AN INTERCULTURAL STUDY OF SOME TYPICAL GLOBALIZED WESTERN GESTURES DONE BY THE STUDENTS AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI=

Abstract

ABSTRACT The thesis completed by Trương Thị Minh Phúc, 10E16, ULIS-VNU, explores an intercultural study on some typical globalized Western gestures done by the students at Vietnam National University Hanoi The research is conducted purposefully with the hope of clarifying how VNU students use and perceive the finger gestures in general, five mentioned finger gestures (V-sign, Thumb-up, OK sign, The middle finger and Beckoning) in particular among its various global meanings. Moreover, the study is undertaken as an attempt to take a deeper look at the tendency of using finger gestures in communicating of VNU students. The method employed in this study is that of survey research which mainly are survey questionnaire and observation. The investigation involves the participants of a hundred students coming from four different universities of VNU responding to the thoroughly designed questionnaire. Besides that, they are observed randomly and objectively for the purpose of valid data. By figuring, calculating, combining, comparing and generalizing, the data collected through research instruments is then analyzed carefully and discussed in-depth, so that relevant and worthy findings can be found. The results and findings of the study truly help to answer the research questions. It allows the realization of the differences in using and perceiving finger gestures of the students from four surveyed universities as well as the reflection of their attitude towards using these finger gestures. Then, it also shows how much globalization has effects on how VNU students practice the finger gestures in their communicating.