LOGO INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Topic 4: Complaining Group 7_Class QH10.E14 Ngô Thʈ Diʂm Nguyʂn Thʈ Thɠo Trɤn Quang Sơn Nguyʂn H͓ng Nhung CONTENTS I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND II The speech act theory Complaint as a speech act OUR OWN STUDY Survey Description Figures and Findings Implications I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND The speech act theory a Definition Speech act is a unit of speaking and each unit performs certain functions in interaction such as request, invitation, complaint, compliment, prohibition, etc I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND b Classification (Austin_1662) Locutionary acts Illocutionary acts Representatives Directives Commissives Expressives Declaratives Perlocutionary acts I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Complaint as a speech act a Definition Complaint is defined as an illocutionary act in which the complainer shows his/her disapproval, negative feelings, etc to an event to ask the complainee for either direct or indirect responsibility (Trosborg-1995:310) Ex: ³Next time don¶t expect me to sit here waiting for you!´ I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND b Complaint strategies Blame Accusation Expression of annoyance No explicit reproach I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND b Complaint strategies Trosborg (1995) outlines main complaint strategies which are very similar to those offered by Olshtain and Weinbach i No explicit reproach ± Category I Strategy 1: Hint Ex: ³All right, don¶t see much of you these day, I?´ (Trosborg, 1995:339) I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ii Expression of annoyance or disapproval ± Category II Strategy 2: Annoyance Ex: ³You know, we agreed to be quiet after 11 p.m, don¶t you?´ (Trɤn Thʈ Vân Dung) Strategy 3: Consequences Ex: ³I will take hours to rearrange these!´ I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND iii Accusation ± Categogy III Strategy 4: Indirect accusation Ex: ³You borrowed my car last night, didn¶t you?´ (Trosborg, 1995:319) Strategy 5: Direct accusation Ex: ³Did you happen to bump into my car?´ (Trosborg, 1995:319) I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND iv Blame ± Category IV Strategy 6: Modified blame Ex: ³Couldn¶t you been more careful?´ (Trosborg, 1995:319) Strategy 7: Explicit blame (behaviour) Ex: ³Oh, no! Look at what you have done!´ Strategy 8: Explicit blame (person) Ex: ³Bloody fool! You¶ve done it again!´ (Trosborg, 1995:319) 10 I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND c Directive acts i Request for repair Ex: ³Could you please be a little bit quieter?´ (our data) ii Threat Ex: ³If we don¶t finish job today, I¶ll have to discuss it with the boss´ iii Request for forbearance 11 II OUR OWN STUDY Survey description  The research is conducted through a survey questionnaires on 34 people, including 17 Vietnamese people and 17 Anglicist people  Anglicist interviewees are around the age of 20-60+ They are visiting Vietnam  Vietnamese interviewees are around the age of 18-60+ They are living and studying or working in Hanoi 12 II OUR OWN STUDY Situations What would you say? a Situation 1: Your close friend were late for your appointment 13 II OUR OWN STUDY Situations What would you say? b Situation 2: At a library Two other students were talking loudly while you needed quietness for reading 14 II OUR OWN STUDY Situations What would you say? c Situation 3: At your favorite restaurant The food didn¶t taste as good as usual 15 II OUR OWN STUDY 3.Figures Category distribution in Vietnamese 40 35.71 35 30 25 20 15 21.43 20.57 10.71 10 3.57 Category Category Category Category Category 16 II OUR OWN STUDY  As can be seen, the most frequently used category seems to be Cat 5, Directive Acts, which holds 35.71% The second is Cat 4, Blame which holds 21.43%  The third one tends to be Cat 2, Expression of Annoyances which comprises 20,57% The fourth and the fifth is No Explicit Reproach and Accusations respectively 17 II OUR OWN STUDY Figures Category distribution in English 35 30.61 30.61 30 25 20 15 10 16.33 14.29 8.16 Category Category Category Category Category 18 II OUR OWN STUDY The most common categories are Directive Acts and Expression of Annoyance (30,61% each) The third is No explicit Reproach, which holds 16.33% The fourth is Accusation which consists of 14,29% and the least common category is Blame, which accounts 8.16% Blame < Accusations