặt mâm xuống phản mời khách: - Rước ông lại xơi rượu. (Khai Hung,p. 57) From this case, we can see the position of the invited people implicated. Moreover, it helps us see that the person who is making invitation is a polite and courteous one.

7 Making and accepting invitation 7 Making invitation in English English invitation tends to lead listeners to its content directly as well. When the invitation is spoken out, listeners easily understand what speaker wants to them do. Normally, English invitation is in the form of many these basic kinds of sentences: performative sentence, directive sentence, directive sentence with let s, yes/no question, WH- question, and tag question. Performative sentence According to Cao Xuân Hạo (224), a performative sentence is considered as a declarative sentence. It expressed the related action as soon as uttered by the narrator. Like mời in Vietnamese, the verb invite usually appear in this kind of sentence. Are you free? I d like to invite you to our dancing party. Performative sentence used in making invitation in English usually have form with would like to invite or want to invite. For example, I would like to invite you to come my wedding. Directive sentence Those invitations are as same as requests or orders. They are often used in close friendship. Some instances for making invitation by directive sentences are: Do join me for a coffee. Come and see me next Friday.

8 Making and accepting invitation 8 Directive sentence with let s This type also often appears in friendly relationship. People use it to invite each other to go somewhere informal. Normally, people who make invitation by using directive sentence with let s are in the same age or the social status. Let s break for lunch. Let s go to our place for a bear. (Tillitt, p.86) Yes/no question This kind of invitation shows politeness and formality in speakers conversation. Now, let have a look at these instances. Can you come over and join us? May we have the pleasure of your company at dinner? Shall we have a drink at this restaurant? Sometimes, many yes/no questions refer to invitation although they mention about different issues. For instance, when a person asks you many yes/no questions such as "Are you free next Thursday?" or "Are you doing anything next weekend?", maybe he wants to invite you do join something with him. Before making invitation, he would like to know whether if you will be free or not next time. It is a way to show the respect and politeness of speaker. It helps the person who is invited has change to accept the invitation or refuse it depending on his decision.

9 Making and accepting invitation 9 WH- question Based on many reference materials that I have collected for this paper, WHquestion is used in making invitation with a highest frequency. In close relationship, people often use this kind of question to invite each other in purpose of increasing friendliness. It also makes listeners feel comfortable and free. The editor Le Huy Lam shows us some typical examples in his book. Why don t you come on holiday with us? (p.59) "Would you be interested in coming to the cinema with me tonight?"(p.59) "How do you fancy going out for a meal at the weekend?"(p.60) Would you have dinner with me on Friday? Would you like to come with me? (p.62) Among them, the WH- question started with Would you like to? often appear in making invitation. It has been familiar with both native speakers and foreigners. Tag question Tag question is rarely used in making invitation. Speakers often use this kind of sentence to remind or repeat their invitation to the invited people. You will come to have dinner with us, won t you?

10 Making and accepting invitation 10 Similarities and differences of making invitation in Vietnamese and English Within this paper, I would like to discuss some contrasts between Vietnamese and English about making invitation. The first point similarity between these two languages is that invitation maintains performative verb: invite in English, mời in Vietnamese if it is under form of performative sentence. Generally, people often use it to give their invitation directly. In the second similarity, the verb mời in Vietnamese and to invite in English has the same meaning in their own language. However, their role in sentence is different. In English, to invite just appears in declarative sentence. For instance, I d like to invite you to a party next Friday. Meanwhile, the verb mời is often used in both declarative sentence and imperative sentence such as Uống chứ! Nào!... Mời..., Ai đấy? Mời vào. Next, making invitation in English usually forms from a sentence which contains all basic and necessary elements such as subject, verb, object. Unlike English, subject in invitation does not appear frequently. The main elements that are usually present are the verb mời and the invited person. To contrastive view about the functions, the verbs to invite and mời has different functions in their own languages. Vietnamese invitation with the word mời creates politeness and respect between speakers. Besides, the meaning of mời shows us the friendliness in communication. Just by the word mời, people can make invitation in different of situations with various kinds of people they want to invite.

11 Making and accepting invitation 11 Last, in English, people just use the verb to invite in order to make invitation when they say two sentences beginning with I would like to invite or I want to invite. People usually use these sentences with to invite in real formal context. We can see that the use of to invite is in shortage of sentence pattern. Accepting invitation Definition We can define the action of accepting invitation beginning with the definition of the verb to accept. Looking up the Oxford Advanced Learner s Dictionary in, we can see to accept means to take willingly something that is offered; to say yes to an offer, invitation, etc (7). From this definition, the answer to the question what accepting invitation is is to say yes to an invitation. Accepting invitation in Vietnamese In Vietnamese, a person who is invited by another rarely accepted the invitation directly. That is why people have to base on situation and the attitude or utterance which is replied from invited person in order to know whether he accept or not. There are some ways to accept invitation in Vietnamese language. Vietnamese people often use some normal sentences such as definite utterance, question, exclamatory sentence, affirmative sentence, and some other ways with particles. When saying these sentences, people express their emotion in them.

12 Making and accepting invitation 12 Definite utterance Speaker accepts invitation by giving a definite utterance. This utterance relates to the content of invitation. Bằng yên lặng, nàng lại nói luôn: - Thôi ông hãy ở lại lát nữa. Bằng ngẫm nghĩ, rồi chép miệng nhìn nàng mỉm cười: - Thì ở lại. ( Khai Hung, p.212) Question - Anh có hút thuốc không? - Có thuốc hả? Sao không nói? Exclamatory sentence Nàng đặt mâm xuống phản mời khách. - Rước ông lại xơi rượu. Bằng dứng dậy nhìn mâm nói: - Ồ! Cỗ to nhỉ! ( Khai Hung, p.268) In general, accepting invitation by a question or an exclamatory sentence help the invited person express his surprise or interest.

13 Making and accepting invitation 13 Affirmative sentence It can be considered as a positive remark about the value of invitation. Invited person often say that to show their gratefulness. bạc. -Trưa nay chú ở lại ăn cơm nhà tôi nhé. Chỉ mong chú đừng chê bữa cơm đạm - Chị đừng nói vậy chứ. Được ăn cơm chị nấu là quí hóa cho tôi lắm rồi. Some other ways with particles Firstly, in this case of giving unsure acceptance, the invited person partly wants to accept the invitation and partly not. Maybe he or she is looking forward to an agreement from somebody else or from something like that. The example between a guy and a girl below will make us clearer. - Em chỉ thèm một ly cà phê. - Vậy thì ra quán. ở ngoài cổng có một quán khá lắm. - Để em vào xin mẹ đã. The accepting invitation of the person in this example belongs to her mother. She cannot make decision by herself. Although she would like to accept the invitation, there is a little bit hesitation in her mind. Sometimes, Vietnamese people seem ignore the invitation of another person but they naturally accept this through many such responses để mặc, cứ mặc, để đấy.

14 Making and accepting invitation 14 Mời bác uống nước. Bác cứ để mặc em. Nowadays, that lifestyle has some changes creates some new reply for accepting invitation. Among them, the words OK and rồi are used often. Those words used for accepting invitation point out the higher or position of invited person in relationship with the person who make invitation. Close friends also often use the word OK and rồi in their interaction when they accept invitation. Generally, Vietnamese people accept invitation by saying some words such as vâng, vâng ạ, được, ừ, dạ, cám ơn. They are familiar replies that express politeness and friendliness. This is the direct way to accept invitation. The invited person makes their decision without hesitating. - Ở đây, phải làm thế mới được. Chờ họ hầu, thì họa may chín giờ mới có thức ăn Thưa ông, ta cùng ăn xíu mại nhé? - Vâng Accepting invitation in English Similar to Vietnamese, in English, people usually do not accept invitation with a direct agreement, but instead they preface the invitation in some ways. They are giving immediately agreement with a declarative sentence, giving a kind remark with exclamatory sentence, accepting with a question, and expressing a sure attitude.

15 Making and accepting invitation 15 Declarative sentence This type expresses the eagerness of invited person. By responding this way, he gives his immediate agreement. Some examples for this type are I d love to, I d like to, I won t say no, I like nothing better. Exclamatory sentence It shows a kind remark from invited person. Let us look at these illustrative examples: "What a great idea, thanks.", Sounds great, That would be very nice, That would be wonderful. Question To approve invitation, invited person sometimes respond a question. It is also a way to accepting invitation. - Would you like to come my home for dinner tomorrow? - Why not? What can I bring? This kind of question does not need any answer for it. The invited person just asks this question to show their eagerness with the invitation. After replying the invitation, he can ask something new but until related to the invitation in order to show his gratefulness or interest.

16 Making and accepting invitation 16 Some expressing sure attitude words Normally, invited person often accept invitation by replying You bet, You certainly can!, Sure, Actually to affirm his agreement. By accepting this way, he can set inviter s mind of rest. Similarities and differences of accepting invitation in Vietnamese and English From the list of ways of accepting invitation in two those languages investigated above, I would like to make a contrast between them. At first, in common, people often accept invitation directly in both Vietnamese and English. They always show a positive attitude when saying acceptance. Moreover, their accepting saying also includes their pleasure and thankfulness for being invited. Next, Vietnamese accepting invitation is much more productive than English one. On the contrary, English accepting invitation is restricted. In English, people just use these sentences mentioned above to reply that they agree to accept invitation. Last, in English, the question why not? refers to an acceptance of invitation. Nowadays, the way to accept invitation in Vietnamese by asking a question is a little bit similar to in English. However, the Vietnamese question used for accepting invitation usually has a sufficient structure with basic elements of a sentence. These comparisons just focus on many practical and typical similarities and differences between two those languages. It helps learners get interference between them.

17 Making and accepting invitation 17 Implication on teaching Through some aspects of contrastive view into making and accepting invitation in both Vietnamese and English, I would like to discuss some implications for Vietnamese and English teaching and leaning at high school in our system of education. Firstly, it is necessary for teachers to make their student aware of cultural similarities and differences of making and accepting invitation in Vietnamese culture and English culture. Teacher should distinguish what kinds of making and accepting invitation used in informal situations and formal ones. From that, students can understand clearly the function of this speech act in order to use it exactly in real situation in daily life. It leads student to be confident when they are in conversation with others people. Secondly, teachers should provide input as much as possible to enrich student s knowledge about the way to making and accepting invitation in two languages talked above. Nowadays, with the help of modern technology in language teaching, it is easier for teachers to provide students with a variety of ways to make and accept invitation. Through the Internet, television, videos or other means of communication, teachers can find many suitable conversations for apply in real life. Then, students can have more options to choose suitable input for making and accepting invitation. These options may be a little bit different from the required textbooks used for speaking courses. Thus, it helps student to go further in their speaking skill.

18 Making and accepting invitation 18 Finally, it is more important for teachers to organize periods of speaking skill in class in which making and accepting invitation used in conversation. In other words, teachers try their best to create communicative opportunities for students to practice these utterances in English. From that, students have many opportunities to practice what they have just learned. Gradually, these activities stimulate or provoke the enthusiasm and eagerness of students to in practicing making and accepting invitation of with native speakers of English. Teachers can ask them to do role-play or to play. Students can memorize the structures and functions of these aspects as soon as they are speaking together. Besides, reading some books or stories that mention the ways to make and accept invitations helps student remember these utterances easily. Conclusion In conclusion, this paper brings us the overview of making and accepting invitation. As we know, making and accepting invitation is used often in our daily life. They play an important role in communication. It is not easy for people to make invitation politely and friendly. The speaker has to show their willingness when making it. Besides, they should say something sincere to make the invited person feel comfortable. To invited people, the way they accept invitation is more important than making it. They have to know the way to accept it politely and courteously. Moreover, they have to reply by saying many utterances that show their interest and gratefulness. From these contrastive analysis aspects, I hope that it will help students know something new to improve our knowledge about making and accepting invitation. Besides, I also hope that

19 Making and accepting invitation 19 this paper can provide useful ideas and knowledge to teachers to apply this field in language teaching. Reference list Cao, Xuan Hao. (1991). Tiếng Việt Sơ thảo ngữ pháp chức năng. Ha Noi Capital: Social Sciences Publisher. Khai Hung. (1994). Tuyển tập truyện ngắn. Hai Phong city: Hai Phong Publisher. Le, Huy Lam. (2000). Đàm thoại tiếng Anh trong mọi tình huống. Ca Mau city: Ca Mau Publisher. Mac Can. ( 2005). Tấm ván phóng dao. Ha Noi Capital: Writers Society Publisher. Hornby, A S. (1948). Oxford Advanced Learner s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pham, T. K. Trung. (2003). Đặc điểm ngôn ngữ trong nghi thức chào, mời, chúc mừng của người Việt. Graduation paper. Ho Chi Minh City: University of Padegory. Tillitt, Bruce and Bruder, Mary Newton. (1985). Speaking naturally. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Luu, Quy Khuong. An investigation into spoken direct invitations in English and Vietnamese. Retrived December, 11, 2009, from EP.doc

20 Making and accepting invitation 20 Luu, Quy Khuong. Nghiên cứu cách chấp nhận gián tiếp lời mời trong tiếng Anh và tiếng Việt từ quan điểm lời nói. Retrived December, 11, 2009, from