A STUDY OF IDIOMS RELATED TO COMPLIMENT AND APPRECIATION (ENGLISH VERSUS VIETNAMESE)

Abstract

Idioms are heavily loaded with cultural information. Although they share some common ground, English idioms and Vietnamese idioms differ greatly due to cultural differences. This thesis is to study the syntactic, semantic and cultural features of English and Vietnamese idioms related to compliments and appreciation. In the thesis, 150 English idiom samples and 150 Vietnamese idiom samples related to compliments and appreciation are investigated. Both qualitative and quantitative research instruments are used and 300 idioms in two languages together with numerous of examples from various linguistics books, dictionaries, short stories and from the Internet are taken into consideration and full study. The findings show that idioms related to compliments and appreciation have remarkable syntactic, semantic and cultural features and there are interesting similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese in some features. This thesis also deals with the implications for teaching and learning English as a foreign language in Vietnam for teachers and students of English as well as for further study.