1. Full name of doctoral candidate: Thanomphan Triwanitchakorn
2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: May 28, 1983 4. Place of birth: Thailand
5. Decision No. 2859/QD-XHNV dated November 2, 2017, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi, recognizing the doctoral student.
6. Changes in the training process: None
7. Thesis Title: A Comparative Study of Request Acts in Thai and Vietnamese
8. Major: Comparative and Contrastive Linguistics 9. Code: 62 22 02 41
10. Scientific supervisors: Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Hiep, Dr. Do Hong Duong
11. Summary of the new results of the thesis: The thesis aims to research, identify, and clarify the similarities and differences in the formal structure and speech act signs of utterances used to perform request actions in Thai and Vietnamese. The thesis used a comparative research method with 230 subjects and collected data through the Discourse Completion Test (DCT) questionnaire. The thesis achieved the following new results;
- The thesis identifies six different structures of requesting actions in Thai and Vietnamese speech. Structure 1 is used least frequently by Thai speakers, while structure 5 is used least frequently by Vietnamese speakers. Structure 4 is the most frequently chosen by both Thai and Vietnamese speakers.
- The thesis applies the theoretical framework of Blum-Kulka (1989) to point out the similarities and differences of request actions between the two languages, divided into two main strategies:
1) Direct request strategies have three subgroups: using imperative structures/sentences; using performance expressions/statements; and using narrative structures/sentences to express a desire.
2) Indirect request strategies are divided into two groups:
2.1 Conventional indirect request strategies comprise three subgroups: stating conditions; preparing the inquiry; and verbal preamble.
2.2 The non-conventional indirect request strategy comprises 19 subgroups: preliminary inquiry; explanation; apology; thanks; offer of compensation; reiterating the request; deference; asking for convenience regarding the request; reducing the weight of the content; anxiety; promise; personal opinion; praise; choice; attention-grabbing element; warning; implication; irony; and metaphor. Among these, irony and metaphor are used least frequently by Thais and Vietnamese. Simultaneously, the thesis examines the social variables related to request utterances.
12. Practical applications:
The research findings of this dissertation contribute positively to the teaching of Vietnamese and Thai languages, as well as to the compilation of teaching materials based on modern practical communication culture. At the same time, the dissertation's results can also serve as useful references for developing characteristics that utilize internal and external modulation of illocutionary force in utterances and requests in specific communication situations to ensure effective conversations and avoid misunderstandings.
13. Future research directions: None
14. Published works related to the dissertation:
1) “The elements modifying the illocutionary force of act of request in Thai and Vietnamese”, Bailan Journal, UbonRatchathaniRajabhat University.Vol.4 (2) (July – December 2019), pp. 97-116.
2) “Contrastive syntactic structures of speech act of request in Thai and Vietnamese”, Graduates Development Journal, UbonRatchathaniRajabhat University, Vol.6 (2) (July – December 2019), pp. 21-40.
3) “Factors that modulate the external illocutionary force of requests in Thai and Vietnamese”, Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference From T to C: Grammatical representation of tenses and speech acts, January 15-16, 2020, pp. 226-238.
INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS
1. Full name: Thanomphan Triwanitchakorn 2. Gender: female
3. Date of birth: May 28, 1983 4. Place of birth: Thailand
5. Admission decision number: 2859/QD-XHNV, 2 November 2017 by Rector of USSH,VNU
6. Changes in academic process: No
7. Official thesis title: Research on comparing the act of request in Thai and Vietnamese.
8. Major: Comparative - contrastive linguistics 9. Code: 62 22 02 41
10. Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Hiep, Dr. By Hong Duong
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis: The objectives of the thesis are to do research, to point out and clarify the similarities and differences in the syntactic structures and speech acts signs of utterances being used to act out requests in Thai and Vietnamese language. The paper has used the comparative contrast methods among 230 informants and collected data through Discourse Completion Test (DCT). The thesis has achieved the following new results;
- The thesis has come up with 6 contrastive syntactic structures of speech act request in Thai and Vietnamese language. It can be found that structure 1 is used the least by Thai, while Vietnamese people use structure 5 the least. Meanwhile, structure 4 is the most widely used by both Thai and Vietnamese people.
- The thesis applies the theory of Blum-Kulka (1989) to point out two language similarities and differences of speech act of the strategies of request, which can be divided into two major levels:
1) The direct request strategy has 3 subgroups: Imperative; Explicit performative and Want statement.
2) The indirect request strategy is divided into 2 groups:
2.1 Conventional indirect request strategy, including 3 subgroups: Giving conditional; Query preparatory and Hedged performative.
2.2 The non-conventional indirect request strategy consists of 19 subgroups: Pre-offered; Reason; Sorry; Thanks; Offer compensation; Emphasize the request; Reverence; Inquire about the convenience of the request; Decrease the force of the content; Worry; Promise; Personal qualification; Praise; Choose; Attention-getters; Warning; Implications; Sarcasm; and Metaphor. This was expressed and considered through the 19 non-conventionally indirect request strategies. Among them, the strategies of irony and metaphor are used the least by Thai and Vietnamese people. Moreover, some related social variable factors are mentioned in the request statements.
12. Practical applicability, if any:
The results of the thesis will contribute positively to teaching as well as the development of teaching materials for Vietnamese and Thai according to modern practical communication culture is also another application of this paper. At the same time, the results of the thesis can be useful references for figuring out the internal and external elements modifying the illocutionary force of act of request in some specific situations in communication. These are stated to be effective to avoid mutual misunderstanding.
13. Further research direction, if any: No
14. Thesis-related publications:
1) “The elements modifying the illocutionary force of act of request in Thai and Vietnamese”, Bailan Journal, UbonRatchathaniRajabhat University.Vol.4 (2) (July – December 2019), pp. 97-116.
2) “Contrastive syntactic structures of speech act of request in Thai and Vietnamese”, Graduates Development Journal, UbonRatchathaniRajabhat University, Vol.6 (2) (July – December 2019), pp. 21-40.
3) “The strategies element external modifying of act requests in Thai and Vietnamese”, Form T to C Grammatical representations of tense and speech acts. International Conference. January 15-16 2020, pp. 226-238.
