1. Full name of doctoral candidate: Tran Tuan Anh 2. Gender: Male
3. Date of birth: June 17, 1980 4. Place of birth: Binh Giang, Ninh Binh
5. Decision No. 4055/2022/QD-XHNV dated December 28, 2022, recognizing doctoral students.
Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, term from December 28, 2022 to [date]
December 28, 2025.
6. Changes in the training process:
7. Thesis title:Comparing headlines of international news on English-Vietnamese online newspapers.
8. Major: Linguistics 9. Code: 9229020.03
10. Scientific supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Huu Hoang
Dr. Pham Thi Thuy Hong
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:
The research objective of this thesis is to identify the similarities and differences in the characteristics of constructing international news headlines on English and Vietnamese online newspapers, based on analyses of form, syntax, and pragmatics. Based on this, the thesis aims to make a practical contribution to improving journalistic headline construction skills in general, and English-Vietnamese international news headline construction in particular.
The subject of this thesis is international news headlines in English and Vietnamese online newspapers. The corpus consists of 1,000 English headlines and 1,000 Vietnamese headlines in the text-based news category, excluding multimedia formats to ensure consistency in analysis. The headlines were selected based on a combination of general topic classification and random sampling, with the research focus on formal, syntactic, and pragmatic aspects. Pairs of English-Vietnamese headlines reflect the same event or issue, with a relative overlap in timing, while the Vietnamese headlines are the result of translation and editing from English sources. The corpus was collected from reputable, mainstream online newspapers between 2020 and 2025 and is presented in full in the Appendix.
This thesis employs a mixed research methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis. The primary methods are linguistic description, discourse analysis, and comparison, supported by statistical and classification techniques. Linguistic description is used to identify the structural characteristics of titles across three dimensions: formal, syntactic, and pragmatic. Discourse analysis is employed to clarify the directional function, evaluative nuances, and meaning-constructing strategies of titles in relation to the media context, with Grice's conversational maxims applied as a pragmatic analysis framework. The comparison method helps identify similarities and differences between the two languages, while statistical and classification techniques contribute to quantifying and systematizing the research results.
A comparison of the formal aspects reveals many similarities between the headlines of international news articles in English and Vietnamese online newspapers: both exist as standalone headlines, are often labeled, bolded in large font, clearly separated from the article's content, and tend to use presentation techniques such as abbreviations or A:B and A–B structures. A notable difference is that Vietnamese headlines tend to have more frequent line breaks. Technically, the average length of Vietnamese headlines is greater than that of English headlines, but the average number of meaningful elements is lower, indicating the proactive approach of Vietnamese editors in omitting and restructuring information from foreign sources.
From a syntactic standpoint, English-Vietnamese online news headlines are primarily constructed as phrases and sentences, with noun phrases, verb phrases, and prepositional phrases being the three most commonly used types. Vietnamese headlines tend towards noun phrase structures, reflecting a tendency to present information concisely and generally. In terms of purpose, declarative sentences dominate in both languages, while interrogative sentences, although less frequent, appear more often in Vietnamese headlines to increase suggestiveness. Simple sentences are commonly used in both types of headlines, while compound sentences are less frequently used but appear more often in English headlines. Regarding verb forms, the active voice is the dominant form, while the passive voice is less common, especially in Vietnamese.
A pragmatic comparison using Grice's four conversational maxims reveals that the rate of violations of these maxims in Vietnamese headlines is consistently higher than in English. This reflects the tendency to use rhetorical devices, implied meanings, and sensational headline techniques in Vietnamese online journalism, and also shows differences in journalistic traditions and readers' information consumption habits. While Western journalism focuses on providing specific, neutral information following an inverted pyramid model, Vietnamese journalism tends to emphasize emotional, evocative, and literary elements.
The three most common methods for editing and translating international news headlines today are news reporting, faithful translation, and free translation. In addition, three basic principles in headline translation editing are: headline translation is usually done in the final step; the translated headline should be concise, accurate, and convey the main idea of the article; and the translator needs to be flexible in choosing the appropriate translation method.
12. Directions for further research:
This thesis proposes three further research directions to supplement and refine the study: 1) Further research on international news headlines in English and Vietnamese online newspapers using critical discourse analysis (CDA) to assess the impact of these two types of headlines on readers; 2) Research on the role of search engine optimization (SEO) and the impact of SEO optimization on the writing of international news headlines in English and Vietnamese online newspapers; 3) Research on existing problems in translating Vietnamese news headlines into English and propose solutions.
13. Publications related to the dissertation:
13.1 Tran Tuan Anh, "Characteristics of English newspaper headlines and some common translation methods into Vietnamese",Educational Equipment Magazine, (5), pp.130-132.
13.2. Tran Tuan Anh, “A contrastive analysis of strategies for writing headlines in English and Vietnamese online Newspapers”,Language and Life Magazine, (9), pp.78-90.
13.3. Tran Tuan Anh, “A contrastive analysis of English and Vietnamese online newspaper headlines on the aspect of syntax”,2024 International Graduate Research Symposium, pp. 841-853.
13.4. Tran Tuan Anh, “The linguistic features of English and Vietnamese online newspaper headlines in terms of semantics”,2024 International Graduate Research Symposium, pp. 853-867.
INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS
Amission decision number4055/2022/QD-XHNVDated 28/12/2022 by Principal
of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Hanoi.
Official thesis title:A Contrastive Study of English–Vietnamese Online
International News Headlines
Dr. Pham Thi Thuy Hong
The aim of the thesis is to identify the similarities and differences in the constructional characteristics of international news headlines in English and Vietnamese online newspapers, based on analyzes of their formal, syntactic, and pragmatic features. On this basis, the study seeks to make practical contributions to improving headline-writing skills in journalism in general and in English–Vietnamese international news headlines in particular.
The object of the study is international news headlines published in English and Vietnamese online newspapers. The corpus consists of 1,000 English headlines and 1,000 Vietnamese headlines belonging to the textual news genre, excluding multimedia forms in order to ensure analytical consistency. The headlines were selected through a combination of broad thematic categorization and random sampling, with the analytical focus placed on formal, syntactic, and pragmatic aspects rather than on specialized content. Each English–Vietnamese headline pair refers to the same event or issue and shows a relatively close temporal correspondence, with the Vietnamese headline being the result of an editorial translation process from the English source. The corpus was collected from authoritative and reputable online newspapers during the period 2020–2025 and is fully presented in the Appendix for comparative analysis and verification.
The thesis adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. The main methods employed include linguistic description, discourse analysis, and contrastive analysis, supported by statistical and classificatory techniques. Linguistic description is used to identify the constructional characteristics of international news headlines on the formal, syntactic, and pragmatic levels. Discourse analysis serves as a core method to elucidate the orientational function, evaluative stance, and meaning-construction strategies of headlines in relation to the media context, with Grice's conversational maxims applied as a pragmatic analytical framework. Contrastive analysis facilitates the identification of similarities and differences between the two languages, while statistical and classificatory techniques are employed throughout to code, quantify, and systematize the analytical results, thereby enhancing the objectivity and reliability of the study.
The comparison on the formal level reveals a number of similarities between English and Vietnamese online international news headlines: they typically appear as standalone units, are often accompanied by labels, printed in bold with larger font sizes, clearly separated from the body text, and tend to employ presentational devices such as abbreviations or structures like A:B and A–B. A notable difference is that Vietnamese headlines show a higher tendency to contain line-breaking errors. From a technical perspective, the average length of Vietnamese headlines is greater than that of English ones, whereas the average number of semantic units is lower, indicating the proactive role of Vietnamese editors in omitting and restructuring information from foreign news sources.
On the syntactic level, English and Vietnamese international news headlines are mainly constructed in the form of phrases and sentences, with noun phrases, verb phrases, and prepositional phrases being the three most frequently used types. Vietnamese headlines show a strong preference for noun-phrase structures, reflecting a tendency toward concise and highly generalized information presentation. In terms of communicative purpose, declarative sentences overwhelmingly dominate in both languages, while interrogative sentences, though relatively rare, appear more often in Vietnamese headlines to enhance their suggestive and attention-grabbing effect. Simple sentences are widely used in both languages, whereas complex sentences occur less frequently, though they are more common in English headlines. Regarding voice, active constructions predominate in both languages, while passive constructions are less frequent, especially in Vietnamese.
The pragmatic comparison based on Grice's four conversational maxims indicates that the rate of maxim violations in Vietnamese online international news headlines is consistently higher than that in English across all maxims. This finding reflects the Vietnamese media's tendency to employ rhetorical devices, implicature, and headline-grabbing techniques, and also highlights differences in journalistic traditions and audience reception. While Western journalism generally adheres to the inverted pyramid model, prioritizing specific, neutral, and essential information at the outset, Vietnamese journalism tends to emphasize emotional appeal, suggestiveness, and stylistic expressiveness.
With regard to headline transediting, the study identifies three translation methods most commonly applied in English–Vietnamese international news headlines: informative translation, faithful translation, and free translation. In addition, three basic principles are proposed for transediting: headline translation is usually carried out at the final stage of the translation process; translated headlines should be concise, accurate, and convey the core message of the news article; and translators should flexibly select translation methods appropriate to specific communicative contexts.
The thesis proposes three directions for further research to complement and
extend the present study. First, online international news headlines in English and Vietnamese can be further investigated from the perspective of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in order to assess their ideological positioning and their impact on readers. Second, future studies may examine the role of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and the influence of SEO-driven practices on the construction of online international news headlines in English and Vietnamese. Third, further research may focus on challenges in translating Vietnamese news headlines into English and propose practical solutions to improve the quality and effectiveness of headline translation.
13.1. Tran Tuan Anh (2023), “Characteristics of English Newspaper Headlines and Some Common Translation Methods into Vietnamese”, Educational Equipment Journal(5), pp.130-132.
13.2. Tran Tuan Anh (2024), “A contrastive analysis of strategies for writing headlines in English and Vietnamese online Newspapers”,Language and Life Journal(9), pp.78-90.
13.3. Tran Tuan Anh (2024), “A contrastive analysis of English and Vietnamese online
newspaper headlines on the aspect of syntax",2024 International Graduate Research Symposium, pp.841-853.
13.4. Tran Tuan Anh (2024), “The linguistic features of English and Vietnamese online
newspaper headlines in terms of semantics”, 2024 International Graduate Research Symposium, pp.853-867.
Author:NewDepartment of Training and Hazardous Waste Management
Newer news
Older news
