1

THE UNIVERSITY OF DA NANG

UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES

RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Title:

A STUDY OF LINGUISTIC FEATURES OF

EXPRESSIONS ON TRAFFIC SIGNS
IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. LƯU QUÝ KHƯƠNG

Student: TRẦN THỊ HOA LAN

Course:

Da Nang, 2017
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In our daily life, human beings can communicate with one another by using
languages. We are able to exchange knowledge, beliefs, opinions, wishes, threats,
commands, thanks, promises, declarations or feelings… thanks to languages.
Language is, therefore, an exclusively human property and it is used in many areas
for various purposes.
Communication is a process by which information is exchange between
individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. The
instruments used in communication are one of the three components in
communication process (i.e. message sender and receiver, information being
communicated and instruments used in communication). Based on the instruments
used, communication is distinguished into two kinds: verbal and non-verbal
communication. Non-verbal communication does not use language as the means of
communication. It uses signs to notify messages. The more the society develops, the
more different means of communication are created to communicate. In the traffic
system, signs are used to send the messages to the people who are involved in
traffic.
Together with the development in economy, the traffic system is also more
and more developed in every country. And the development of traffic system makes
the number of traffic signs increase more and more.
Saussure (1916) examined the relationship between speech and the
evolution of language, and investigated language as a structured system of signs. To
him, sign is a mentalistic entity and sign-image is a psychological imprint of the
sound.
It is important to note that Saussure perceived a linguistic unit to be a
‘double entity,’ meaning that it is composed of two parts. He viewed the linguistic
unit as a combination of “a concept or meaning” and “a sound-image”. The concept
is what is signified, and the sound-image is the signifier.
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Traffic signs in English and Vietnamese, therefore, consist of two parts:

signified and signifier. Let us take a look at the following examples:
In Vietnamese:
SIGNIFIED SIGNIFIER

Cấm đi ngược chiều

Đi chậm

Cấm đổ xe ngày lẽ

Đường dành cho người đi bộ

In English:
SIGNIFIED SIGNIFIER

Workers ahead

Stop
 4

No pedestrians

No left turn
Understanding the basic concepts of traffic signs is not only essential for
people who participate in traffic, but also for linguistic students and for people who
are responsible for designing traffic signs. Saussure defined linguistics as the study
of language, and as the study of the manifestations of human speech. Researching
linguistics includes such fields of study as: phonology (the study of the sound
patterns of language), phonetics (the study of the production and perception of the
sounds of speech), morphology (the study of word formation and
structure), syntax (the study of grammar and sentence structure), semantics (the
study of meaning), pragmatics (the study of the purposes and effects of uses of
language), and language acquisition. Hence, it is necessary for researchers to study
the semantic, syntactic and pragmatic features of expressions of traffic signs to have
academic knowledge of linguistic features of the traffic signs for different purposes.
For instance, let us examine the following examples: “Cấm đi ngược chiều”, “Nơi
đỗ xe đạp, xe máy, môtô có thu phí”. It can be seen that these examples have
different syntactic features. While the first example “Cấm đi ngược chiều” begins
with a verb, a noun is used to begin an expression in the the second one “Nơi đỗ xe
đạp, xe máy, môtô có thu phí”. Thus, the syntactic features of the two expressions
are quite different. Or in “Stop” and “4-way”, the expression “Stop” is created by
only one verb whereas there is a combination of a number and a noun in the second
one “4-way”. In terms of semantics, the expression “Cấm đi ngược chiều” means
the roads having this expression are one-way streets and drivers or motorists are not
allowed to travel on the opposite way. But in “Nơi đỗ xe đạp, xe máy, môtô có thu
 5

phí”, this expression means that place is for parking bicycles, motorcycles and
motorbikes and the drivers of these bicycles, motorcycles and motorbikes have to
pay for their parking. And these meanings are all denotative meanings. In terms of
pragmatics, the “Cấm đi ngược chiều” is a prohibition. It implies that the drivers or
motorists will be fined if they travel on the opposite way. And the expression “Nơi
đỗ xe đạp, xe máy, môtô có thu phí” is not a prohibition, it is an expression of
offering services. The drivers or motorists may park their bicycles, motorcycles and
motorbikes if they need the service.
For the above facts, it is desirable to carry out the thesis entitled “A Study on
Linguistic Features of Expressions of Traffic Signs in English and Vietnamese”
with the purpose of helping persons who participate in traffic and persons passing
traffic laws understand how to use these signs correctly, avoid mistakes as well as
misunderstanding and reach their communicative target better.
1.2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1.2.1. Aims
The study aims to
1. Study expressions of traffic signs in English in terms of their syntactic,
semantic, and pragmatic features.
2. Show the similarities and differences between these signs in the two
languages in terms of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics in English and Vietnamese.
3. Help the people participating in traffic and people designing traffic signs
be more aware of English and Vietnamese traffic signs and understand these signs
to obey and design them correctly and effectively.
1.2.2. Objectives
This study is intended to
- Study some syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features of traffic signs in
English and Vietnamese.
- Find out the similarities and differences between two languages in using
traffic signs in terms of syntax, semantics and pragmatics.
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- Put forward some implications for applying the research results to teaching
and learning English.
1.3. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
There is a variety of traffic signs in English and Vietnamese. Among them, a
number of traffic signs are the symbols only, the others are symbols with
expressions and the only expression traffic signs. For instance, in the following
signs:

Xe trên 25 chỗ ngồi

(1) (2) (3)
The first sign (1) is traffic signs with only symbol, the second (2) consists of a
symbol and an expression and the third (3) is only expression traffic sign. This
thesis will study the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic features of the expressions
of traffic signs with only expressions in English and Vietnamese to find out the
similarities and differences between them.
1.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The study will find the answers to the following questions:
1. What are the syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features of expressions of
traffic signs in English?
2. What are the syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features of expressions of
traffic signs in Vietnamese?
3. What are the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese
expressions of traffic signs in terms of syntax, semantics and pragmatics?
1.5. DEFINITION OF TERMS
1.5.1. Sign
There are several definitions of sign:
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In Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1995), sign is defined as “a piece

of paper, wood or metal that has writing or a picture on it that gives you
information, instruction, a warning, etc.”
According to Asher (1994), “sign is a perceptible object or event known to
be caused by another, non-perceptible object or event, which it is considered to
signify, e.g., a smile may indicate recognition, friendship, etc.”
A definition from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sign (retrieved August
28, 2016) is that “sign is a displayed structure bearing lettering or symbols, used to
identify advertise a place of business: a motel with a flashing neon sign outside.
A posted notice bearing a designation, direction, or command: an EXIT sign above
a door; a traffic sign”.
Another definition from
http://www.letslearnenglish.co.uk/default.asp?page_url=dictionary (retrieved
August 20, 2016) is “sign means a notice giving information, directions, a warning,
etc.”
Or in http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/sign_1 (retrieved August 20,
2016), “sign as a piece of paper, metal, or wood with words or a picture that gives
people information, warnings, or instructions; an event, fact, etc.”
1.5.2. Traffic sign
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (2014) defines: “traffic signs
control the flow of traffic, warn you of hazards ahead, guide you to your
destination, and inform you of roadway services.” As indicated below, traffic signs
are intentionally color coded to assist the operator.
RED - stop
GREEN - direction
YELLOW - general warning
BLACK/WHITE - regulation
BLUE - motorist service (e.g., gas, food, hotels)
BROWN - recreational, historic, or scenic site
ORANGE - construction or maintenance warning”
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According to http://www.1stnevadalicense.com/course_sample.html
(retrieved August 28, 2016), traffic signs are defined that:
Traffic signs communicate the information you need to travel on the roadway. This is done
mainly through colors and shapes so you don't have to stop and read each one that you see.
Different colors and shapes are reserved for different purposes, which helps make the task
of identifying them much easier and faster, especially on the road. Traffic signs also have
legends, which are words or symbols that communicate specific information. They may
require a little more time to decipher but are just as important as a sign's color and shape.
In Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1828), traffic sign is a sign usually on the
side of a street or highway bearing symbols or words of warning or direction to
motorists or pedestrians and often having a characteristic shape.
1.6. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study of expression of traffic signs in English and Vietnamese on the
syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features will make an integral and vital
contribution to understanding and following traffic signs in English and
Vietnamese. Analyzing the similarities and differences of expression of traffic signs
in terms of syntax, semantics and pragmatics between two languages helps people
in charge make great benefit and advantage in designing traffic signs both in
English and Vietnamese.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL
BACKGROUND
2.1. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
2.1.1. Concepts of Expressions of Traffic Signs
2.1.1.1. Expressions
There are several definitions of the concept of Expression:
The first definition from http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/expression (retrieved August 30, 2016) is that expression is
an act, process, or instance of representing in a medium (as words); something that
manifests, embodies, or symbolizes something else; a significant word or phrase; a
 9

mathematical or logical symbol or a meaningful combination of symbols; the

detectable effect of a gene.
Another definition from
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/expression (retrieved August
30, 2016) is that expression is a word or phrase, especially an idiomatic one, used
to convey an idea.
Or in this website http://www.thefreedictionary.com/expression (retrieved
August 30, 2016), expression means a particular word or phrase.
And there is one definition more from
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/expression.htm is that expression is a
combination of letters, numbers, or symbols used to represent a value of a variable.
Expressions are found and used in various programming languages, databases, and
spreadsheets.
From these above definitions of expression, we can conclude that Expression
is a group of letters, numbers, or symbols combined together.
2.1.1.2. Expressions of Traffic Signs
From various definitions of Expression mentioned above, Expressions of
Traffic Signs should be understood as billboards in which information on warning,
advising, banning, directing, instructing drivers, motorists or pedestrians is written
in the text under the form of groups of words. Only some words are employed in the
Expressions of Traffic Signs, but the information they convey is a lot.
2.1.2. Syntax
2.1.2.1. Definition
According to Yule (1997: 4), “Syntax is the study of the relationships
between linguistic forms, how they are arranged in sequence, and which sentences
are well-formed. This type of study generally takes place without considering any
world of reference or any user of the forms.”
2.1.2.2. Phrases
a. Definition
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“A phrase is a group of word which can be part of the sentence. A phrase

may take the form of a noun phrase, a prepositional phrase/ adverbial phrase, a verb
phrase, a question-word + infinitive” (Alexander, 1998, 12).
b. Types of phrases
b. 1. Noun phrases
According to Quirk et al. (1985), “noun phrase consist of a head, which is
typical a noun and of elements which (either obligatorily or optionally) determine
the head and (optionally) modify the head, or complement another element in the
phrase”. In Vietnamese, this view is also shared by Đoàn Thiện Thuật, Nguyễn
Khánh Hà & Phạm Như Quỳnh (2006).
Pre-modifier(s) + Head + post-modifier(s)
b. 2. Verb phrases
Quirk et al. (1985) showed that “verb phrase are headed to the extent that
they are composed of two kinds of element, auxiliaries and main verbs, such that
every unreduced verb phrase contains a main verb, but not necessarily an auxiliary”.
Auxiliaries + main verb
Unlike an English verb phrase, “a Vietnamese verb phrase is a group of
words comprising a nucleus (a verb) and several subordinate elements. A verb
phrase consists of three parts: the nucleus, the front and the end” (Đoàn Thiện
Thuật, Nguyễn Khánh Hà & Phạm Như Quỳnh, 2006).
(Front)+ Nucleus + (End)
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b. 3. Adjective phrases
In English, according to Delahunty, Gerald & Garvey (1994), an adjective
phrase should contain at least a head adjective and
optionally intensifier and complement. The basic structure of an adjective phrase
include:
(Intensifier) + Head + (Complement)

In Vietnamese, “An adjective phrase is a phrase where an adjective plays the

part of the nucleus. Compared with verb phrase, it is similar except the end part.”
(Đoàn Thiện Thuật, Nguyễn Khánh Hà & Phạm Như Quỳnh, 2006, p. 117).

(Front)+ Nucleus + (End)

Obligatory Free
elements elements
b. 4. Adverb phrases
According to Delahunty, Gerald & Garvey (1994), an adverb phrase is one
that must at least contain a head adverb like reluctantly, which may be modified by
an intensifier like quite as in quite reluctantly, or by a degree adverb like extremely
as in extremely reluctantly. An adverb phrase can be formed by an adverb alone, or
by the combination of a modifier preceding and the head adverb.
(Intensifier) + Head
In some cases, prepositional phrases, each of which is made up by the
combination of a head preposition and a noun phrase, or noun phrases may function
as adverbials.
2.1.2.3. Sentences
a. Definition
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As Alexander (1998:12) defines, “A sentence is a complete unit of meaning.

When we speak, our sentences may be extremely involved or even unfinished, yet
we can still convey our meaning through intonation, gesture, facial expression, etc.”
b. Types of sentences
- Based on the form of the sentences
According to Alexander (1998), sentences may be simple, compound,
complex, and compound complex.
b. 1. Simple sentences
According to Alexander (1998: 14), “The smallest sentence-unit is the simple
sentence. A simple sentence normally has one finite verb. It has a subject and a
predicate.”
b. 2. Compound sentences
Alexander (1998: 14) also concludes, “Compound sentences are formed by
linking simple sentences. In a compound sentence, there is no single main clause
with subordinate clauses depending on it: all the clauses are of equal importance
and can stand on their own, though of course they follow a logical order as required
by the context. We often refer to clauses in a compound sentence as co-ordinate
main clause.”
b. 3. Complex sentences
“Many sentences, especially in written language, are complex. They can be
formed by linking simple sentences together, but the elements in a complex
sentence (unlike those of a compound sentence) are not of equal importance. There
is always one independent (or main) clause and one or more dependent
(subordinate) elements. If removed from a sentence, a main clause can often stand
on its own” (Alexander, 1998, p. 14)
b.4. Compound-complex sentences
According to Alexander (1998), a compound- complex sentence contains two
main clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. The subordinate clause must be a
finite clause and can be the noun phrase, the adjective phrase or the adverb phrase.
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In Vietnamese, there is no compound-complex sentences.

- Based on the communicative fiunctions of the sentences
As Yule (1997) claims, according to communicative functions, English
sentences are classified into three categories: Statement, Question, Command/
Request.
According to the purpose of communication, Vietnamese sentences are
classified into four categories: Statements, Interrogative sentences, Requests and
Demands, Exclamatory sentences (Đoàn Thiện Thuật, Nguyễn Khánh Hà & Phạm
Như Quỳnh, 2006).
2.1.3. Semantics
2.1.3.1. Definition
“Semantics is the study of the relationships between linguistic forms and
entities in the world; that is, how words literally connect to things. Semantics
analysis also attempts to establish the relationships between verbal descriptions and
states of affairs in the world as (true) or not, regardless of who produces that
description.” (Yule, 1997, p. 4)
2.1.3.2. Components of the word- meaning
The following is Nguyễn Hòa’s classification of the word-meaning as a
criterion to analyse in this study.
a. Grammatical meaning
a. 1. Categorical meaning
Categorical meaning is, in fact, one part of grammatical meaning which
words derive from being a member of one category rather than another. Words fall
into such categories as nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, etc.
a. 2. Structural meaning
Structural meaning is the relation between words with the others in the
system of vocabulary. The relation of a word with another is shown in two axes:
paradigmatic axis and syntagmatic axis. The relation on paradigmatic axis helps
determine the value of words, separated the word from the other, whereas the
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relation on syntagmatic axis helps determine the valence- the ability of word
combination.
According to Nguyễn Hòa (2001: 19), structural meaning includes reflected,
collocative, associative, and thematic meaning.
b. Lexical meaning
b. 1. Denotative meaning
“Denotative meaning includes referential and conceptual meanings:
denotation exists by virtue of what it refers to.” (Nguyen Hoa, 2001, p. 18)
b. 2. Connotative meaning
“Connotative meaning including stylistic, affective, evaluative, and
intensifying is the pragmatic communicative value the words acquires by virtue of
where, when, how, and by whom, for what purpose and in what context it is or may
be used.” (Nguyen Hoa, 2001, p. 18).
2.1.3.3. Semantic fields
“A semantic field denotes a segment of reality symbolized by a set of related
words.” (Brinton, 2000, p. 112). “A semantic field is a set of interrelated senses
based on a conceptual field or spectrum.” (Nguyen Hoa, 2001, p. 78).
2.1.4. Pragmatics
2.1.4.1. Definition
As Yule (1997: 4) defines, “Pragmatics is the study of the relationships
between linguistic forms and the users of those forms. The advantage of studying
language via pragmatics is that one can talk about people’s intended meanings, their
assumptions, their purposes or goals, and the kinds of actions that they are
performing when they talk.”
2.1.4.2. Speech Act Theory
Yule (1997: 47) concludes, “Actions performed via utterances are generally
called Speech acts and in English, are commonly given more specific labels, such
as apology, complaint, compliment, invitation, promise, or request.” Yule (1997:
 15

53) also classifies Speech acts into five types of general functions: declarations,
representatives, expressives, directives, and commissives.
Declarations are those kinds of speech acts that change the world via their
utterance. In using a declaration, the speaker changes the world via words.
Representatives are thosekinds of speech acts that state what the speaker
believes to be the case or not.
Expressives are those kinds of speech acts that state what the speaker feels.
They express psychological states and can be statements of pleasure, pain, likes,
dislikes, joy, or sorrow.
Directives are those kinds of speech atcs that speakers use to get someone
else to do something. They express what the speaker wants. They are commands,
orders, requests, suggestions, and they can be positive or negative.
Commissives are those kinds of speech acts the speakers use to commit
themselves to some future actions. They express what the speaker intends. They are
promises, threats, refusals, pledges.
2.2. PREVIOUS STUDIES RELATED TO THE THESIS
There have been so far many published works, and journals on traffic signs
both by foreign and Vietnamese authors.
Stallkamp et al. (2012) characterized traffic signs by a wide variability in
their visual appearance in real-world environments. In this journal, they point out
traffic signs have been designed to be easily readable for humans, who perform very
well at this task. For computer systems, however, classifying traffic signs still seems
to pose a challenging pattern recognition problem. They present a publicly available
traffic sign dataset with more than 50,000 images of German road signs in 43
classes. The data was considered in the second stage of the German Traffic Sign
Recognition Benchmark held at IJCNN 2011. They measured the performance of
human subjects on the same data — and the CNNs outperformed the human test
persons.
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Fleyeh and Dougherty (2005) presented an overview of the road and traffic
sign detection and recognition. Their research describes the characteristics of the
road signs, the requirements and difficulties behind road signs detection and
recognition, how to deal with outdoor images, and the different techniques used in
the image segmentation based on the colour analysis, shape analysis. Image
processing plays a central role in the road signs recognition, especially in colour
analysis, but the paper points to many problems regarding the stability of the
received information of colours, variations of these colours with respect to the
daylight conditions, and absence of a colour model that can led to a good solution.
Ruta, Li, and Liu (2010) address the problem of traffic sign recognition. The
detector, the tracker, the classifier are learned off-line from the idealised template
sign images, in accordance with the principle of one-vs-all dissimilarity
maximisation. This dissimilarity is defined based on the so-called Colour Distance
Transform which enables robust discrete-colour image comparisons. Their approach
offers a more adequate description of signs and involves effortless training.
Baró et al. (2009) show in their research that the high variability of sign
appearance in uncontrolled environments has made the detection and classification
of road signs a challenging problem in computer vision. In this paper, they
introduce a novel approach for the detection and classification of traffic signs. The
novel system offers high performance and better accuracy than the state-of-the-art
strategies and is potentially better in terms of noise, affine deformation, partial
occlusions, and reduced illumination.
Added to the above - mentioned works, some researches were done locally
at The University of Danang. Researchers in this field include Nguyen Thi Le Xuan
(2009) investigated the syntactic, pragmatic features and frequency of warning
expressions.
Vo Thien An (2011) pointed out the similarities and differences in
compositional features of workplace signs and particularly analyzed the
grammatical, semantic and pragmatic features of workplace signs.
 17

Phan Thi Minh Phuong (2013) took a good focus on the similarities and
differences in compositional features, syntactic features and semantic features of
expressions of public signs.
As a matter of fact, the previous studies of traffic signs only discussed them
in terms of variability in their visual appearance, recognition, detection and
classification in general. So far, to the best of my knowledge, there has been no
contrastive analysis of linguistic features of expressions of traffic signs between
English and Vietnamese in detail. Therefore, this study makes an attempt to
discover the related aspects still unsolved, making a small contribution to the study
of language in general and the study of English as a foreign language in particular,
especially to learners of both languages.
3. RESEARCH DESIGN Hòa Mi

3.1. Research Methods

In this research, the descriptive method and the contrastive analysis are
chosen to be the key methods. The descriptive method, the most popular tool in
doing any linguistic research since linguistics is by nature a descriptive science, is
used to give a detailed description of linguistic features of expressions of traffic
signs in English and Vietnamese. The contrastive method is conducted with the aim
at identifying the linguistic similarities and differences of traffic sign expressions in
terms of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
The study takes the quantitative approach to summarize data in large
quantity and the qualitative approach to make generalization about characteristics of
the data collected.
3.2. Sampling
The samples are included in the traffic signs in American and Vietnamese
streets or driver guide. (Lam sao nhan dien 1 sample?)
With such criteria, about 200 samples (100 in English and 100 in
Vietnamese) will be collected from driver guide materials and on roads in United
States of America and Vietnam to ensure the authenticity of the corpus.
 18

3.3. Data collection

Below are the steps to collect data for the corpus:
- Reading thoroughly all the driver guide materials in English and Vietnamese.
- Finding out all traffic signs having expressions in materials chosen.
- Collecting traffic signs having expressions on road by taking photos.
- Analyzing them in terms of syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features.
3.4. Data analysis
The data collected will be qualitatively and quantitatively processed to
investigate the similarities and differences of expressions of traffic signs in both
languages. Here are the specific stages:
Firstly, the data will be grouped into categories depending on their
syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic features.
Secondly, in terms of syntactically, the classification of data will be mainly
based on the different phrases of expressions namely noun phrases, verb phrases,
sentences, abbreviations.
Thirdly, in terms of semantically, expressions of traffic signs will be
subcategorized based on semantic aspects in English versus Vietnamese such as
warning, regulatory, guide, services, construction, recreation, school zone, incident
management.
Finally, in terms of pragmatically, using expressions of traffic signs helps to
provide instant communication with roadway users, to maintain the safety
efficiency of transportation facilities.
4. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
There is no doubt that this study reveals a number of certain limitations on
account of the time restriction as well as the shortage of reference materials related
to the field of study. In the first place, it is hard to find out the source of materials in
books and on the Internet. An additional limitation is that although the expressions
of traffic signs are very necessary in our daily life, there is no research in terms of
their syntactic, semantic and pragmatic features. This makes it difficult for
 19

researchers to find out materials as reference. Lastly, the limited competence of

researcher can also been counted as a limitation facing the research.
5. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This study consists of 5 main chapters as follows:
- Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter states rationale, aims and objectives, research questions, scope
of the study, significance of the study and organization of the study.
- Chapter 2: Literature Review and Theoretical Background
This chapter presents a brief review of previous studies related to the thesis
and theoretical background of the study which focuses on identifying syntactic,
semantic and pragmatic features of expressions of traffic signs in English vs.
Vietnamese.
- Chapter 3: Research Methods
This chapter describes research methods, description of samples, data
collection, data analysis, research procedures and reliability and validity.
- Chapter 4: Findings and Discussions
This chapter analyzes linguistic features of expressions of traffic signs in
English and Vietnamese. The similarities and differences in using these English and
Vietnamese expressions of traffic signs are established.
- Chapter 5: Conclusions
This chapter summarizes the results of the study and gives out some
implications for teaching and learning English in using language in designing signs.
Furthermore, the statement of limitations and some suggestions for further
researches are also presented in this part.
6. TIMELINE OF THE STUDY
 20

November, 2016

December, 2016

February, 2017
September, 2016

January, 2017
August, 2016

August, 2017
October, 2016

March, 2017
April, 2017
June, 2016

June, 2017
May, 2017
July, 2016

July, 2017
DATE

ACTIVITIES
1. Orientation
Choice of the 
research topic
Library work   
Working with               
the supervisor
Thesis topic
registration 
Preliminary
literature  
review
Writing
the research  
proposal
Research
proposal 
Presentation
2. Data
Collection
Collecting data       
Data        
processing
Literature      
Review
3. Data     
Analysis
 21

4. Writing      
drafts
5. Writing  
final draft
6. Editing and
printing the 
thesis
7. Submitting
the thesis 
8. 
Presentation
of the thesis

7. REFERENCES
ENGLISH
[1] Alexander, L. G. (1998). Longman English Grammar. Longman.
[2] Asher, R. E., (Ed In Ch.) (1994). The Encyclopedia of Language and
Linguistics, Vol. 10. Pergamon Press
[3] Baró, X., Escalera, S., Vitrià, J., Pujol, O., & Radeva, P. (2009). Traffic Sign
Recognition Using Evolutionary Adaboost Detection and Forest-ECOC
Classification. Ieee Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 10 (1),
113-126.
[4] Brinton, L. J. (2000). The Structure of Mordern English: A Linguistic
Introduction. Illustrated edition. John Benjamins Publishing Company
[5] Commonwealth of Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. (2014).
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Motorcycle Manual.
[6] Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge
University Press.
[7] Delahunty, Gerald P. & Garvey James J. (1994). Language, Grammar and
Communication. McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 22

[8] Đoàn Thiện Thuật, Nguyễn Khánh Hà, Phạm Như Quỳnh (2006). A
Concise Vietnamese Grammar. NXB Hà Nội.
[9] Fleyeh, H., & Dougherty, M. (2005). Road and traffic sign detection and
recognition. Advanced OR and AI Methods in Transportation, 16, 644-653
[10] Nguyễn Hòa. (2001). An Introduction to Semantics. NXB ĐHQG Hà Nội.
[11] Nguyễn Thị Lệ Xuân. (2009). An Investigation into Expressions of Warning in
English and Vietnamese. M.A. Thesis, University of Danang.
[12] Phan Thị Minh Phương. (2013). An Investigation into Syntactic and Semantic
Features of Expressions of Public Signs in English and Vietnamese. M.A.
Thesis, University of Danang.
[13] Quirk, R. and Greenbaum, S. (1973). A University Grammar of English.
London: Longman.
[14] Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S. , Leech, G., & Svartvik, J. (1985). A Comprehensive
Grammar of the English Language. Longman.
[15] Ruta, A., Li, Y., & Liu, X. (2010). Real-time traffic sign recognition from
video by class-specific discriminative features. Pattern Recognition, 43, 416 –
430.
[16] Stallkamp, J., Schlipsing, M., Salmen, J., & Igel, C. (2012). Man vs.
computer: Benchmarking machine learning algorithms for traffic sign
recognition. Neural Networks, 32, 323–332.
[17] Võ Thiện An. (2011). A contrastive Analysis of Linguistic Features of
Workplace Signs in English and Vietnamese. M.A. Thesis, University of
Danang.
[18] Yule, G. (1997). Pragmatics. Oxford University Press.

VIETNAMESE
[19] Diệp Quang Ban. (2004). Ngữ pháp Việt Nam- Phần câu. NXB Đại học sư
phạm.
[20] Diệp Quang Ban. (2006). Ngữ pháp tiếng Việt (tập hai). NXB Giáo dục.
 23

[21] Diệp Quang Ban & Hoàng Văn Thung. (2006). Ngữ pháp tiếng Việt (tập 1).
NXB Giáo dục.
[22] Nguyễn Tài Cẩn. (1998). Ngữ pháp Tiếng Việt. NXB Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà
Nội.
[23] Nguyễn Thiện Giáp. (2000). Dụng học Việt ngữ. NXB Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà
Nội.

WEBSITES

[24] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20sign
[25] http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/saussure.html
[26] http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/S4B/sem02.html
[27] http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sign
[28] http://www.ldoceonline.com/search/?q=sign
[29] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expression
[30] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/expression
[31] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/expression
[32] http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/expression.htm
DATA SOURCES
[33] US Department of Transportation (2012). United States Road Symbol Signs.
Federal Highway Administration, Office of Transportation Operations:
FHWA-OP-02-084.
[34] Washington Driver Guide. Washington State. Department of Licensing
[35] http://www.safetysign.com/road-symbol-signs
[36] http://www.1stnevadalicense.com/course_sample.html
 24

PROPOSED OUTLINE
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 1
1.1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................. 1
1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ............................................................ 1
1.3. JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY ............................................................ 4
1.4. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .......................................................................... 4
1.4.1. Aims .................................................................................................... 4
1.4.2.Objectives ............................................................................................. 4
1.5. SCOPE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................. 5
1.6. RESEARCH QUESTIONS........................................................................... 6
1.7. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY ........................................................... 6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL
BACKGROUND ................................................................................................... 8
2.1. PREVIOUS STUDIES RELATED TO THE THESIS ..................................... 8
2.2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND .................................................................. 10
2.2.1. Traffic Signs and Expressions on Traffic Signs ................................ 10
2.2.1.1. Definitions of Traffic Signs .................................................. 10
a. Signs .................................................................................... 10
b. Traffic Signs ....................................................................... 10
2.2.1.2. Characteristics of Traffic Signs ............................................ 11
2.2.1.3. Concepts of Expressions on Traffic Signs ........................... 12
a. Expressions ......................................................................... 12
b. Expressions on Traffic Signs .............................................. 12
2.2.2. Syntax .................................................................................................. 12
2.2.2.1. Definition of Syntax .............................................................. 12
2.2.2.2. Phrases .................................................................................. 13
a. Definition of Phrases ........................................................... 13
b. Types of phrases ................................................................. 13
2.2.2.3. Sentences .............................................................................. 14
a. Definition of Sentences ....................................................... 14
 25

b. Types of sentences .............................................................. 15

2.2.3. Semantics ............................................................................................ 21
2.2.3.1. Definition of Semantics ........................................................ 21
2.2.3.2. Components of the Word- meaning ...................................... 21
a. Grammatical Meaning......................................................... 22
b. Lexical Meaning ................................................................. 23
2.2.4. Pragmatics ........................................................................................... 23
2.1.4.1. Definition of Pragmatics ....................................................... 23
2.1.4.2. Felicity Conditions ................................................................ 23
2.2.4.3. Speech Act ........................................................................... 24
a. Definition of Speech Act..................................................... 24
b. Classification of Illocutionary Act ...................................... 25
2.2.4.4. Pragmatic Features ............................................................... 27
a. Agent-Oriented Modality .................................................... 27
b. Speaker-Oriented Modality................................................. 27

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ...................... 28

3.1. RESEARCH METHODS.................................................................................. 28
3.2. DATA COLLECTION ..................................................................................... 28
3.3. DATA ANALYSIS ........................................................................................... 29
3.4. STUDY PROCEDURES .................................................................................. 30
3.5. RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY .................................................................... 30
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .................................................. 31
4.1. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN SYNTACTIC FEATURES OF
EXPRESSIONS ON TRAFFIC SIGNS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE ....... 31
4.1.1. Syntactic Features of Expression on Traffic Signs in English ............ 31
4.1.1.1. Phrasal Structures ................................................................. 31
a. Noun Phrases....................................................................... 32
b. Verb Phrases ....................................................................... 37
c. Adjective Phrases ................................................................ 40
 26

4.1.1.2. Syntactic Features in Sentences ............................................ 40

a. Imperative Sentences .......................................................... 40
b. Simple Sentences ................................................................ 40
4.1.1.3. Syntactic Features in Mixed Structures ................................ 42
a. Noun Phrase + Verb Phrase ................................................ 43
b. Verb Phrase + Verb Phrase ................................................. 43
c. Adjective Phrase + Verb Phrase ......................................... 43
d. Verb Phrase + Noun Phrase ................................................ 43
e. Verb Phrase + Noun Phrase + Verb Phrase ........................ 43
f. Noun Phrase + Complex Sentence ...................................... 43
4.1.2. Syntactic Features of Expression on Traffic Signs in Vietnamese ..... 43
4.1.2.1. Phrasal Structures.................................................................. 44
a. Noun Phrase ........................................................................ 44
b. Verb Phrases ....................................................................... 47
4.1.2.2. Syntactic Features in Sentences ............................................ 49
a. Imperative Sentences .......................................................... 49
b. Simple Sentences ................................................................ 50
c. Complex Sentences ............................................................. 52
4.1.2.3. Syntactic Features in Mixed Structures ................................ 52
a. Sentence + Noun Phrase(S)/ Sentence(S) ........................... 52
b. Noun Phrase + Imperative .................................................. 53
c. Verb Phrase + Sentence ...................................................... 53
d. Verb Phrase + Noun Phrase ............................................... 53
e. Verb Phrase + Verb Phrase + Sentence(S) ........................ 53
f. Noun Phrase + Sentence ..................................................... 53
g. Noun Phrase + Verb Phrase ............................................... 53
h. Verb Phrase + Verb Phrase + Noun Phrase + Noun Phrase 53
i. Sentence + Imperative(S) .................................................... 53
j. Noun Phrase + Noun Phrase(S)/ Sentence(S) ..................... 54
 27

4.1.3. Syntactic Similarities and Differences between English and

Vietnamese Expressions on Traffic Signs ................................................... 54
4.1.3.1. Structural Types ................................................................... 54
4.1.3.2. Syntactic Features of Structural Types ................................ 54
4.2. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN SEMANTIC FEATURES OF
EXPRESSIONS ON TRAFFIC SIGNS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE ....... 57
4.2.1. Semantic Features of Expressions on Traffic Signs in English .......... 57
4.2.1.1. EsTSs denoting Difficult Road Condition for Driving ahead
............................................................................................................ 57
4.2.1.2. EsTSs denoting Obstacle ahead ............................................ 57
4.2.1.3. EsTSs denoting a Change of Driving Direction ................... 58
4.2.1.4. EsTSs denoting Mandatory Meaning ................................... 58
4.2.1.5. EsTSs denoting Restriction ................................................... 58
4.2.1.6. EsTSs denoting Means of Transport or Action Prohibited 59
4.2.1.7. EsTSs denoting Lane Use Control ........................................ 60
4.2.1.8. EsTSs denoting a Stop .......................................................... 60
4.2.1.9. EsTSs denoting Yield ........................................................... 60
4.2.1.10. EsTSs denoting No Entry ................................................... 60
4.2.1.11. EsTSs denoting Route for Specific Vehicles ..................... 61
4.2.1.12. EsTSs denoting Guide ........................................................ 61
4.2.1.13. EsTSs denoting Services ..................................................... 62
4.2.2. Semantic Features of Expressions on Traffic Signs in Vietnamese 62
4.2.2.1. EsTSs denoting Difficult Road Condition for Driving Ahead
............................................................................................................ 62
4.2.2.2. EsTSs denoting Obstacle ahead ............................................ 62
4.2.2.3. EsTSs denoting a Change of Driving Direction ................... 64
4.2.2.4. EsTSs denoting Mandatory Meaning ................................... 64
4.2.2.5. EsTSs denoting Restriction ................................................... 64
4.2.2.6. EsTSs denoting Means of Transport or Action Prohibited ... 65
4.2.2.7. EsTSs denoting Lane Use Control ........................................ 65
 28

4.2.2.8. EsTSs denoting a Stop .......................................................... 66

4.2.2.9. EsTSs denoting Yield ........................................................... 66
4.2.2.10. EsTSs denoting No Entry ................................................... 66
4.2.2.11. EsTSs denoting Route for Specific Vehicles ..................... 67
4.2.2.12. EsTSs denoting Guide......................................................... 67
4.2.2.13. EsTSs denoting Services ..................................................... 68
4.2.3. Semantic Similarities and Differences between English and
Vietnamese Expressions on Traffic Signs ................................................... 69
4.2.3.1. Similarities ............................................................................ 70
4.2.3.2. Differences ............................................................................ 71
4.3. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN PRAGMATIC FEATURES OF
EXPRESSIONS ON TRAFFIC SIGNS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE ....... 73
4.3.1. Pragmatic Features of Expressions on Traffic Signs in English and
Vietnamese .................................................................................................... 73
4.3.1.1. Agent-Oriented Modality ...................................................... 73
a. Must..................................................................................... 73
b. May ..................................................................................... 75
4.3.1.2. Speaker-Oriented Modality................................................... 75
a. Imperative ........................................................................... 75
b. Prohibitive ........................................................................... 76
c. Optative ............................................................................... 77
d. Admonitive ......................................................................... 77
e. Permissive ........................................................................... 78
4.3.2. Pragmatic Similarities and Differences between English and
Vietnamese Expressions on Traffic Signs ................................................... 79
4.3.2.1. Similarities ............................................................................ 79
4.3.2.2. Differences ............................................................................ 79
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS ..................................... 80
5.1. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 80
5.1.1. Summary of the Development of the Study ........................................ 80
 29

5.1.2. Summary of the Findings .................................................................... 80

5.1.2.1. Similarities ............................................................................ 80
5.1.2.2. Differences ............................................................................ 81
5.2. IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY ................................................................ 82
5.3. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY ...................................................................... 82
5.4. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ............................................. 83
REFERENCES