i
ABSTRACT

Mastering a new language does not only consist of the ability to master its system of
linguistic forms but also the ability to use them appropriately. This is because languages
differ from one another not only in their system of phonology, syntax and lexicon but
also in rules of speaking.

Addressing is, to various extents, formulaic, culture-specific and routinized in different
languages, including Vietnamese and English. The factors that govern the way one
person addresses another varies across languages and speech communities. The
selection of appropriate addressing forms largely depends on age, gender, position,
qualifications, power, the context of interaction and other social factors.

Addressing is also a product of culture and history. It reflects all the cultural values as
well as historical changes of a society. Vietnam and England embody two different
cultures - the one in Western, the other in the Eastern. Thus, their addressing forms are
much different. To successfully communicate cross culturally communicators should be
aware of these.

This study investigates the use of address forms to express formality in Vietnamese and
English, identifying similarities and differences between them. The factors that govern
the way speakers choose to address are also examined. ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABSTRACT i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
ABBRIVIATIONS v
PART A: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale 1
2. Aims of the study 1
3. Methods of the study 2
4. Scope of the study 2
5. Design of the study 2
PART B: DEVELOPMENT 4
Chapter I: Theoretical background 4
1.1. Addressing systems 4
1.1.1 Addressing system in English 5
1.1.2. Addressing system in Vietnamese 9
1.2. Use of Addressing system to express formality 14
1.2.1. Use of addressing system to express formality in working place in English 15
1.2.2 Use of addressing system to express formality in Vietnamese 16
1.2.3. Use of Addressing system to express formality in Vietnamese in working place 24
Chapter II: Findings and discussions 21
2.1. The survey questionnaire 21
2.2. The informants 21
2.3. Statistics research 22
2.4. Data analysis: Findings and discussions 31
2.4.1. Responses in English 22
2.4.1.1. Considerations in the selection of Address terms 22

iv
F Female
FN First name
LN Last name
M Male
M Mean
Ma Married
MNs Multiple names
N Number
P Power
St Staffs
S Single
TLN Title and last name
T Title 1
PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rational
Each country bears its own culture i.e. its own values, beliefs, assumptions,
communication styles, preferable verbal expressions etc. Therefore in intercultural
communication people from different cultural background feel very difficult.
Cultural shock and cultural conflicts may happen due to differences in culture and
language references. Among these, the use of addressing terms seems to pose an
outstanding threat to the process of intercultural communication. However, the
recent studies on intercultural and cross cultural communication between English
and Vietnamese language and culture appear beyond our expectation.
In Vietnam, especially in the Vietnamese workplace, bosses and staff are aware of
the fact that a suitable address term can establish and maintain a good relationship.

The survey was carried out among employers and employees from the finance
company - SMBC Leasing in London and Vietnam Vinashin General Company in
Ha Noi.
- consulting the supervisor
- resorting to personal observation.
4. Scope of the study
The study focuses on the addressing terms used to by two groups of staff and bosses
in English and Vietnam. These address terms will be analyzed in some specific
situations in their workplaces to discover how the bosses and staff address each
other in English and Vietnamese. In the study, the author also studies some main
factors that exercise their influence on the use of addressing terms such as age,
gender, marital status, occupation, power, social status, situation of interaction,
academic qualification. Other linguistic and cultural factors are beyond this
research.
5. Design of the study
The study contains three parts
Part 1, the introduction, includes the rational, the aims of the study, the methods of
the study, the scope of the study and the design of the study.

3
Part 2, Development, is the most important part in the study, contains chapter 1 -
Theoretical background is an introduction to the theoretical background which is
designed to serve as the basic foundation of data analysis and discussion of findings
in chapter 2. Chapter 2 discusses the findings concerning the use of addressing in
formality in Vietnamese and English.
Part 3: Conclusion contains the Summary, Implications and limitation and
suggestion for further study. In this part, some conclusions on the use of addressing
are drawn. Simultaneously, the chapter also puts forward some implications for the
addressing in communication in English and Vietnamese. A statement of unsolved
problems and suggestions for further research beyond the limits of the paper is also

addressing terms also changes when communicative situation, emotion and attitude
change.
According to Jack C. Richards, J. Platt and H. Platt (1999:6), addressing systems
(address form, address term) are understood as:
The word and words used to address somebody in speech or writing. The way in
which people address one another usually depend on their age, sex, social group,
and personal relationship.
For example, in the family, British people use the person pronouns and kinship
terms to call the above generation, use the first name to call the below generation. In
society, they use formal terms to address such as title, first name, respected and
intimated words. In Vietnam, people use almost the kinship terms to address in
family and in society, in formal communicated situation they use title and respected
words.
According to Khang, N. V. (2008), addressing terms are words used to call self and
others, which used to address or call the hearer or speaker in the communication.
In comparison with English terms, the use of Vietnamese terms of address in actual
communication is more intricate.
Luong (1990) points out: “Both the use and the meanings of Vietnamese person-
referring forms are saliently and inextricably linked to the power, solidarity, and
formality dimensions in the relations among the addressor, addressee, as well as

5
the referred parties.” . Actually, the appropriate choice of Vietnamese addressing
forms involves a consideration of wide range of sociolinguistic factors such as age,
sex, social status, relationship (blood, intimate or distant), attitudes (respectful or
arrogant), feelings of the speakers and addressee as well as the formality of the
communication context. English addressing forms, unlike Vietnamese ones, content
“prefabricated units”, such as I, we and you, in communication. It means that these
units can be used in any context and with everyone. English addressing forms don’t
include in themselves any information of sociolinguistic factors or the formality of

differences" and that "at official meetings where status is clearly specified speech
style is rigidly prescribed, and the form of address of each person is derived from
his social identity". In this system, no distinction in address is made to equals or
subordinates and since both receive first name, age difference is not significant until
it is nearly the size of a generation.
People address one another reveals their relationship, their attitude and feelings
towards each other. English addressing system shows a strong tendency of
socialization. To express 'solidarity semantic' or intimacy, the English speakers
often call the hearer with first name, but in showing formality, they call each other
with title and last name.
In English people do not use any address terms at all when they are in doubt how to
address another, for example, Good morning or Good afternoon However, in
other languages when we avoid using so that which is impolite or deficient, for
example, in France, you cannot say Bonjour, Au revoir, Merci, or Pardon without
attaching an address term.
Forms of address do not only vary across cultures but also according to specific
types of social situation: individual or group confrontation; formality or informality
of the occasion; prior acquaintance or not of the party; conventional emotional
quality ascribed to the occasion; face-to-face or distant communication (Firth,
1972). They are also modified by the role situation, and the type of address
restricted to it accordingly.

7
Evans-Pritchard (cited in Hymes, 1964) remarks that the ways a speaker addresses
people around him "symbolize his social position in the relation to the people
around him, so that, by the use of one or other of them, the status of the speaker to
the person addressed is readily recognized".
Under the influence of individualism, westerners think highly of personal ability
and achievement more than relationship. They seldom use kinship terms to refer to
non-family members because it may be considered quite rude. For example,

someone), TLN is preferable. (Nguyen Quang, 2001:85)
5. Title with last name (TLN): Professor Brown, Mr. Clinton
This kind is a little bit less formal than the title alone, but they both can be applied
in the same situations.
6. First name (FN): Michael Nixon, Mary King : used in informal
communication. Actually, it is used in most of the conversations. When an
American asks you to address him by first name, he wants to make friend with you,
in other words, to be close, to be friendly to you.
- Diminutive: (it is a kind of linguistic economicality. For example, Rebecca is
reduced to Beck, Elizabeth to Liz). This form is used mostly among family
members (grandparents, parents, older brothers, sisters call the younger); or among
close friends.
- Terms of endearment: parents call their children and lovers call each other in this
way. For example: Amy, Audrey, Betty, Dorothy, Emily
However, there are only two main selections: first name and title with last name.
When people want to show the solidarity semantic, they usually address the partners
by first name. When they want to show the power semantic, they used TLN to
address the hearers. These two address forms are divided into three groups:
- Mutual exchange of FN
- Mutual exchange of TLN: Title includes Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms
- Nonreciprocal exchange of TLN and FN: older, higher position person addresses
the hearer by FN and this person addresses that person by TLN.

9
According to Wardhaugh (1986): using TLN to express inequality of power, but
using mutual exchange of TLN to express the equality and insolidarity; using
mutual exchange of FN to show the equality and solidarity between the partners.
Brown and Ford (1964) affirm that the two address terms (Mutual exchange of FN,
Mutual exchange of TLN) are influenced by the time the interlocutors know each
other and the solidarity. Wardhaugh (1986:260) states: using first name of someone

system of vocabularies which are very abundant, specially addressing system. It
may be said that addressing system in Vietnamese is one of the most interesting
phenomenon of this linguistic.
Wardhaugh (1986:262) when studied about kinship terms comments that:
In fact, some languages use the kinship terms as addressing forms. [ ] One person
addresses the others by some address terms such as "uncle", "older sister",
"younger brother" Even pronoun "I" can be seen as a kinship term. Therefore, in
any or every social relation, the interlocutors have to manage to identify themselves
and others, and use some factors such as the relation, social position and age to
select the suitable addressing terms.
Addressing systems in Vietnamese are known as a means of politeness. In
Vietnamese personal pronouns show the clear border between politeness and
impoliteness. According to Nguyen Van Chien, to show category of personal names
[category "Politeness" - Ng. Q], South - Eastern languages use a different language
from Indian-European languages such as Russian - general and inflectional
language, English, American, Australian - analysable and inflectional languages.
Besides original personal pronouns appearing the personal factors such as kinship
terms, personal nouns, title and occupation, first name, other terms.
In Vietnamese addressing system, there is no equivalent to I-YOU in English that is
used as a prefabricated units). The addressing term I-YOU itself does not imply age,
gender, social power, kinship relation, attitudes and feeling While, kinship terms
are used to address in Vietnamese at the different levels show the above factors. The
kinship terms are used to replace personal pronouns (except for the cases such as

11
daughter-in-law, son-in-law, wife, husband, father-in-law ) with other factors as
addressing and convention in addressing. The selection of addressing terms in
communication depends on the factors: age, gender, social status, occupation,
solidarity. When addressing people usually show politeness, impoliteness, nuances:
solemn, neutral, informal, overfamiliar, crude, normal Kinship and family

to put a slight on the name bearer.
5. Kinship term with first name: for example, anh, chi, em, bác, chú, cô, dì, ông,
bà, ect + first name: this is the most usual case in the Vietnamese addressing
system. It shows the strong tendency of familialisation of the Vietnamese culture. It
may be used in calling leaders of a country who contributed so much for the sake of
that country, and is beloved by the population.
6. Middle name and first name: is not the way of addressing formally. It is only
heard in some particular cases:
- When many people have the same first name in the same place. Example: Bảo
Linh, Diệu Linh, Thảo Linh, Tuệ Linh In informal talk, people may call the
person with the middle name or middle name and first name.
- When a person's first name combines with his/her middle name making a
compound meaningful one, or when the first name only sounds meaningless or
worse.
- When a person's first name combines with his/her middle name making a beautiful
(evenfictitious) name.
- When people try to tease a person's name.
7. Last name + first name: used to discriminate two people having the same middle
and first name.
8. Nicknames only: in informal circumstances
- among close friends
- among children, adults, mates
- uncles, aunts, grandparents call their nephews

13
9. Kinship terms with husband's proper name: women after getting married may
be called by her husband's first name as in the case of English women. However, it
is not a major trend and just old Vietnamese women are called in such a way.
10. Addressing terms on behalf of a child: also, when having (a) child/children
(and being at the upper-middle age), a woman can be named by her first or last

CỤ
7
ÔNG
CHÁU/CON
8
CHÁU/CON
ÔNG
9
BÀ
CHÁU/CON
10
CON/CHÁU
BÀ
11
BÁC
CHÁU/CON
12
CHÁU/CON
BÁC
13
BỐ
CON

14
14
CON
BỐ
15
MẸ
CON

26
CHÁU/CON
DÌ
27
DƯỢNG
CHÁU/CON
28
CHÁU/CON
DƯỢNG
29
MỢ
CHÁU/CON
30
CHÁU/CON
MỢ
31
ANH
EM
32
EM
ANH
33
CHỊ
EM
34
EM
CHỊ
According to Nguyen Tai Can (1975), the addressing system in Vietnamese is very
abundant because in Vietnamese kinship system has distinctions as follows:
- the higher vs. lower positions: Bác - chú, Anh - em, Chị - em

former while diminishing that of the latter (Brown, 1965). However, the former is
presumed to hold back from directing FN upward, for, as Brown and Ford (1961)
proposed: If the person of lesser value were to initiate associative acts, he would
run the risk of rebuff; if the person of higher value initiates such acts there is no
such risk. The superior, then, must be the pacesetter in progression to intimacy. . . .

16
The person of higher status is the pacesetter not in linguistic address alone, but in
all acts that increase intimacy. There is, however, one sort of relatively intimate
associative act which a person of lower status might engage in without serious fear
of rebuff—namely, limited disclosure of attitudes about his job, interests, opinions,
and personal problems. It is predicted that an individual is relatively more self-
disclosing to his boss than to his subordinates, in the hope of drawing the higher-
status person into mutual self-disclosure, thereby increasing intimacy with the
superior and enhancing status in the organization.
In short, the use of first name (FN) and title and last name (TLN) in communicating
with superiors, fellow workers, and subordinates revealed aspects of organizational
structure: FN was used between equals and in addressing subordinates; unequal
status was often reflected in a nonreciprocal address pattern in which the superior
received TLN and the subordinate FN. This is consistent with previous findings that
the address term exchanged between equals and intimates is the same one directed
towards inferiors. Age and time in firm were not related to reported address
patterns; neither were measures of status motivation and self-assurance. Informants
reported greatest willingness to make self-disclosures to fellow workers, and greater
self-disclosure to immediate superiors than to immediate subordinates—even if the
superior were addressed by TLN. It is proposed that confiding in one's boss reflects
an attempt to establish intimacy with him. This is interpreted as Brown and Ford's
suggestion that the individual of higher status must initiate all steps towards
increased intimacy.
1.2.2 Use of addressing system to express formality in Vietnamese

Besides, addressing forms as personal pronouns, title, post, name, academic title,
academic distinction are also used in Vietnamese. When communicating in formal
places such as the meeting, diplomatic setting, working places the formality,
respect, politeness, etc, are paid attention specially, so people usually select
addressing forms to be suitable for communicative situation, time, position and
distance between speaker and hearer. Wardhaugh (1986) states: a series of social
factors always governs the selection of addressing forms: a certain occasion, other

18
one's social position or social rank; gender; age; family relationship; hierarchy in
occupation; transaction context (e.g. a meeting in serve activity, or relationship
between doctor-patient, religious-believer); race; or intimate level. The selection is
sometime very clear: in society, when race origin or rank play an important role,
this thing is attended more easily; when family relationships are very strong, that
thing can be more respected.
1.2.3. Use of addressing system to express formality in working place in
Vietnam
In Vietnamese culture in working place people still have tendency to use widely and
finely kinship terms with first name to address each other. Model of address brings
fixedness in communication, so people will feel uncomfortable when someone
address incorrectly. For example:
In Vietnamese
A: Em chào chị.
B: Cháu phải gọi cô bằng cô chứ.
(A: Hello
B: You must call me by "aunt")
In this conversation the speaker (A) is younger than the hearer (B). At first, the
speaker greets the hearer B in the position of a younger person with an older sister,
but the hearer wants to lengthen the distance of age between two people.
The Vietnamese live mostly in communities, village community, groups so,

In Vietnamese culture-language, after communicating in a short time, people can
transfer from dyad TÔI-TITLE to CHÁU/EM-TITLE to show self-abasement and
familiarity, otherwise, still maintaining the other one's the upper position.
e.g: Xin thủ trưởng cho tôi hai ngày để hoàn thành bản báo cáo này
But after a certain time, the staff can say:
Xin thủ trưởng cho em hai ngày để hoàn thành bản báo cáo này.
Sometimes Vietnamese people skip the stage TÔI-TITLE to come straightly the
stage EM/CHÁU-TITLE to express the familiarity with respect in relationship.
Person who starts with this transference is the one with lower position or higher
position, but one with higher position starts the transference, he/she will transfer to
"Circle relationship". For example:
At that time, person with higher position can say:
- Cô (Chị) đánh cho tôi bản báo cáo này nhé! (Aunt/ Older Sister type this for me)
After a certain time, he/she can say:

20
- Em (Cháu) đánh cho anh (chú) bản báo cáo này nhé. (Younger sister/ niece type
this for older brother/ uncle)
With the common tendency, in Vietnamese the first and second personal pronouns
are used as kinship relationship "familialisation". However, in relationships people
can address and communicate by ranks. In working place relationships relate to
post, rank which are social assignments with the close institutions of law. Therefore,
in working place we have to address appropriately, we shouldn't use too much
excessively kinship terms in communication in working place. In formal
environment as working place we should address title, title and first name, first
name with person at the same age, use pronouns "ÔNG, BÀ-TÔI" to address old
person, specially, in meetings, conferences