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Analysis of Term Definitions: In Search of Domain Genus-Species Structure of Terminology
Ye Qisong,
Serguey Dmitrievich Shelov
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
59-66
Received:
8 January 2022
Accepted:
23 February 2022
Published:
3 March 2022
Abstract: According to the traditional point of view, generic definition nominates the nearest generic concept for a defined expression (definiendum) and its specific features. This understanding implies that for any generic definition, you can specify one part of the defining expression (definiens) as a wording of the nearest generic concept (for a definiendum), and another part of the same expression – as naming specific difference/differences. However, in practice, parsing any arbitrary definiens into these parts is far from a trivial task. In this article a method of terminology definitions analysis is proposed in order to establish the definiens fragments that nominate the nearest generic concept (Genus Proximum) and its specific features (Differentia specifica). The idea of the most remote generic (for the defined) concept (Genus Remōtum) is introduced, which is opposite to the nearest generic concept (Genus Proximum) and which turns out to be very fruitful for the proposed analysis of generic definitions. The analysis and its results heavily depend on the semantics and syntax of the definiens. In particular, some defining expressions even in the form of substantive phrase do not nominate generic concepts and their specific characteristics, and in this sense, they are not generic definitions. Some definitions, assigned even to a single concept, on the contrary, can be interpreted as nominating several Genus Proximum concepts. Finally, it is demonstrated that the same generic definition can specify an entire hierarchy of generic concepts starting from the nearest generic concept (Genus Proximum) and ending with the most remote generic concept (Genus Remōtum).
Abstract: According to the traditional point of view, generic definition nominates the nearest generic concept for a defined expression (definiendum) and its specific features. This understanding implies that for any generic definition, you can specify one part of the defining expression (definiens) as a wording of the nearest generic concept (for a definien...
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Intertextuality in Selected Novels of Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o
Addisu Hailu Abebe,
Melakneh Mengistu
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
67-76
Received:
14 January 2022
Accepted:
7 February 2022
Published:
3 March 2022
Abstract: Postcolonial African fiction has been successful in resisting colonialism and its dehumanizing ideas, which have caused unfathomable physical pain and psychological crises for Africans. While fighting back against the injustices, African writers played a catalyzing role in dismantling the system by creating intertextual connections with different texts from near and beyond. The main objective of this paper is to determine the use of intertexts in selected novels by Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong'o. The article examines three novels from different periods: Weep Not, Child (1964), Petals of Blood (1977), and Wizard of the Crow (2006). The novels are selected purposively, considering the significant contexts of each of the texts. The contexts include the anti-colonial struggles of the early 1960s, the post-independence disillusionment period, and contemporary neocolonialism. The study relies on the notions of intertextuality propagated by Mikhail Bakhtin and Julia Kristeva, for these scholars focus on the connection between text and context. After a close reading of the novels, the study identifies intertexts such as quotations, references, citations, and allusions inserted either to reinforce or criticize the meaning under different local and global contexts. Then, through the textual analysis method, the article determines the significant impact of the inserted texts in the novels. Finally, the analysis demonstrates that the intertexts are used aesthetically to criticize monologic narratives, resist post-independence corrupt political systems, and confront the danger of neocolonialism. Furthermore, the article suggests that studies of the intertextuality of novels across periods depict the predicaments of different times and the role of the elites in raising the consciousness of the masses to respond to these predicaments accordingly.
Abstract: Postcolonial African fiction has been successful in resisting colonialism and its dehumanizing ideas, which have caused unfathomable physical pain and psychological crises for Africans. While fighting back against the injustices, African writers played a catalyzing role in dismantling the system by creating intertextual connections with different t...
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Assessing Students’ Use of Language Learning Strategies and Their Impact on Study Year
Dagim Degissew,
Italo Beriso
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
77-85
Received:
7 February 2022
Accepted:
2 March 2022
Published:
11 March 2022
Abstract: Language learning strategies become the main factor that determines how and how well students learn a second or foreign language. They are essential tools for enabling students to learn successfully in acquiring the desired knowledge and skills. However, students’ proficiency and achievement in English language at different educational levels are not as expected from them. Therefore, this study attempted to assess the language learning strategies which were used by English major students of Addis Ababa University. The study employed mixed approach. The type of research method was descriptive survey. The total numbers of participants were 37 English major students of Addis Ababa University. The data were collected through questionnaire and interview. SPSS version 24 software was utilized to mainly analyze the quantitative part. For the qualitative part, Open code software was used. The result indicated that students were medium user of language learning strategies. The order of strategy use from the most used to the least used was as: metacognitive, social, affective, compensation, cognitive and memory respectively. All strategy type did not indicate Low range use. Statistically a significance difference was reported between second year (M=3.62, SD=0.44) and third year students’ score (M=3.05, SD=0.75) in using strategies in general, t (30)=2.552, p=0.016. Thus, Study year, had an impact on students’ use of strategy in the study. So as to increase strategies use, language learners are recommended to become familiar with language learning strategies. Finally, factors such as, motivation, proficiency level and learning style need to be further investigated.
Abstract: Language learning strategies become the main factor that determines how and how well students learn a second or foreign language. They are essential tools for enabling students to learn successfully in acquiring the desired knowledge and skills. However, students’ proficiency and achievement in English language at different educational levels are n...
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On the Key Competencies for China’s Secondary Vocational School English Curriculum Standards
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
86-94
Received:
11 February 2022
Accepted:
28 February 2022
Published:
11 March 2022
Abstract: To cope with the challenges in today’s world, students’ abilities should go well beyond basic reproduction of accumulated knowledge and concomitant acquisition of certain basic skills at school or university. Accordingly, competencies including knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are required for individuals’ sustainable development. This paper provides an overview of key competencies for China’s Secondary Vocational School English Curriculum Standards. The research panel of 11 members entrusted by the Ministry of Education of China (MOE) carried out a project of the key competencies in secondary vocational English since the official launch of the research project in May, 2017. On this basis, the research panel had China’s Secondary Vocational School English Curriculum Standards released in May, 2020. The key terms of competence and competency are first defined. Studies on key competencies abroad and at home are then reviewed. Four key competencies for China’s Secondary Vocational School English Curriculum Standards (2020) are then extracted from the review. These are workplace language communication, perception of thinking mode differences, cross-cultural understanding and autonomous learning – which are relatively independent but mutually integrated in that they form an organic whole. The criteria and process of extracting the four key competencies of secondary vocational English are described and the formulation and interpretation of the key competencies are elaborated upon. While the proposal concerning the key competencies provides conceptual support, the transformation from idea to practice needs considerable effort, especially in integrating these key competencies in curriculum design.
Abstract: To cope with the challenges in today’s world, students’ abilities should go well beyond basic reproduction of accumulated knowledge and concomitant acquisition of certain basic skills at school or university. Accordingly, competencies including knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are required for individuals’ sustainable development. This paper...
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A Comparative Study on Stance Adverbs in Abstracts of Doctoral Dissertations by Chinese and Americans — A Case Study in Petroleum Engineering
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
95-102
Received:
23 February 2022
Accepted:
9 March 2022
Published:
15 March 2022
Abstract: Stance adverbs are one of the main means to express the author's attitude and views on proposition information. This study bases on self-built corpus, taking the English abstracts of Chinese and American doctoral dissertations in the field of petroleum engineering as the corpus and analyzing the characteristics of stance adverbs used by Chinese and their American counterparts. The results show that: 1) there is no statistically significant difference in the overall frequency of stance adverbs between Chinese and American doctors, and both of them show a tendency of "epistemic stance adverbs > attitude stance adverbs > style-of-speaking stance adverbs"; 2) There is no significant difference in the frequency of using epistemic stance adverbs between Chinese and American doctors, but Chinese doctors significantly use more boosters, a subcategory of epistemic stance adverbs, showing the rigid traces of English writing style. Chinese doctors significantly use certain hedges, the other subcategory of stance adverbs; 3) There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of using attitude stance adverbs between Chinese and American doctors, but Chinese doctors use more attitude stance adverbs to express affect than evaluation; 4) There is no significant difference in the frequency of style-of-speaking stance adverbs between them, and the fact that the use of this kind of stance adverbs is used least may be affected by the stylistic characteristics of the English abstract.
Abstract: Stance adverbs are one of the main means to express the author's attitude and views on proposition information. This study bases on self-built corpus, taking the English abstracts of Chinese and American doctoral dissertations in the field of petroleum engineering as the corpus and analyzing the characteristics of stance adverbs used by Chinese and...
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The Influence of Dialect on the Perception and Production of Lax-Tense Vowel Distinction in English Learning
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
103-110
Received:
20 February 2022
Accepted:
9 March 2022
Published:
18 March 2022
Abstract: This acoustic experimental study investigates the influence of dialectal background on the perception and production of lax-tense vowel distinction in English learning from the theoretical standpoint of language transfer. Previous studies usually regard the first language as a source of transfer, with few considering the influence of dialect in the process of transfer, while this study has taken account of participants’ dialects and biological genders and look at whether and how Chinese dialectal knowledge is transferred in English learning. A perception and a production experiment are conducted with two groups of participants -- Cantonese Chinese speakers and Mandarin Chinese speakers -- to respectively analyze their perception and production strategy for English lax-tense vowel pairs [I]/[i:] and [ʊ]/[u:]. The study finds out that dialect and gender cause statistically significant difference. The result shows that Cantonese speakers can effectively leverage spectral cues to differentiate English tense vowels from lax vowels, while Mandarin speakers rely heavily on durational cues. The two lingual groups have disparate production result, but no one group is overall better than the other in producing lax-tense vowels. Mandarin and Cantonese participants only differ in the F2 of the [u:] production. Moreover, when gender is considered, Mandarin females can produce native-like [ʊ]; Cantonese males and females can produce native-like [I], Cantonese females native-like [i:] and Cantonese males native-like [u:]. This study confirms that dialect should be considered in transfer study, and further points out that both dialect and gender are significant variables of the transfer mechanism in foreign language acquisition.
Abstract: This acoustic experimental study investigates the influence of dialectal background on the perception and production of lax-tense vowel distinction in English learning from the theoretical standpoint of language transfer. Previous studies usually regard the first language as a source of transfer, with few considering the influence of dialect in the...
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Language Awareness and English Spelling Difficulties of Saudi EFL Students
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
111-117
Received:
26 February 2022
Accepted:
14 March 2022
Published:
23 March 2022
Abstract: Spelling errors constitute the biggest challenge for Arab students during the process of their acquisition of the four English language skills, especially during their learning of the writing skill. The aim of the study was to assess language awareness and English spelling difficulties faced by Saudi EFL students. Major emphasis was given to the mistakes commonly committed by English learners. It also aimed to explore the opinions of students on English as a foreign language, establishing the different causes of spelling errors, and assessing the interference that exists between English and Arabic Saudi EFL students. The study used a quantitative research approach based on the descriptive research design. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 150 male and female Saudi university students who were in the first year of their English language program at King Saud University. The study revealed that a variety of factors contribute to students’ spelling mistakes, cutting across the educational system and university curriculum, students’ learning attitudes, and English-Arabic linguistic interference. The study participants imparted their observations and experiences, and their responses assisted the researcher in categorizing their errors and in discovering reasons and solutions for their mistakes and errors. This helped a great deal in learning the plausible reasons for the spelling errors and in suggesting successful corrective strategies. The outcomes of this study are supposed to aid policymakers in taking the required steps to improve the learning experiences of Arab English learners and help teachers to aid and empower the language earners in avoiding common errors in spelling. This study advocates for a change in the way English is taught in Saudi schools, emphasizing the importance of spelling as a basis for English fluency. The study also proposes a few pedagogical strategies for the rectification of the spelling errors.
Abstract: Spelling errors constitute the biggest challenge for Arab students during the process of their acquisition of the four English language skills, especially during their learning of the writing skill. The aim of the study was to assess language awareness and English spelling difficulties faced by Saudi EFL students. Major emphasis was given to the mi...
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Research on the Differences of Junior High School Students’ English Learning Motivation from the Perspective of L2MSS Theory
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
118-124
Received:
21 March 2022
Accepted:
13 April 2022
Published:
20 April 2022
Abstract: Motivation is one of the most important factor in the process of second language learning for junior high school students, which is a critical factor determining the success and failure of second language learning. Based on Dörnyei’s L2 Motivation Self System (L2MSS), this paper investigates the L2 Motivation Self System and gender differences among students in a junior high school in Deyang city, Sichuan province, China. The questionnaire was referenced by the study of Papi et al. The collected data were analyzed and curated by using SPSS. Descriptive Statistics were used to analyze the status of L2 Motivational Self System in junior high school students and independent sample T-test was used to analyze the differences in three components of the L2 Motivational Self System between male students and female students. The research results show that: (1) In the L2 Motivation Self System, junior high school students are most influenced by L2 learning experience, followed by the ought-to L2 self and the ideal L2 self. (2) There are significant differences in the ideal L2 self and language learning experience in the L2 Motivational Self System between male and female students. Female students' ideal L2 self and L2 learning experience are higher than male students, but their ought-to L2 self has no significant differences. This paper will try to explore the relationship between the L2 motivation and the gender of the middle school students, so as to provide some reference for the L2 motivation research of junior high school students.
Abstract: Motivation is one of the most important factor in the process of second language learning for junior high school students, which is a critical factor determining the success and failure of second language learning. Based on Dörnyei’s L2 Motivation Self System (L2MSS), this paper investigates the L2 Motivation Self System and gender differences amon...
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An Empirical Study on Demotivating Factors of Non-English Majors in Colleges of Science and Engineering
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
125-131
Received:
21 March 2022
Accepted:
13 April 2022
Published:
20 April 2022
Abstract: Motivation is widely seen as the main factor of second language learning process. The major goal of this study is to find demotivators that impede non-English major learners’ second language learning. This paper took non-English major undergraduates in Colleges of science and engineering as the experimental objects, and conducted a survey on 250 students by a combination of interviews and questionnaires. The study found 6 main factors that contribute to non-English majors’ English learning demotivation in Colleges of science and engineering: English learning ability, value, influence of important others, negative attitude towards second language learning, the mandatory nature of second language learning and influence of teaching content. In order to further study the changing trend of demotivators of non-English majors, learners of different grades were identified and analyzed. Learners of different phases can be divided into junior learners and senior learners on the basis of their grades. Freshmen and sophomores were classified into junior learners, and juniors and seniors were classified into senior learners. Generally, the results showed no significant difference between the two stage learners except for English learning ability and professional work and future expectations. Junior learners were more demotivated by English learning ability while senior learners were more affected by professional work and future expectations.
Abstract: Motivation is widely seen as the main factor of second language learning process. The major goal of this study is to find demotivators that impede non-English major learners’ second language learning. This paper took non-English major undergraduates in Colleges of science and engineering as the experimental objects, and conducted a survey on 250 st...
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A Functional-Cognitive Interpretation of Syntactic Nominalization in Modern Written Mongolian
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
132-142
Received:
24 March 2022
Accepted:
9 April 2022
Published:
20 April 2022
Abstract: Verbal nominals in traditional descriptions of Mongolian are described in terms of their morphological properties or meanings. They are assumed to act either as subordinate clauses, gerunds or infinitives like those in English. However, there is no a clear and reasonable explanation as to how the nominalized structures with the presence of verbal nominal change from process to thing. This paper, on the other hand, recognizes the Mongolian verbal nominal as syntactic nominalization from the functional and cognitive perspectives, which can be further divided into nominative case-marked subject nominalization, genitive case-marked subject nominalization and subject-missing nominalization. The paper proposes a generative framework for the syntactic nominalization in which the clause with verbal nominal is rank-shifted into a nominal expression by packaging the encoded information, and consequently while the verbal nominal suffix is reanalyzed as a nominalized element of the whole phrase or clause, the dynamic process of the clause is reanalyzed as a static event, and then the lexical and structural meanings of the embedded clause are re-matched via coercion. The functional and cognitive description presented in this paper provides a functionally and cognitively motivated interpretation of the generation mechanism of the syntactic nominalization in Mongolian and the interactions between the levels of lexicogrammar and semantics.
Abstract: Verbal nominals in traditional descriptions of Mongolian are described in terms of their morphological properties or meanings. They are assumed to act either as subordinate clauses, gerunds or infinitives like those in English. However, there is no a clear and reasonable explanation as to how the nominalized structures with the presence of verbal n...
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The SIWI in America and Its Enlightenment to the Writing Instruction of Chinese DHH Students
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
143-148
Received:
26 March 2022
Accepted:
11 April 2022
Published:
20 April 2022
Abstract: Under the current situation of language delay, deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students in China and America generally face three kinds of writing dilemmas: "do not want to write", "nothing to write" and "do not know how to write". SIWI is an approach to teaching writing to DHH students in the United States proposed by Wolbers A. Kimberly of the University of Tennessee in 2007. On the basis of cognitive process theory, sociocultural theory and second language teaching theory, SIWI has formed three instructional components (strategic instruction, interactive instruction, language instruction), as well as two instructional principles (balanced and authentic). The results of several studies with nearly 200 DHH students showed that the DHH students in the SIWI group were nearly five times better at expressing their writing in terms of both language and content than the DHH students in the control group. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of SIWI in teaching writing to DHH students. Many related studies in China have shown that the same problems that American DHH students have in their writing also appear in the compositions of Chinese DHH students. Therefore, SIWI can provide useful thinking and reference for designing the writing instructional model of DHH students in China.
Abstract: Under the current situation of language delay, deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students in China and America generally face three kinds of writing dilemmas: "do not want to write", "nothing to write" and "do not know how to write". SIWI is an approach to teaching writing to DHH students in the United States proposed by Wolbers A. Kimberly of the Uni...
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Chinese College Talent Pool Construction for Emergency Language Service
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
149-156
Received:
28 March 2022
Accepted:
18 April 2022
Published:
26 April 2022
Abstract: Under the background of economic globalization, foreign exchanges and cooperation become more and more frequent, and emergency language service talents are urgently needed to deal with all kinds of emergencies around the world, which leads to the discussion on the construction of emergency language talent pool. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of emergency language service system and talents training has been heightened to an unprecedented level. As an important part of language talents, college foreign language teachers have become the focus of talent pool construction. Therefore, this paper selected English teachers in Nanjing colleges and universities as the research objects. By conducting emergency language translation test questionnaires about medical emergency language, foreign trade emergency language, external publicity emergency language, and using SPSS 24.0 for data analysis, this paper concluded that most of the English teachers in Nanjing universities can reach the standard of emergency language service, but they lack the experience of emergency language research and practice. Based on this conclusion, this paper further presented that the lack of attention to emergency language and the high demand for emergency language service are two main reasons for the existing problems. At last, this paper put forward some suggestions on the construction of emergency language service talent pool, and pointed out the qualities of emergency language service talent.
Abstract: Under the background of economic globalization, foreign exchanges and cooperation become more and more frequent, and emergency language service talents are urgently needed to deal with all kinds of emergencies around the world, which leads to the discussion on the construction of emergency language talent pool. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the imp...
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Harmonious Discourse Analysis and Its Application in CCTV Documentary Amazing China
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
157-162
Received:
2 April 2022
Accepted:
18 April 2022
Published:
26 April 2022
Abstract: This thesis aims to present Harmonious Discourse Analysis (HDA) and its application in CCTV documentary Amazing China. HDA is a new attempt embedded with Chinese characteristics. The theory was first proposed by Huang Guowen on the basis of reviewing and comparing western dominant approaches, and the necessity of localizing linguistic theory in a Chinese context, as well as the emphasis of developing ecolinguistics from a transdisciplinary perspective. Combined with ecological philosophy and linguistic theory, the analytical framework of HDA is designed as an integrative one. One the one hand, HDA places harmony at its core position, and the whole research is conducted under its general assumption (human-orientedness) and three principles (conscience, proximity and regulation). On the other hand, Systemic Functional Linguistics (henceafter SFL) is taken as the theoretical basis of HDA, and the language system also takes three variables of the register (field, tenor, mode) as the entry point of the research to analyze the ecological discourses. The transitivity analysis of documentary field exhibits the rationality of ecological behaviors guided by the conscience principle. The identity-status analysis of documentary tenor exhibits the authority of ecological discourses guided by the proximity principle. The word-sentence-paragraph analysis of documentary mode exhibits the effectiveness of publicity communication guided by the regulation principle. This thesis has realized its research values of exploration localization, data publicity, and image ecologicalization in the ecological discourses analysis of overseas publicity documentary. It is expected that this study can provide some necessary references for discourse analysis of overseas publicity documentaries in the future, and with wider application of HDA, the ecological consciousness will see its further development in our society, which also undoubtedly benefits ecological protection in various contexts.
Abstract: This thesis aims to present Harmonious Discourse Analysis (HDA) and its application in CCTV documentary Amazing China. HDA is a new attempt embedded with Chinese characteristics. The theory was first proposed by Huang Guowen on the basis of reviewing and comparing western dominant approaches, and the necessity of localizing linguistic theory in a C...
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One Bias Particular to Asylum Courts: The Native-Speaker Bias
Andreea Dragu,
Lars Johan Lundberg,
Sven Björsten
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
163-165
Received:
16 February 2022
Accepted:
18 March 2022
Published:
28 April 2022
Abstract: Among the biases that affect the perceived credibility of plaintiffs, defendants and (expert) witnesses, there is one that plagues asylum courts in particular, as they are the ones where LAAP (Language Analysis for Asylum Procedures) is the most likely to come up: the native-speaker bias. This concerns native speakers of the asylum claimant’s language who contribute to forensic linguistic analyses of the claimant’s dialect aimed to determine whether a connection can be established between the claimant’s language use and their claimed place of origin. Their insights are prone to be dismissed by courts in favour of those of people with prestigious academic qualifications. In no way seeking to deny the value and contribution of the latter, this article sets out to show that they cannot replace the former, as certain linguistic abilities are unlikely to attain the same level of proficiency when acquired non-natively – that is, after the critical period, which ends around puberty. While the input provided by native-speaker analysts does not determine the conclusion of the language analysis by itself, it is they who provide the raw data that is subsequently processed by qualified linguists according to forensic methodology and the information available in the specialised literature. Thus, a linguist’s analysis is bound to be compromised if the primary observations that it relies on are not adequate and adequate data can most aptly be provided by native speakers. Understanding this would enable a more correct assessment of the credibility of native speakers employed in LAAP and help stamp out one of the biases that threaten the fairness of asylum court proceedings and outcomes.
Abstract: Among the biases that affect the perceived credibility of plaintiffs, defendants and (expert) witnesses, there is one that plagues asylum courts in particular, as they are the ones where LAAP (Language Analysis for Asylum Procedures) is the most likely to come up: the native-speaker bias. This concerns native speakers of the asylum claimant’s langu...
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Generic Sentences in Vietnamese and English: Similarities and Differences
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2, March 2022
Pages:
166-175
Received:
8 March 2022
Accepted:
20 April 2022
Published:
28 April 2022
Abstract: Employing descriptive approach and qualitative analysis, this paper focuses on comparing Vietnamese generic sentences with English ones in order to look for similarities and differences in the ways each of the languages chooses to express the meaning of their generic sentences. The comparison indicates that there is no exact equivalence between their three types of generic sentences. Specifically, both Vietnamese and English have generic sentences beginning with a [+definite] article; but Vietnamese has no single article which can be considered as an exact equivalent of the — the sole [+definite] article which goes with a variety of English nouns: respectively preceding a [+singular count] noun, a [+singular group] noun, and a [+plural count] noun, the is equivalent to the zero article, các — the [+definite], [+plural count] article, and những — the [+indefinite], [+plural count] quantifier in Vietnamese. Both Vietnamese and English have generic sentences beginning with the zero article; but the zero article in Vietnamese is [+definite] while the zero article in English is always [+indefinite]. The zero article is also prominent because it witnesses the fact that universalism and uniqueness operate quite well in the two natural languages in question. The universal is shown by their generic sentences’ identical internal structure, which is the topic/subject noun phrase always beginning with a certain kind of article plus the frequent [+stative] verb in the comment/predicate verb phrase. The unique asserts that each of the two languages is beautiful in its own way and deserves the patience and understanding of any language user, native and non-native. Except for the existence of the Vietnamese classifier, the first type of generic sentences including only those beginning with an [+indefinite], [+singular] article, which is một in Vietnamese or a(n) in English, exemplifies the similarities between the two languages; their differences lie in the other two types. Interchangeability among the three types of generic sentences is determined by the characteristics of their subject/topic noun phrase or the meaning of their predicate/comment verb phrase.
Abstract: Employing descriptive approach and qualitative analysis, this paper focuses on comparing Vietnamese generic sentences with English ones in order to look for similarities and differences in the ways each of the languages chooses to express the meaning of their generic sentences. The comparison indicates that there is no exact equivalence between the...
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