A study on linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in english with reference to their vietnamese equivalents

THESIS A STUDY ON LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL FEATURES OF WORDS AND PHRASES DENOTING CUISINE IN ENGLISH WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC ĐẶC ĐIỂM NGÔN NGỮ VÀ

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

M.A THESIS

A STUDY ON LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL FEATURES

OF WORDS AND PHRASES DENOTING CUISINE IN ENGLISH WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR VIETNAMESE

EQUIVALENTS

(NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC ĐẶC ĐIỂM NGÔN NGỮ VÀ VĂN HOÁ CỦA NHỮNG TỪ VÀ CỤM TỪ BIỂU ĐẠT ẨM THỰC TRONG TIẾNG ANH VÀ NHỮNG TƯƠNG ĐƯƠNG TRONG TIẾNG VIỆT)

NGUYỄN THỊ THU

Hanoi, 2016

2

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

M.A THESIS

A STUDY ON LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL FEATURES

OF WORDS AND PHRASES DENOTING CUISINE IN ENGLISH WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR VIETNAMESE

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report

entitled “A study on linguistic and cultural features of expressions denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents” submitted

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in English Language Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis

Hanoi, 2016

Nguyen Thi Thu

Approved by SUPERVISOR

(Signature and full name)

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Hoàng Tuyết Minh

Date:………

A special word of thanks goes to all my teachers at Hanoi Open university, Postgraduate Department for their usefule lectures, without whose support and encouragement it would never have been possible for

me to have this thesis accomplished

Last but not least, I am greatly indebted to my family, my friends for the sacrifice they have devoted to the fulfillment of this academic work

have been studied as the subject of the thesis because meals are very important and popular to everybody in English and Vietnamese To carry on this thesis, the author has studied on linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English, then refer to their Vietnamese equivalents The thesis is based on the data from the Internet, some websites, some famous restaurants and hotels to analysize.The qualitative and quanltitative approaches are employed to describe and compare the data To achieve the objectives of the study The author has carried on three main points: linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English, the similarities and differences in the linguistic and cultural features between English and Vietnamese cuisine and implications for teaching and learning English and Vietnamese cuisine

This thesis helps teachers and learners know more some linguistic and cultural features of English and Vietnamese words and phrases denoting cuisine Next, it can learn about word structures, types of words, word classes and their functions Besides, it can broaden the knowledge about semantic features from cultural features through cuisine denoting animals such as all the body of animals, the parts of animal (include both internal and external organs of animals), cuisine denotes animals combine with spices and cooking methods and cuisine denotes plants such as cuisine denotes plants combine with spices and cooking methods, cuisine denoting

cuisine denoting areas, cuisine denoting names of man, cuisine denoting combines with colour, cuisine denoting combines with flavour, and cuisine denoting combines with quality.Moreover, they also broaden knowledge about cultural features in English as well as in Vietnamese From that, it helps learners use them properly in spoken and written so as not to cause

“culture shocks” in daily communication

Table 4.4b Semantic features of words and phrases denoting

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 5

1.1 Rationale 5

1.2 Aims of the study 6

1.3 Objectives of the study 6

1.4 Scope of the study 6

1.5 Significance of the study 7

1.6 Structural design of the study 7

Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 9

2.1 Previous studies 9

2.2 Theoretical background 10

2.2.1 Linguistic features 10

2.2.1.1.Syntactic features 10

2.2.1.2 Semantics 14

2.2.2 Language and culture 16

2.2.2.1 Definition of language and culture 16

2.2.2.2 The relationship between language and culture 17

2.2.3 Characteristics of English and Vietnamese cultures 19

2.2.4 Overview of cuisine 21

2.2.4.1 English cuisine 22

2.2.4.2.Vietnamese cuisine 23

2.2.5 Typical cultural features of cuisine 24

2.2.5.1 Culture on eating habits of English 24

2.2.5.2 Culture on eating habits of Vietnamese 25

2.2.5.3 Meals in English and Vietnamese 26

2.3 Summary 28

Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY 29

3.1 Study-governing orientations 29

3.2 Research questions 29

3.3 Methods of the study 29

3.4 Data collection 30

3.5 Data analysis 32

3.6 Summary 33

Chapter 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 34

4.1 Linguistic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English 34

4.1.1 Syntactic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English 34

4.1.1.1.Meals 35

4.1.1.2.Drinks 37

4.1.2 Semantic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English 39

4.2 Cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English 41

4.2.1 Meals 41

4.2.2 Drinks 44

4.3 A comparison between the linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents 47

4.3.1 In terms of linguistic features 47

4.3.2 In terms of cultural features 56

4.4 Implications for teaching and learning words and phrases denoting cuisine in English and Vietnamese 62

4.5 Summary 63

Chapter 5 CONCLSUSION 64

5.2 Implications 66

5.3 The limitations of the study 67

5.4 The suggestions for further study 67

REFERENCES 69 APPENDIX I

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale

Theoretically, since human’s society developed, there has been a

trend of integration between people and nations People living together in the world need to help each other to gain economic development, political stabilization and equality That, the need of understanding between people

and nations has increased

As we know, there are many countries in the world Each has own its language and culture Scottish philosopher David Hume wrote, “culture, then, is the great guide of human life”, it is true that knowing the culture of

a country is, in effect, a guide to understanding the soul of that country and its people Culture refers to many factors such as art, music, food, literature, etc In English and Vietnamese, researchers have also paid a lot of attention

to cuisine There have been many authors carrying out studies on cuisine such as Spencer, Colin (2003) British foo: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of Hisotory Columbia University Press; Broomfield, Andrea (2007)

“ Food and cooking in Victorian England: a history”; Taste Vietnam, 12-29; How to cook Vietnamese cuisine, 2010; AsianInfo: Article on Vietnamese food; “ Vietnamese Ingredients” WokMe 2011 Retrieved 2 December 2011; Annie Corapi (2011) “The 10 healthiest ethnic cuisines CNN Health Retrieved 3 December 2011; etc However, both English and Vietnamese have not had a study on features of words and phrases denoting cuisines from language and culture

2009-This study is interested in English language and culture in common, English cuisine in particularly Hence, this study would like to show the understanding about English cuisine Specially, this thesis will compare and contrast it with Vietnamese cuisine to show the similarities and differences

This study will help people who are interested in English language and culture, will have more knowledge about linguistic and cultural features

of it with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents

Practically, firstly, the differences in many aspects of the languages and cultures cause various problems when both in English and Vietnamese

Secondly, cuisine is a large field; therefore, teaching and learning has many

difficulties Thus, a good understanding of cuisine is the key for learners to

know more about the target language as well as its culture and to avoid

culture shocks in communication

For the above reasons, the study will be chosen with the tittle “A study on linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents”

1.2 Aims of the study

This study is aimed at studying linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents to help the process of teaching – learning English effectively

1.3 Objectives of the study

This study has three main objectives as follows:

- Identifying linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English

- Finding out the similarities and differences in terms of linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with

reference to their Vietnamese equivalents

- Supplying some suggested implications for teaching and learning words and phrases denoting cuisine

1.4 Scope of the study

In the frame work of the study, the thesis only focuses on words and phrases denoting cuisine in typical meals in English (England of Great

Britain) with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents( the North of Vietnam), namely, linguistic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine

in English are semantic and syntactic features, cultural features of cuisine in English are main meals and drinks.487 dishes and drinks are found in English cuisine and 506 ones are collected in Vietnamese cuisine from books of English and Vietnamese, menus from restaurants and hotels and books of English and Vietnamese, the Internet and analysed their similarities and differences

1.5 Significance of the study

Theoretically, the research provides words and phrases denoting cuisine in typical meals and drinks in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents This helps Vietnamese learners understand more in

terms of linguistic and cultural features in both two countries

Practically, the research supplies Vietnamese learners some syntactic, semantic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents and daily meals and drinks in two countries This broadens more the knowledge about linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting English and Vietnamese cuisine to learners

1.6 Structural design of the study

The study is divided into five chapters:

Chapter one is the introduction, which presents the reason why the topic is chosen, the aims, the objectives, the scope, the significance and the structural design of the study are given

Chapter two is the literature review, consisting of two parts: Previous studies and theoretical background This is also devoted to the presentation

of major linguistic and cultural features, the definitions about language and culture, relationships of language, characteristics of English and Vietnamese

cultures, overview of cuisine, English and Vietnamese cuisine and typical cultural features of cuisine

Chapter 3 is the methodology, which presents study-governing orientations, research questions, methods of the study, data collection, data analysis

Chapter 4 is the findings and discussion, presenting linguistic features

of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English, cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English, a comparison between the linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vientnamese equivalents and implications for teaching and learning words and phrases denoting cuisine

Chapter 5 is the conclusion of the study, which consists of recapitulation, implications, the limitations of the study and the suggestions for further study

References come at the end of the study

Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Previous studies

In English, there have been many books about cuisine such as Spencer, Colin (2003) British food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History Columbia University Press his author studied mainly about history

of British food; “Cooking by country: England”, cecipes.us.co.uk, Feb 2005” Recipes.us.co.uk Retrieved 2010-06-03; Broomfield, Andrea (2007) “ Food and cooking in Victorian England: a history” These studies talked about the ways to cook generally dishes and drinks Beside, the studies such as “ Robin Cook’s chicken tikka masala speech” London: The Guardian, 2002-02-25.Retrieved 2001-04-19; BBC E-Cyclopedia (20 April 2001) “Chicken tikka masala: Spice and easy does it” bb.co.uk Retrieved

28 September 2007; “Turkey Club UK” Turkeyclub.org.uk Retrieved 2010-06-03 These studies are specific dishes about chicken, turkey, etc

In Vietnamese, Vietnamese researchers have also paid a lot of attention to cuisine There have been many authors carrying out studies on cuisine namely Taste Vietnam, 2009-12-29; How to cook Vietnamese cuisine, 2010; How to cook Vietnamese cuisine, 2004, NXB; AsianInfo: Article on Vietnamese food; "Vietnamese Ingredients" WokMe 2011 Retrieved 2 December 2011.; Annie Corapi (2011) "The

10 healthiest ethnic cuisines" CNN Health Retrieved 3 December 2011.; "Typical Vietnamese Foods" ActiveTravelVietnam.com Retrieved 3 December 2011; "The Food of Vietnam – Vietnamese Food" GuideVietnam.com Retrieved 3 December 2011; "VIETNAMESE FOOD" Vietnam Travel Retrieved 3 December 2011; "Yin – Yang in Vietnamese culinary art" Viet Nam mon pays natal Retrieved 3 December 2011; Hanoi Food Guide - The City Lane; Andrea Nguyen (13 March 2011) "Heaven in a Bowl: The Original Pho" Retrieved 28 December 2011; Huu Ngoc – Lady Borton (2010): Hanoian Food Hanoi

above only studied about taste, the ways to cook dishes and drinks, general food and ingredients, the healthiest ethnic cuisines, culinary art, Hanoian Food, etc

All researches are only general about food or cuisine, or they talk about specific dishes and cooking methods Nevertheless, up to now there have not been any studies on linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents Therefore, it is necessary to do a research on this topic

According to Wikipedia, in linguistics, syntax is the set of rules, principles, and processes that govern the structure of sentences in a given language, specifically word order.The term syntax is also used to refer to the study of such principles and processes.The goal of many syntacticians is to discover the syntactic rules common to all languages

In mathematics, syntax refers to the rules governing the behavior of mathematical systems, such as formal languages used in logic

In term of syntactic category, according to Wikipedia, a syntactic

category is a type of syntactic unit that theories of syntax assume Word classes, largely corresponding to traditional parts of speech (e.g noun, verb, preposition, etc.), are syntactic categories In phrase structure grammars, the phrasal categories (e.g noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, etc.) are also syntactic categories Dependency grammars; however, do not

acknowledge phrasal categories (at least not in the traditional sense)

Word classes considered as syntactic categories may be called lexical categories, as distinct from phrasal categories The terminology here is by

no means consistent, however Many grammars also draw a distinction between lexical categories (which tend to consist of content words, or phrases headed by them) and functional categories (which tend to consist

of function words or abstract functional elements, or phrases headed by them) The term lexical category therefore has two distinct meanings Moreover, syntactic categories should not be confused with grammatical categories (also known as grammatical features), which are properties such

as tense, gender, etc

In terms of characteristics of words and phrases, in English – Vietnamese Dictionary in 2009: Word is a sound or combination of sounds that expressed a meaning and froms and independent unit of the grammar or vocabulary of a language

In term of classes of words, a word may consist of a single morpheme

(for example: oh!, rock, red, quick, run, expect), several (rocks, redness, quickly, running, unexpected), whereas a morpheme may not be able to stand on its own as a word (in the words jusst mentioned, these are –s, - ness, -ly, un, -ed) And complex word will typically include a root and one

or more affixes ( rock-s, red-ness, quick-ly, run-ning, un-expect-ed), or more than one root in a compound (black-board, rat-race) Words can be put together to build larger elements of language, such as phrases (a red rock),

clauses (I threw a rock), and sentences ( he threw one too but he missed)

According to Angela Downing and Philip Lock in English Grammar (2, p.13), and Victoria Flomklin, Robert Rodman, Peter Collins and David Blair in An Introduction to Language (17, p.176), words are classified grammatically according to the traditional terminology, which includes noun, verb, adjecitve, preposition, pronoun, article, and conjunction

According to Victoria Fromklin, Robert Rodman, Peter Collins and David Blair in An introduction to Language (17, p.121), in English, nouns,

All these kinds of words are made up morphemes

In term of classes of morphemes, morpheme is an abstract category which has either a lexical or a grammatical meaning Example of the word effects, effects can be considered as formed from the lexical morpheme (effects) – the (plural) morpheme These abstract categories are relished by morphs such as effect and –s or /ifekt/ and /s/, the actual segments of written

and spoken language, respectively

In term of types of words, structurally words are classified into simple, complex and compound words According to Assoc.Prof Dr Tran

Huu Manh (2008),

Simple words: A simple word is the basic word form with nothing added to it A word such as activ , chicken, beef, sandwich, egg has a

meaning of its own and has not been altered in any way

Complex words: It is divided into two kinds namely, a complex word

is defined as a base word combined with a derivational element - derived

word, such as an affix or a suffix” For example,lemon - lemonade, national

- international, etc and compound word, a compound word is a combination of two simple words Differing from the complex word, the compound word does not acquire its definition from the addition of affixes

In the case of compound words, the union of the two simple words bring out

an altogether different meaning than the words do in their original form An

example of compound words are: for examples, apple juice, oatcake, etc

In term of phrases, in English – English-Vietnamese Dictionary (2009): Phrase is a group of words without a verb, especially on that forms part of a sentence or a group of words forming a short expression But in reality, this definition is not enough This study will research on phrases

with verbal phrase

In everyday speech, a phrase may refer to any group of words In linguistics, a phrase is a group of words which form a constituent and so

function as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence A phrase is lower on the grammatical hierarchy than a clause,

In term of overview of phrase structures

Noun phrases, Sidney Greenbaum defines the noun phrase as a phrase “ has as its head a noun, a pronoun, a nominal adjective or numeral” (36, p.208)

Examples, a wonderful spinach cheese, a citizen of her own class,etc

Verb phrases, “a verb phrase has as its head a main (or lexical) verb The main verb may be preceded by up to four auxilaries (or auxilary verb)”

(36, p.246) Examples, was sank, has been sunk, etc

Adjective phrase, “the adjective phrase has as its head an adjective, which may be preceded by premodifiers, and followed by postmodifier”

For examples, fond of steak, very happy, etc

Premodifiers are chiefly adverbs The premodifier is also an intensifiers are typically adverbs, prepositional phrases, clauses

Adverb phrases, “the adverb phrase has as its adverb, wich may be by premodifiers and (less commonly) followed by postmodifier.” (36, p.295),

for example, much more easily than I could count

Prepositional phrases consists of a preposition and the complement of the preposition The preposition may be premodified by an intensifying adverb The prepositional complement is chiefly a noun phrase, an –ing

participle clause or wh-clause For instance, that Peter with the red hair, a good trip that I once had, etc

To sum up, this part is presented about syntactic features of English, including syntactic category, characteristics of words and phrases, namely, classes of words, classes of morphemes, types of words, overview of phrase structures such as noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, adverb

phrases, prepositional phrases,

2.2.1.2 Semantics

The study of the linguistics meaning or morphemes, words, phrases and sentences is called semantics Semantics is concerned with aspects of meaning in language Work in semantic deal with the description of word and sentence meaning There are certain kinds of meaning or certain aspects

of meaning in linguistics (Lyons, 1981:139)

Geoffrey Leech (1974:9) explains that semantics as the study of meaning is central to the study of communication and as communication becomes more and more pressing

Katz (1972:1) also states that semantics is the study of linguistic meaning It is concerned with what sentence and other linguistics object express, not with the arrangement with their syntactic parts or with their pronunciation

Semantics is the recent addition to the English language Semantics is the philosophical and scientific study of meaning The word semantics is derived from the Greek verb ―semaino (to signify or to mean) Semantics

is part of the larger study of signs, semiotics It is the part that deals with words as signs (symbols) and language as a system of signs (words as symbols) (Hipkiss, 1995:IX)

Semantics has been variously described as the science of sign, of symbolic behavior or of communication-system It focuses on the scope of the term "communication" There are certain concepts relevant to the investigation of all 7 communication-systems, human and non-human, natural and artificial A signal is transmitted from a sender to a receiver (a group a receivers) along a channel of communication The signal will havea particular form and will convey a particular meaning (or message) The connection between the form of the signal and its meaning is established by what (in a rather general sense of the term) is commonly referred to semiotics as the code: the message is coded by the sender and decided by

the receiver Semantics is one of branches of linguistics studying about the meaning, and it is considered as a major branch of linguistics devoted to the study of meaning in language (Crystal, 1991: 310) From this definition,we have to know what is meant by meaning For thousand years, philosophers have been considering the meaning of meaning, speakers of a language can understand what is said to them and can produce strings of words that are meaningful to other speakers (Fromkin, 1983: 151)

Leech (1977: IX) states that semantics (as the study of meaning) is central to the study of communication; and as communication becomes more and more a crucial factor in social organization, the need to understand

it becomes more and more pressing Semantics is not only the center of communication study but also the center of the study of the human mind- thought processes, cognition, conceptualization All these are intricately bound up with the way in which we classify and covey our experience of the world through language

Lyons (1971:400)states,“Semantics may be defined, initially and provisionally, as the study of meaning”

Akmajian (1979:228) says, “Semantics is generally considered to be the study of meaning (and related notions) in language, semantics is generally considered to be the study of reference (and related notions) in languages”

Hornby (1974: 789) defines, “Semantics is branch of linguistics concerned with studying the meaning of words and sentences”

Katz (1972:1) defines, “Semantics is the study of linguistic meaning

It is concerned with what sentences and other linguistic objects express, not with the arrangement of their syntactic parts or with their pronunciation” It means that generally the basic principle of semantics is about the meaning

All these definitions given above are different in some respect but

words, it is a study concerned with meaning of linguistics string It means that the study must be focused on what sentences or other linguistic objects express not to arrangement of their syntactic part of their grammatical form

To understand about semantics, the thesis is combined with some following cultural features

2.2.2 Language and culture

2.2.2.1 Definition of language and culture

Language is a factor that distinguishes man from other animals For existence, human being must work hard to produce goods, food, clothes, machines and other materials… Through out the duration of working, people need to exchange goods, the experience of producing and also information of all fields of the life That’s why language appeared Language is a means of communication and it is the best way for human to express their thoughts and feelings To have a better understanding of language, let’s study the definition of language stated in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1995): Language is a system of sounds, words, patterns, etc…used by humans, nations, or group of people to

communicate thoughts and feeling manner of expressing ideas”

According to Hudson, R.A., : “A language is a particular kind of system for encoding and decoding information In its most common use, the term refers to so-called “natural languages” – the forms of communication considered peculiar to humankind In cognitive science the term is also sometimes extended to refer to the human cognitive facility of creating and using language Essential to both meanings is the systematic creation and usage of systems of symbols – each symbol referring to linguistic concepts with semantic or logical or otherwise expressive meanings.”

From these definitions the thesis can see how important the language

is in the process of communication In this study, language is the means of expressing thoughts and feelings Culture can be seen as all human

activities Some people look at culture as the collective programme of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another Someone concluded that “there is not one aspect of human life that

is not touched and altered by culture” In many ways it is correct: culture is everything Because culture is so broad in its scope, many definitions have been suggested The thesis examines some of these definitions so that people might understand them better

Anthropologists Kroeber and Kluckhohn (1952) reviewed some five hundred definitions, phrasings and concepts and proposed the following definition: “Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behaviour acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups….the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values; culture systems may,

on the other hand, be considered as products of action, and the other as conditionaling elements of further action.”

Another definition by Byram ( 1998) runs as follows “A society’s culture consists of whatever it is one has to know or believe in order to operate in a manner acceptable to it’s members Culture is not a natural phenomenon; it does not consist of things, people’s behaviour or emotions

It is rather an organization of these things It is the form of things that people have in mind, their models of perceiveing, relating and otherwise interpreting them”

These definitions are broad enough to include most of the major territory of culture However, for the goals of this study,“Culture is the people’s ways of thinking, behaving, talking, valuing things and working”

2.2.2.2 The relationship between language and culture

Language and culture are said to be interwoven Language is a part of culture and culture is a part of language It is difficult to separate one from

language or culture would be lost That’s why two individuals taking part in the communication must have a shared knowledge of both culture and language Misunderstanding may occur if we violate a grammatical rule of language But it is more serious if we violate a social usage

It is apparent that language is a means to describe culture it belongs to and parallelly, culture’s development enriches language For example, before the bicycle was introduced to Vietnam, there was no word to express

it But when the Vietnamese got acquainted with it, they borrowed the word

bicycle and either borrowed or invented words to describe the bicycle parts

Therefore, the vocabulary of language was enriched along parallel line with the development of culture

Language usages follow culturally determined patterns The patterns not only influence the order in which people use words to form phrases, they also influence thinking patterns The use of language to describe time, for instance, differs from culture to culture Western societies perceive time

as something that can be kept, saved, lost or waste Therefore, time system

is exactly divided and being on time is extremely important In the Vietnamese language, the time system is more complicated and the verb system is such that only context can indicate time This different perception directly affects the translation from Vietnamese language into Western languages and vice versa

The thesis can be seen that language is distinctly a form of human cultural behaviour Language helps learners understand not only one another but culture as well If one uses a language well, one must know the culture that uses the language This is because the ability to react with speakers of another language depends not only on language skills but also on comprehension of cultural habits For example, in Vietnamese culture, it is considered polite behaviour to ask someone at first meeting about his or her

age and marital status But this way of talking is not acceptable in other culture like English, Australian and American culture

In learning language, we can see that language is a key element of any culture Language is a part of social life As a result, every expression such as greeting, addressing…are affected by culture This aspect should be paid attention to when we study cuisine, Byram ( 1998) said that: “It is really assumed that exposure language will lead to some kinds of cultural learning Thus as learners learn language they learn about culture and as they learn to use a new language they learn to communicate with other individuals from a new culture”

That also means that cultural difference leads to the differences in the way and the perception of communication which is the expression of language For example, in the Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai languages, the

greeting “where are you going?” is appropriate instead of “Hello” “Good day” However, it may be inappropriate in other cultures like Western

culture; it may be regarded as a curious question So, if Vietnamese people think in Vietnamese way and express themselves in their own cultural way while communicating with native speakers of Western cultures they may annoy them Therefore, it is obvious that if we do not pay attention to linguistic and cultural differences while studying about cuisine, the inevitable result of the study is something of misunderstanding

2.2.3 Characteristics of English and Vietnamese cultures

Language cannot exist without culture as its component According

to Tran Ngoc Them “Văn hóa bao gồm tất cả những gì làm cho dân tộc này khác với dân tộc khác” (Culture includes all things which make this nation different from other nations) In fact, Vietnamese and English people have different cultural tradition, cultural backgrounds, customs, religious belief and different geographical environment Therefore, the

language that Vietnamese and English people use reflects their different lifestyle and thought

Firstly, the difference of geographical environment makes different cultures The West with the dry, cold climate and vast grasslands which is suitable for animal husbandry establishes the trend of the nomadic life So, the Westerners in general and English people in particular, appreciate individualism and reasons and have ambition to conquer the nature Meanwhile, the East has the hot, humid climate and a lot of delta which are good conditions for cultivation Because of such different characteristics of the East, Vietnamese people tend to live in harmony with their environment, have the great respect for their community leading a flexible and harmonious life Therefore, in communication Vietnamese people do not want to trouble anyone They always keep their inner feelings to remain a

peaceful coexistence In England, they have a tendency to speak out nearly

all personal problems and criticize frankly

Secondly,Vietnamese civilization is considered “plant civilization” Furthermore, Vietnam, among the countries in the Southeast Asian region,

is believed to be the cradle of agricultural civilization Also, natural history surrounding the society forms Vietnamese cultural characteristics For these reasons, Vietnamese products contain a variety of kinds of tropical

agricultural products such as: bồ hòn, cà, cam (sành), chanh, chuối, dưa, dừa, đào, gấc, khế, mận, quýt, sung, táo, thị; cà, mướp, hẹ, rau, măng, muống, húng, tía tô, rau má, mướp đắng, mùng tơi; gạo, ngô, khoai, mía; tỏi, gừng, nghệ , riềng …

In addition, one further different characteristic between English and Vietnamese is their traditional religion English people are Christians who believe in God In Vietnam, Buddhism is considered the most common religious The philosophies of Buddhism have affected Vietnamese people’s

thought

English people, with the origin of nomadic culture, have individual features that give them the will of independence and the determination They are willing to face their failure and try to get another opportunity Nevertheless, Vietnamese people with the communal features which discourage people’s competitive spirits are usually in favour of enduring and stable life

In short, this part has described cultural features of English and Vietnamese The two patterns indicated above can show that the English culture is significantly different from the Vietnamese one such as geographical conditions, historical background, habits, customs, religious beliefs and so on Therefore, basing on these similarities and differences, the thesis can be found out cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents

2.2.4 Overview of cuisine

A cuisine, is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region A cuisine is primarily influenced by the ingredients that are available locally or through trade Religious food laws, such as Hindu, Islamic and Jewish dietary laws, can also exercise a strong influence

The area's climate in large measure determines the native foods that are available In addition, climate influences food preservation For example, foods preserved for winter consumption by smoking, curing,

and pickling have remained significant in world cuisines for their altered gustatory properties

The trade among different countries also largely affects a region's cuisine Dating back to the ancient spice trade, seasonings such ascinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, and turmeric were important items

of commerce in the earliest evolution of trade Cinnamon and cassia found their way to the Middle East at least 4,000 years ago

Certain foods and food preparations are required or proscribed by the religiousness or sumptuary laws, such as Islamic dietary laws and Jewish dietary laws

Culinary culture exchange is also an important factor for cuisine in many regions: Japan’s first substantial and direct exposure to the West came with the arrival of European missionaries in the second half of the 16th century At that time, the combination of Spanish and Portuguese game frying techniques with a Chinese method for cooking vegetables in oil led to the development of tempura, the popular Japanese dish in which seafood and many different types of vegetables are coated with batter and deep fried

2.2.4.1 English cuisine

According to Broomfield, Andrea, English cuisine is the specific set

of cooking traditions and practices associated with the United Kingdom English cuisine has been described as "unfussy dishes made with quality local ingredients, matched with simple sauces to accentuate flavour, rather than disguise it." However, English cuisine has absorbed the cultural influence of those who have settled in Britain, producing many hybrid dishes, such as the Anglo-Indian chicken tikka masala

Celtic agriculture and animal breeding produced a wide variety of foodstuffs for indigenous Celts and Britons Anglo-Saxon England developed meat and savoury herb stewing techniques before the practice became common in Europe The Norman conquest introduced exotic spices

into England in the Middle Ages The British Empire facilitated a knowledge

of India's elaborate food tradition of "strong, penetrating spices and herbs" Food rationing policies, put in place by the English government during wartime periods of the 20th century, are said to have been the stimulus for British cuisine's poor international reputation It has been claimed, contrary to popular belief, that people in southern England eat more garlic per head than the people of northern France

English cuisine has traditionally been limited in its international

recognition to the full breakfast, fish and chips, and the Christmas dinner

Other British dishes include the Sunday roast, steak and kidney pie, shepherd's pie, and bangers and mash British cuisine has many regional varieties within the broader categories of English, Scottish and Welsh cuisine Each has developed its own regional or local dishes, many of which are geographically indicated foods such as Cornish pasties, the Yorkshire pudding, Cumberland Sausage, Arbroath Smokie, and Welsh cakes

2.2.4.2.Vietnamese cuisine

According to Van Chau (2014), Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam, and features a combination of five fundamental tastes in the overall meal Each Vietnamese dish has a distinctive flavor which reflects one or more of these elements Common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, and fruits and vegetables Vietnamese recipes use lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chili, lime Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of dairy and oil, complementary textures, and reliance on herbs and vegetables With the balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste, Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide

2.2.5 Typical cultural features of cuisine

2.2.5.1 Culture on eating habits of English

Society in English is changing Following these changes, the way they eat and drink, food that is available and eating out options are also changing Food choice and eating habits have changed dramatically in English over the last fifty years Until quite recently, many households kept

to a weekly rota of meals that varied very little from week to week According to Colin Lighten (2012): “Up until a few decades ago, many families kept to a weekly good pattern, eating the same day of the week most weeks of the year What was cooked each day depended on the leftovers that needed using up or whether it was a pay day or a work day Old fashioned household keeping skills" the ability to run a household cheaply and simply" were central to the kinds of foods that were prepared Today they have surrounded by choice Take aways, fast foods, packeted snacks and ready meals have completed changed the way we prepare and eat food Many people have not acquired the culinary skills that their parents had Similarly, a growing awareness of health issues connected to diet, such

as obesity and heart disease, many encourage people to leave McDonalds and go back to the kitchen.” Society today has become accustomed to dining out It has become a large part of British culture according to a survey carried out by Mintel entitled “Evening Eating Habits in the UK” (2005) Dining out at ethnically themed restaurants and takeaways has increased in recent years due to many different economic, social, and cultural forces

Today fast food chains are a global phenomenon - fried chicken, burgers and submarine sandwiches are available on the streets of New York, Edinburgh, Paris and Shanghai While food shortages are still widespread in many parts of the world, for a lot of people in the Britain, the idea of eating only three meals a day is a thing of the past In English, people have the habit to eat fast food which contain a lot of fat and make

them sometimes fat or obese People like to eat food like chicken legs, chicken wings, fish, chips, pork meat, sausages and beef Those foods are the most popular in English English are eating out more frequently now, not just on special occasions as in the past The choice of restaurants has also diversified over the last few decades

2.2.5.2 Culture on eating habits of Vietnamese

Food and eating habit are one of criterions to value a nation’s culture, life as well as living standard To some people, value a dish is not simple to measure the nutritious level, to see the decoration or to know its taste but to find out the relation between food itself and natural characters of the place where people live Vietnamese cuisine is delicious and is appreciated by most people Although not as famous as its Chinese or Thai counterparts, it certainly retains the unique and specific blending of fresh ingredients that makes the food of the region so popular According to Tran Ngoc Them (2011): “General eating habits of Vietnamese affect all senses such as noses smell flavouring from dishes which have just been cooked, eyes see light colours on the dining-tables, tongue tastes delicious dishes, ears hear sounds

of dishes when they eat them, the Vietnamese usually smack the lips when

drinking tea if they feel tasty, when drinking, they like saying “khà”), and

sometimes, if touched fingers to take foods and put in mouth and tear them (like when eating boiled chicken) they will feel very comfortable and delicious)

Vietnamese people have often gather together to eat dinner after a hard day's work That's when their grandparents, parents, children, brothers and sisters sitting on the tray of rice, enjoy your favorite dishes their mother cooked, and tell fun story, education, working in a warm and friendly atmosphere Tran Ngoc Them (2011) said: “…While eating, the Vietnamese like talking together (unlike the Westerners usually avoid talking at eating

time).The pleasures of drinking pipe wine of highlanders is expressing a deepful philosophy about a community spirit).”

Eating out was not a habit of Vietnamese until recently and nowadays, it is popular in cities and better-off family only Eating out used

to take place on the occasion of daddy receiving salary, or family calebrating an achievement or weekend gateway…However, as modern life leads to lesser time and interest for cooking, eating out is on the sharp increase David Elworth, planning director, in charge of the Asia-Pacific region, the company Ogilvy & Mather, said at the conference “Những xáo trộn trong thói quen ăn uống” held in Ho Chi Minh city on 4/12:“ Due to busy work time, consumers often choose the fast food, so we can not get a satisfying meal full of nutrition In interviews with 400 consumers in Vietnam, up to 35% of people who eat at more than 3 times / week (HCMC: 51.4%, Hanoi 18.6%); 50% said they eat errands throughout the day instead

of previously only eat 3 meals Meanwhile 70% of children are not eating a balanced diet The reason of this situation is not their choice, people are often afraid to explore unusual dishes so often choose fast food, food available for sale anywhere”

To sustain life, food is always the most important one However, the concept and eating habits of the people on this issue is completely different,

no one like none other For Vietnamese, derived from agricultural lifestyle, eating is very important

2.2.5.3 Meals in English and Vietnamese

Cultural features of cuisine are expressed in meals To make sure about meals, there are several definitions of the word meal According to Oxford Word power Dictionary meal means “a certain time when you eat or the food that is eaten at that time”.Similar to Oxford Word Power Dictionary, Dai Tu Dien Vietnam (Vietnamese great dictionary) defines that

“meal” is the whole food is eaten in one time In Oxford Advanced Learner

Dictionary, meal is the portion of food taken or provided at one time to satisfy appetite Also, according to KPИЧ BCKA E in “5 everyday topics in English” in Russia “we partake of food several times a day This partaking

of food at a certain time is called meal”

Generally speaking, all the above definitions define quite clearly about the word meal However, in this graduation paper, the thesis would like to use the word meal in accordance with the definition in Oxford Word Powder Dictionary and Vietnamese Great Dictionary Besides, the thesis would like to analyse the meals and elements related to them such as eating and drinking in which each element has sub-elements related to them, for example, eating such as meals, meal time, food, table ware, eating place, etc and drinking such as tea, alcohol, beer, pubs, bars, etc All these elements connected with the notion of meal However, in this study is only concerned with main meals and drinks

Meals in daily life of the English and the Vietnamese, today, the human life is improving and the demand for diets is improving, too In addition to enough food, nutritional factors and the attractiveness of the dishes are very important Over time, the traditional meal of Vietnam more and more different “Vietnamese meals usually include three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner Lunch and dinner are the two main meals which the family paid more attention for the diverse cuisine However, all three meals must need four groups of nutrients: carbohydrate, protein, fat and vegetables In particular, rice and oil are the ingredients which also

provide the most energy” Minh Doan (2012), Bữa ăn gia đình truyền thống của người Việt, Sống Xanh

In general, value of family meals has been still highly appreciated For many people, family meal is one way to keep their family happy The meal is not simply understood as lunch or dinner, it can be understood as

the main meal, In many Vietnam families, the wives know which are their husbands' or children' favorite dishes, they try to make those dishes as frequently as they can or at least on special occasions At a moth test, a

young pupil writes on a topic: What is success? She writes:“Success is simple, more simple than you often think, success comes when dad and son try to cook a favorite dish for mother on Mother's day or International women's day even if it is not as delicious as others do How significant a dinner is when members of family have not met each other for a long time.”

2.3 Summary

In the nutshell, in the chapter two, the study has given out two main parts, which consists of previous studies and theoretical background In theoretical background, it presents some contents such as linguistic features including sytactic and semantic features, language and culture such as definition of language and culture, the relationship between langauge and culture, characteristics of English and Vietnamese cultures, overview of cuisine, English and Vietnamese cuisine, typical cultural features of cuisine and remark about it.It is clearly that langauge and culture always exist together and reinforce each other People can not understand or appreciate the one without the knowledge of the other because the relationship between them is so close

In addition, the distinguish among linguistic and cultural features, the differences between English and Vietnamese cultures are also noted Overview of cuisine in English and Vietnamse is no less important so as to use cuisines appropriately in specific contexts Finally, those are typical linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine, typical meals in English and Vietnamese

Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Study-governing orientations

Here are two languages namely English and Vietnamese are described and compared The qualitative and quantitative approaches are employed to desribe and compare the data

3.2 Research questions

To achieve the above objectives, the following research questions are put forward:

1 What are linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases

denoting cuisine in English?

2 What are the similarities and differences in the linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting English cuisine and their Vietnamese equivalents?

3.What are suggested implications for teaching and learning words and phrases denoting cuisine?

3.3 Methods of the study

Descriptive and comparative methods are used in combination with the qualitative and quantitative ones English is treated as the source language and Vietnamese is the target language

Firstly, descriptive method is used to describe the linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English and Vietnamese In the linguistic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English, this study is presented about semantic and syntactic features with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents And in the cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English This part presents English and Vietnamese cultures, the differences between English and Vietnamese cultures Besides, it gives overview of cuisine, English and Vietnamese cuisine Finally, typical cultural

features of cuisine through culture on eating habits of English and and Vietnamese and daily meals in two countries

Secondly, contrastive and comparative methods are used to find out the similarities and differences in the linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents

Finally, some techniques are used as data collection and data analysis

3.4 Data collection

The study is collected the data related to some following dishes and drinks:

A long time ago, people could eat only what they grew or what they

could catch Today, almost dishes are supplied by the industry

According to Digital Journal (http://digitaljournal.com/blog/829)

some of the dishes people eat come from animals, including beef, veal, lamb, pork, fish and chicken They may be produced from the flesh or

internal organs of animals, such as beef, lamb, pork, and mutton (red meats), chicken and fish ( white meats), heart, liver, kidneys and brains

(organ meats)

Other animal dishes, such eggs and milk, are produced by animals over their lifetimes Also, cheese is made from milk, so it is an animal

dishes too Other dairy products are butter, cream and yoghurt

Other dishes come from plants, including rice, wheat, fruit, beans and vegetables

Plant and animal dishes are used to make other dishes, such as bread and cheese Fruit is one of the many dishes people get from plants Other

parts of plants people use for the dishes include:

- Leaves and stems – celery, lettuce, silver beet

- Root – potatoes, carrots, beetroot,

- Seeds – wheat, rice, legumes, ground nuts ( peanuts), tree nuts( walnuts, almonds)

Most cakes are made from flour Other dishes made from wheat

include: bread, pastry, biscuits, pasta and noodles

However, there are also some exceptions of the dishes that are

neither from animal nor plant sources, such edible fungi, especially mushrooms Additionally, inorganic substances such as salt often eaten as a flavouring or preservative, baking soda used to preserved or chemically

alter an ingredient and water play an important part of human diet

One more thing, some agricultural and dishes products are distinguished from one another by certain characteristics, qualities or repuatión resulting especially from their geographical origin This differentiation can be attributed to the unique local features of the product, its history or its distinctive character linked to natural or human factors such soil, climate, local know-how and traditions Therefore, most traditions have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions, preferences, and practices, the study of which is known as gastronomy

Many cultures have diversified their dishes by means of preparation, cooking methods and manufacturing Also In many cultures, the dishes have been associated with many other essential human experiences, such as ideas, virtue, conduct, sexual desire, disposition, etc., due to its prominent importance is human survival and pleasure (Berrada, 2007)

According to The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language, 4th Edition: Drink is a liquid that is fit for drinking; a beverage

Therefore, water, tea, coffee, alcoholic drink, cocacola, fruit juice, etc.,

are drink

From considering about some dishes and drinks above, the researcher collected data from English books, the websites on the Internet After that,

them out In order select dishes and drinks easily and quickly while doing analyis, the reseacher put them in animal, plant, names of area and man groups, etc

3.5 Data analysis

After collecting 993 dishes and drinks including 487 English dishes and drinks and 506 Vietnamese ones from various sources, to analyze data, the study categorises them into two kinds, namely, linguistic and cultural features

Firstly, linguistic features, syntactically, the data is classified based

on the different structural categories, such as simple words, derived words, compound nouns, and adjective phrases, prepositional phrases, noun phrases and verb phrases Semantically, the classifcation is carried out on semantic features from cultural features through cuisine denoting animals such as all the body of animals, cuisine denoting the parts of animals (include both internal and external organs of animals), cuisine denoting animals combine with spices and cooking methods and cuisine denoting plants such as cuisine denoting plants combine with spices and cooking methods, cuisine denoting animals or plants combine with cooking methods and animals or plants, cuisine denoting animals or plants combine areas, cuisine denoting animals

or plants combine names of man, cuisine denoting animals or plants combine with colour and cuisine denoting animals or plants combine with flavour

Secondly, it describes the data from cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents

Next, it gives comparative and contrastive analysis of words and phrases denoting cuisine in terms of frequency and linguistic and cultural features

Finally, the study suggests some implications for teaching and learning the linguistic and cultural features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English with reference to their Vietnamese equivalents

3.6 Summary

To sum up, this chapter has just introduced about methodology namely study-governing orientations, research questions to achieve objectives of the study, methods of the study, data collection and data analysis

Chapter 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Linguistic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English

After collecting and analysing the data from linguistic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English, the study is given some

following syntactic and semantic features:

4.1.1 Syntactic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine in English

It can be seen that cuisine varies in simple words, complex words and noun phrases

Table 4.1: Syntactic features of words and phrases denoting cuisine