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A Contrastive Cognitive Semantic Analysis of The Verb “Consider” In English and Vietnamese

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This study explores the polysemous nature of the English verb “consider” and its Vietnamese equivalents through the lens of Cognitive Linguistics, specifically drawing upon conceptual metaphor theory and the image schema framework. While English utilizes “consider” as a versatile “container” verb for various mental processes, Vietnamese requires a more granular lexical system that reflects specific cognitive and physical source domains. By analyzing authentic data from English – Vietnamese corpora and dictionaries, the research identifies several key metaphorical extensions: thinking is seeing (e.g., xem xét), evaluation is weighing (e.g., cân nhắc), and social orientation (e.g., đoái hoài). The findings reveal a significant cognitive divergence: whereas English emphasizes a “Rational-Linear”” model of mental labor, Vietnamese prioritizes an “Embodied-Relational” model. In Vietnamese, the act of “considering” is consistently anchored in physical experience and social harmony, moving from the pragmatic balancing of resources (liệu cơm gắp mắm) to the validation of personal worth through visual recognition (đoái hoài). The study concludes that these linguistic differences are not mere lexical curiosities but are deeply rooted in distinct cultural worldviews. These insights have practical implications for contrastive semantics, translation studies, and second language acquisition (SLA), particularly for Vietnamese learners of English who struggle with the lack of one-to-one equivalence in mental state verbs.

A Comparison of Some Common Source Domains in Vietnamese and American English Political Discourses

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This article identifies, describes, and compares a number of common source domains in Vietnamese and American English political discourses, with the aim of clarifying how politicians select source domains. In doing so, it affirms that through source–target mappings, abstract concepts and messages in political discourses are made concrete and more accessible to the public. A qualitative survey and analysis of 39 Vietnamese political discourse texts and 83 American English political discourse texts reveals that certain universal source domains such as JOURNEY, CONSTRUCTION, and FAMILY appear in both discourse systems, reflecting the way people conceptualize politics as a goal-directed process or a form of social construction. However, Vietnamese political discourses tend to prioritize source domains that emphasize collectivity, stability, and long-term orientation such as FAMILY and CONSTRUCTION; whereas American English political discourses are characterized by source domains that are competitive, confrontational, and individualized such as WAR, COMPETITION, and BUSINESS. These differences reflect the cultural characteristics, ideological orientations, and political organizational models of each country. The findings thus contribute to clarifying the relationship between language, cognition, and power in political discourses.