For the past week, I have been indulging in Vietnamese media, especially singing competition television series like Giọng Ca Bất Bại (The Unbeatable Voice) and, at the recommendation of my language partner, Rap Việt. Much like the American television competitions The Voice and American Idol, Giọng Ca Bất Bại and Rap Việt are televised singing competitions where candidates are made to compete against one another.
Giọng Ca Bất Bại contestants must perform in front of three judges Đàm Vĩnh Hưng (a well-known Vietnamese popstar), Mỹ Tâm (another well-known Vietnamese popstar and song writer and producer), and a seasonal guest – often a famous producer or song writer – in order to be able to sit in one of 5 wining seats. If someone is already in a seat, the contestant must engage in a singing competition to ‘win’ that seat. The final 5 people in the seat will sign contracts with music producers to upstart their career.
On the other hand, Rap Việt contestants must choose an idea or product in pop culture and create or recreate it into rap. These contestants will then perform in front of four coaches (famous rappers) Suboi , Wowy , Karik , Binz, and two judges JustaTee and Rhymastic. Contestants that performed well will be put into a team of 8-9 people to progress to the following round. The winners, similar to Giọng Ca Bất Bại, will be given a chance to sign with music producers and upstart their career.
These types of talent reality television programs have seen a rise in popularity in Việt Nam due to the recent global influence of Korean pop. Watching these programs had been helpful in giving me insights into the thriving pop culture of Việt Nam. It also gave me an opportunity to learned Vietnamese slangs that I have never been exposed to before.
For example:
- Đào mỏ – digger (used to refer to someone as a gold digger)
- Thả thính – easy to love (used to call someone a catfish)
- Gà – chicken (used to describe someone as an amateur)
- Kỳ đà – lizard (used to describe someone is that likes to escalate the situation – the equivalent of the American ‘snake’ slang)
- K.A.M.A. – an acronym for không ai mời ai, meaning no one’s treat
Of course, when these slangs were used, I had no idea what they meant and had to write them down so I can ask my language partner. Additionally, with Rap Việt, I had a really hard time keeping up since not only do contestants utilize a lot of slangs and shortcuts but also because the style of music requires them to sometimes speak extremely fast. I was completely lost when I first started watching the program, but as I get more used to the language and speed, I can hear more and more clearly. Understanding, however, will definitely still be a challenge.
Another thing that I have been practicing while watching these programs is dictation. While people are talking, I try to write down as many words and/or phrases I can hear and write them down to the best of my ability. This allows me to see what kind of words I struggle on and overall improves my spelling and listening skills.
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