TTLV: Hidden meaning of the word “face” “面” in Chinese and Vietnamese

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Student's name: LU TING 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: June 25, 1998 4. Place of birth: Guangxi, China

5. Student recognition decision No. 190 / QD / XHNV dated January 5, 2024 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in training process: No

7. Thesis topic: Conceptual hidden meaning of the word “face” “面” in Chinese and Vietnamese

8. Major: Faculty of Linguistics, Vietnamese and Vietnam Studies Code: 8229020.01

9. Scientific advisor: PHAM THI THUY HONG                       

10. Summary of thesis results:The research object of this paper is “面” “face” in Chinese and Vietnamese, aiming to study and compare words and phrases containing the element “面” in Chinese and Vietnamese, thereby finding out the similarities and differences between the two languages, analyzing and summarizing the cultural characteristics of Chinese and Vietnamese people, such as thinking characteristics, values, customs and human emotions, on that basis, exploring the cultural relationship between China and Vietnam and the influence of Chinese on Vietnamese.

11. Practical application:This study not only clarifies the metaphorical projection mechanism of the high-frequency body image word “面/face” in Chinese and Vietnamese from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, but also has important practical application value. On the one hand, the research results support the teaching of Chinese and Vietnamese as foreign languages ​​by providing vivid and culturally close meaning models, helping learners improve their ability to understand idioms and cross-cultural expressions; on the other hand, the research also provides a useful theoretical basis for metaphor translation in Chinese-Vietnamese translation practice, contributing to reducing cultural bias and misinterpretation.

12. Further research directions:

- Systematically survey homologous words related to the word structure of “面” in Chinese, such as “头” (head), “眼” (eye), “口” (mouth)... to analyze their metaphorical mechanism in different semantic fields such as: honor, cognition, emotion, space. Thereby expanding the comprehensive understanding of the metaphorical system expressed in Chinese.

- In-depth study of new metaphorical uses of “face” in network language, media discourse and political language.

- Applying Lakoff & Johnson's conceptual metaphor theory to second language teaching, building a Chinese language teaching program suitable for Vietnamese students through the combination of "body awareness + cultural context".

13. Published works related to the thesis: Are not

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: LU TING 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: June 25, 1998 4. Place of birth: Quangxi Province, China

5. Admission decision number 190/ QD/ XHNV, Dated: January 5, 2024

6. Changes in academic process: None

7. Official thesis title:The conceptual metaphor of “face” / “面” in Chinese and Vietnamese

8. Major: Faculty of Linguistics, Vietnamese Language and Vietnamese Studies 9. Code: 8229020.01

10. Supervisors: PHAM THI THUY HONG

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:The object of this study is the element “面” (miàn) in Chinese and “face” in Vietnamese. The paper aims to examine and compare words and phrases containing the element “面” in Chinese and “face” in Vietnamese, thereby identifying similarities and differences between the two languages. It further analyzes and summarizes the cultural characteristics of the Chinese and Vietnamese people, such as patterns of thinking, values, customs, and human emotions. On this basis, the study seeks to explore the cultural relationship between China and Vietnam as well as the influence of Chinese on Vietnamese.

12. Practical applicability: This study not only clarifies the metaphorical mapping mechanism of the high-frequency body-related lexeme “面/face” in Chinese and Vietnamese from a cognitive linguistic perspective, but also holds important practical applications. On the one hand, the findings support the teaching of Chinese and Vietnamese as foreign languages ​​by providing vivid, culturally grounded meaning models that help learners improve their comprehension of idioms and their cross-cultural expressions. On the other hand, the study also serves as a valuable theoretical basis for the translation of metaphors in Chinese–Vietnamese translation practice, contributing to the reduction of cultural mismatches and semantic distortions.

13. Further research directions:

- Conduct a systematic investigation of cognate words related to the morpheme “面” in Chinese, such as “头” (head), “眼” (eye), “口” (mouth), etc., in order to analyze their metaphorical mechanisms across different semantic domains, including honor, cognition, emotion, and space. This would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the metaphorical system embodied in Chinese.

- Explore in greater depth the novel metaphorical usages of “face” in online language, media discourse, and political language.
- Apply Lakoff & Johnson's Conceptual Metaphor Theory to second-language teaching, designing Chinese teaching programs tailored to Vietnamese students through the integration of “embodied cognition + cultural context.”

14. Thesis-related publications: None