INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION-TOPIC 4-COMPLAINING

Definition Speech act is a unit of speaking and each unit performs certain functions in interaction such as request, invitation, complaint, compliment, prohibition, etc... Definition C

CONTENTS

| THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

1 The speech act theory

2 Complaint as a speech act

I OUR OWN STUDY

1 Survey Description

2 Figures and Findings

3 Implications

2 =| THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

1 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.

l THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2 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: “Next time don’t expect me to sit

here waiting for you!”

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

ressl annoyance © ¬ O =n

| THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

b Complaint strategies

Trosborg (1995) outlines 4 main complaint

Strategies which are very similar to those

offered by Olshtain and Weinbach

i No explicit reproach — Category I

Strategy 1: Hint

Ex: “All right, don’t see much of you

these day, do I?” (Trosborg, 1995:339)

7

I1 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

li Expression of annoyance or

disapproval — Category II

Strategy 2: Annoyance

Ex: “You know, we agreed to be quiet after

11 p.m, don’t you?” (Tran Thi Van Dung)

Strategy 3: Consequences

Ex: “I will take hours to rearrange these!”

I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

iii Accusation — Categogy III

Strategy 4: Indirect accusation

Ex: “You borrowed my car last night, didn’t you?”

(Trosborg, 1995:319)

Strategy 5: Direct accusation

Ex: “Did you happen to bump into my

car?”

(Trosborg, 1995:319)

: I THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

iv Blame — Category IV

Strategy 6: Modified blame

Ex: “Couldnt you been more careful?”

(Trosborg, 1995:319)

Strategy 7: Explicit blame

(behaviour)

Ex: "Oh, no! Look at what you have done!”

Strategy 8: Explicit blame (person)

Ex: “Bloody fool! You've done it again!”

(Trosborg, 1995:319)

10

Ex: “If we dontt finish job today, I'll have

to discuss it with the boss”

iii Request for forbearance

11

ll OUR OWN STUDY

1 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

ll OUR OWN STUDY

ll OUR OWN STUDY

ll OUR OWN STUDY

2 Situations

What would you say?

c Situation 3:

At your favorite restaurant The food

didnt taste as good as usual

15

ll OUR OWN STUDY

II OUR OWN STUDY

“e 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

ll OUR OWN STUDY

ll OUR OWN STUDY

Directive Acts and Expression of Annoyance (30,61% each)

“The third is No explicit Reproach,

which holds 16.33%

s» [he fourth is Accusation which consists of 14,29% and the least common category is Blame, which accounts 8.16%

“* Blame < Accusations <No explicit Reproach <Directive Acts, Expression of

ll OUR OWN STUDY

4 Findings

a Similarities

The two most common categories in both

languages are Explicit of Annoyance and

ll OUR OWN STUDY

c Structures and expressions

English

- I have a complaint to make

- Sorry to bother you but

- I'm sorry to say this but

- I'm afraid I've got a complaint about

- I'm afraid there is a slight problem with

- Excuse me but there is a problem about

- I want to complain about

- I'm angry about

Vietnamese

- Cai nay kho qua!

- Tôi không thích cai nay

ll OUR OWN STUDY |

s»Understand the use of directness a

indirectness strategies in Anglicist

culture and Vietnamese culture

“*Improve your complaining skills

“* Understand the language Anglicist people often use to make a complaint in

direct and indirect way

22