ENCOURAGING STRATEGIES BY JUDGING PANELS IN TWO REALITY SHOWS: AMERICAN IDOL 2010 & VIETNAM IDOL 2010 =

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This graduation paper is a study of cross cultural study of using verbal encouraging strategies by judging panels in the two reality shows: American Idol 2010 and Vietnam Idol 2010. It aims to investigate: 1. What are the common strategies American & Vietnamese judging panels use to express verbal encouragement to the candidates in American Idol 2010 & Vietnam Idol 2010? 2. What are the similarities and differences in the ways American & Vietnamese judging panels apply these strategies in the two reality shows? The author carried out this research based on eight galas of the two favorite realty shows: American Idol 2010 and Vietnam Idol 2010, which were all shown on television as well as various internet sources. The encouraging utterances employed by American and Vietnam panels were noted down and categorized into nine encouraging strategies. The researcher then analyzed the collected data with the help of qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of the study show that encouragement is a complex speech act, which is performed with a variety of strategies. Due to the data analysis, the author can investigate some significant similarities as well as differences in the choices and frequencies of use of these strategies by two groups: American and Vietnamese examiners. Hopefully, this study can be considered as a useful source of reference for related researches in the future.