TTLA: Comparative study of Vietnamese - English cultural vocabulary semantics (based on documents of some groups of words)

DOCTORAL THESIS SUMMARY

Author name:Nguyen Lien Huong

Thesis title:Comparative study of Vietnamese - English cultural vocabulary semantics (based on documents of some word groups)

Dissertation field: Linguistics

Major: Comparative Linguistics Code: 62.22.01.10

Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and research objects of the thesis

The research purpose of the thesis is: to study semantics in relation to culture and cognition. This is one of the very basic issues of linguistics recently, especially in the trend of cognitive linguistics, which is attracting the attention of many researchers. The topic focuses on describing, analyzing, comparing and contrasting the semantics of word groups: referential and non-referential in reality to clarify the similarities and differences between word groups of two languages, two cultures, Vietnamese - English. The specific research purpose of the thesis is to study the cultural semantic and cognitive characteristics of Vietnamese people in comparison with English through some keywords and cultural vocabulary.

The research object of the thesis is in the vocabulary of both languages, the research focuses on analyzing the cultural semantics on the corpus of some groups of nouns of both languages. Because nouns are words that name things and phenomena, very close to human life. In this scope, we would like to compare two groups: cultural lexical semantics of words with specific references (land and water; house and person... in Vietnamese with the words land and water, man and house... respectively in English); cultural lexical semantics of words with non-specific references (dragon, ghost and fairy... in Vietnamese with the corresponding words in English: dragon, ghost and fairy... in English).

2. Research methods used

The thesis uses interdisciplinary research methods, combining the methods of linguistic research with cultural research. The main methods used are: analysis - synthesis, analysis of semantic elements and cultural elements. In addition, the thesis also combines statistical and comparative methods to study the similarities and differences in cultural vocabulary semantics between Vietnamese and English, Vietnamese culture and English culture, and the perception of Vietnamese and English people.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

- In terms of theoretical basis, this research will supplement the comparative study of Vietnamese-English cultural vocabulary semantics, using Vietnamese as the original language for comparison. The thesis also shows the influence of language and cultural differences on human spiritual life, which is governed by the way people experience and perceive the objective world, thereby showing the potential of interdisciplinary research.

- Currently, due to the need for learning and cultural exchange, foreign languages ​​in general, Vietnamese and English in particular, especially in the field of foreign language teaching. The results of the thesis also have important theoretical contributions to the field of teaching methods. Studying the cultural and cognitive characteristics of a community through keywords, pointing out the relationship between language - culture as well as the way people perceive and conceptualize things and events of the objective world will help educators have more theoretical basis to compile textbooks, propose effective teaching methods and approaches.

- In terms of practical contributions in terms of research, the thesis has clarified the similarities and differences in cultural vocabulary semantics of two groups of words with and without reference in Vietnamese and English. From there, it clarifies the way of feeling, thinking, and cultural characteristics of two unrelated peoples and languages, belonging to two different types of languages. The thesis will serve as a basis for establishing a system of words with cultural connotations. The research results will serve as a premise for subsequent studies related to the semantic comparison of Vietnamese-English cultural vocabulary or other languages.

- At the same time, we hope that the results of the thesis will be useful for learning, teaching and researching Vietnamese and English, providing materials for studying cultural identity. Analyzing the similarities and differences in the semantic characteristics of words as well as cultural characteristics and cognitive methods in Vietnamese and English will first help learners understand the causes of cultural differences, thereby helping them gain knowledge and the ability to analyze and handle language problems more effectively.

3.2. Conclusion

Just like national spiritual culture, the more developed the language, the more civilized the language of the national community, the more rich and diverse the semantics, the more profound the cultural expression and the cultural value itself. In terms of structure, the structure of spiritual culture has many components, so semantics also have many types and layers of meaning that exist in different scopes of language. In the scope of lexical meaning, the attribute of spiritual culture is even more prominent. The attribute of cultural distinction is not only in the nature of meaning but also in the structure of content, especially the meaning of typical cultural keywords.

In the basic vocabulary class, land and water are in the group of words that indicate the first natural phenomena, close to humans. When living in each environment, people look for a place to take shelter from the rain and wind, to live, which is the house. These are words that have a referent in reality, belonging to the first basic vocabulary class that any language has. In contrast to the group of words with a reference is the group of words that do not have a referent in reality. Words such as dragon, ghost, fairy are words that are completely imaginary and do not exist in reality. Analyzing and describing the meanings of these two groups of words in comparison between Vietnamese and English has clarified the differences between the culture, language, and perception of the two peoples.

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

The author's name: Nguyen Lien Huong

Thesis title: To compare cultural and lexical semantics of Vietnamese and English key words (based on some group of words)

Scientific branch of the thesis: Linguistics

Major: Contrastive – comparative Linguistics Code: 62.22.01.10

The name of postgraduate training institution: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Hanoi

1. Thesis purpose and objectives

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate semantics in the relationship with culture and cognition. This has been one basic issue in linguistics recently, especially in the tendency of cognitive linguistics, which attracts much attention from numerous researchers. The thesis focuses on describing, analyzing, comparing and contrasting the semantics of word groups, which have reference and do not have reference in reality, in order to clarify the similarities and differences between word groups in two languages, two cultures: Vietnamese and English. The specific goal of this thesis is to understand the characteristics of cultural linguistics and cognition of Vietnamese people in comparison and contrast with English through a number of key words or can be called cultural key words .

The subject of this thesis lies in the vocabulary bank of two languages ​​and it focuses on contrastive analysis of cultural semantics on the material of some noun groups of both languages ​​because nouns are used to name things and phenomena, which are very familiar with human lives. In this scope, we would like to go further in contrasting two groups: the semantics of cultural vocabulary of words with specific references (land and water, house and people... in Vietnamese with land and water, man and house... in English); the semantics of cultural vocabulary of words with non-specific references (dragon, ghost and fairy... in Vietnamese with corresponding words in English: dragon, ghost and fairy... in English).

2. Research methods

The thesis uses interdisciplinary approach, combining the methods of linguistics research with the cultural studies. The main methods used are: methods of analysis - synthesis, methods of analysis of semantic elements and cultural elements. In addition, the thesis incorporates statistical and comparative methods to find out the similarities and differences in semantics in cultural vocabulary between Vietnamese and English, Vietnamese culture and English culture, cognitive styles of Vietnamese and English people.

3. Major results and conclusions

3.1. The major results

Regards to the theoretical basis of this research, this research will add to the study of semantic comparison of Vietnamese-English vocabulary, with Vietnamese as the original language for comparison. The thesis also shows that the influence of the differences in language and culture on the spiritual life of man is governed by the way in which people experience, perceive the reality world, showing the potentials of interdisciplinary studies.

Currently, because of the demand for learning and exchanging cultures and foreign languages ​​in general, Vietnamese and English in particular, especially in the field of teaching foreign languages, the results of the thesis also have important theoretical contributions to the teaching methodology. Understanding the cultural and cognitive characteristics of a community through keywords, indicating the relationship between language and culture as well as the way in which people perceive and conceptualize things, and the phenomenon of the reality world will help educators have more theoretical basis to compose curriculum, propose methods, and effective teaching methods

Regarding the contribution to the scientific research, the thesis has made clear the similarities and differences in the semantics of cultural vocabulary of the two groups of words with references and without references in Vietnamese and English, so as to make clear the way of feeling, thinking, characteristics of cultures of two ethnics, two languages, which are unrelated, are of two distinct types. The thesis will serve as a basis for establishing a system of words that carry cultural meaning. Research results will be the premise for subsequent studies, related to contrastive semantics of Vietnamese - English vocabulary or other languages.

At the same time, we hope that with the achievements of the thesis, it will be useful for learning, teaching and researching Vietnamese and English, providing materials for the study of cultural identity. An analysis of the similarities and differences in the semantic characteristics of words as well as the cultural characteristics, the cognitive way in Vietnamese - English first helps learners understand the causes of cultural differences, from which they will have the knowledge, ability to analyze and handle language problems more effectively.

3.2. Conclusions

Just like the spiritual culture of the nation, the more developed the language is, the more civilized the language of the community, the richer and the more developed the semantics are, the content of cultural expression and itself is deeper. In terms of structure, mental cultural structure has many components, and the semantics also have many types, meaning scaffoldings that exist in different areas of the language. Within the meaning of vocabulary, cultural attributes are even bolder. Cultural distinctions are not only in the nature of meaning but also in the structure of the content, particularly in the meaning of typical cultural terms

In the basic vocabulary groups, land and water are among the first natural phenomena that are close to men. When living in each environment, people find a place to stay away from rain, wind, for living, which is called house. These are the words that have reference in reality, the first basic vocabulary that any language has. The opposite of the group with references is the word group with no references in real life. Words such as dragon, ghost, fairy are words that are entirely imagined, do not exist in reality. The analysis and description of the meaning features of these two groups in comparison between Vietnamese and English clarify the differences between culture, language and cognitive way of the two nations