Lexico-modal markers displayed in criticizing utterances in Vietnamese - American conversations

Abstract

     The article is about the lexico-modal markers displaying the speaker's attitude in criticizing utterances in Vietnamese - American conversations. These markers are dealt with on groxmds of the principle of courtesy with a view to helping readers see how the Vietnamese and American people's attitude is expressed through the speech act of criticizing, a seriously damaging face-threatening act. This will help unprove the effectiveness of Vietnamese - American cross-cultural communication when interlocutors feel obUged to resort to this speech act.