tailieunhanh - English and Vietnamese business complaint letters: a comparative study from systemic functional perspectives

The main aim of this research is to figure out the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese business complaint letters, which is regarded as one of the most popular kinds of business correspondence, in terms of the four aspects of Systemic Functional Grammar namely transitivity, mood, theme and cohesion. | Phạm Như Cường và Đtg Tạp chí KHOA HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ 109(09): 51 - 56 ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE BUSINESS COMPLAINT LETTERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY FROM SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVES Pham Nhu Cuong1, Nguyen Thi Tuyet2, Lai Thi Thanh2* 1 College of Economics and Business Administration - TNU 2 College of Sciences - TNU SUMMARY The main aim of this research is to figure out the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese business complaint letters, which is regarded as one of the most popular kinds of business correspondence, in terms of the four aspects of Systemic Functional Grammar namely transitivity, mood, theme and cohesion. To fulfill this objective, the authors conducted a survey with a sample of 30 complaint letters, including fifteen letters written in Vietnamese and fifteen letters written in English. The research results indicate that there are no significant differences in terms of the four aspects of Systemic Functional Grammar used in English and Vietnamese business complaint letters. However, in terms of cohesion, the results show that while Vietnamese writers regard lexical devices as the most useful tools in their letters, English ones highly appreciate the effectiveness of reference. The findings of this study can be utilized as a referential material for Vietnamese learners and teachers in writing and teaching writing effective letters in English, especially business complaints. Key words: transitivity, mood, theme-rheme, cohesion, systemic functional grammar, English business complaint letters, Vietnamese business complaint letters INTRODUCTION* It is generally accepted that in the last few decades of the 20th century, there has been a great source of research on language; however, their attentions were only paid to the form of the language systems, which are studied and explained apart from their functions in relation to social situations. Besides, their concern was basically with structural theories which show that small units .