シャドーイング練習: Why I Left the U.S. for Vietnam - 動画で英語スピーキングを学ぶ
レッスンを作成中...
1
Every morning I walk out my front door and see things I did not grow up with. with.
2
Thousand-year-old temples, women in conical hats,
3
people burning spirit money for good luck.
4
If you had asked me when I was younger, I would never have guessed that I'd end up in Vietnam.
5
But here I am, heading into my 16th year, being married into a Vietnamese family and, for most of that time, living in Hanoi.
6
Now, a short time ago, I went back to the U.S for a family emergency.
7
I was going to say I went home, but that's the thing.
8
When I go to the U.S now, I feel like I'm wearing a version of myself that doesn't fit anymore.
9
The U.S is the place I was born, where I grew up.
10
I'm American through and through.
11
I always will be.
12
Right now, Vietnam simply offers several things to my family that the U.S doesn't.
13
One of them is optimism.
14
I can't remember the last time the U.S felt optimistic.
15
Culture wars, economic anxiety, it's just exhausting.
16
But Vietnam, on the other hand, is a hopeful place, and much of this is, ironically, because of its history.
17
Vietnam had a 20th century from hell.
18
Colonized, occupied.
19
All right, there was independence in 1945, but then decades of war with the French, Americans, and Chinese.
20
And after all that, a 20-year embargo that kept the country from rebuilding.
21
That's a solid century of conflict, but somehow, somehow, this country came out of it,
22
not just intact, but like with this incredible momentum.
23
Since 1995, Vietnam's averaged 6 to 7 percent annual GDP growth, well ahead of the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.
24
And you can see that growth.
25
Construction cranes, new businesses, kids studying abroad, international restaurants.
26
Now, I've talked about Time City before, and I really don't love it.
27
But I can appreciate what it represents to the generations who remember the hard times.
28
But that's another thing.
29
It's such a young country.
30
Most people don't remember those times.
31
More than 70% of the population was born after 1979.
32
The median age is around 33.
33
I have hangovers older than that.
34
So most people don't remember the hard times because they didn't live through them.
35
So when you combine these things, the history, the thriving economy, the young population, it's clear that people here believe the future is going to be better because for most of them, it already is.
36
Another thing is safety.
37
Vietnam's safe.
38
Okay, it ain't Japan.
39
If you leave something valuable where people can get it, they will.
40
But I don't worry about crime.
41
I don't worry about gun violence.
42
I don't send my kid to school wondering what might happen.
43
But safety isn't just about crime.
44
It's also about geopolitical security.
45
And right now, Vietnam is one of the most geopolitically stable places I've ever lived in.
46
A lot of people don't know this, but Vietnam follows a non-aligned national defense policy, known as the Bone Hom, or Four No's.
47
It sounds like a slogan, but it's serious policy.
48
The first no is no military alliances.
49
Vietnam's part of ASEAN, Southeast Asia's regional bloc, and it has good relationships with its neighbors.
50
But when it comes to military exercises, Vietnam generally participates as an observer.
51
It doesn't commit to mutual defense.
52
The second is no siding with one country against another.
53
With all the world's flashpoints, Russia vs Ukraine, Israel vs Iran, the US vs Canada, Vietnam remains completely neutral.
54
The third is no foreign military bases.
55
No Russian troops, no Chinese troops, no US troops, no foreign troops of any kind are stationed in Vietnam.
56
And finally, no use of force or threat of force in international relations.
57
I find this last part really interesting.
58
Vietnam's policy forbids it from even threatening force to resolve international disputes.
59
Frankly, Vietnam has seen enough war, and at this point in its history, it's fully committed to resolving international conflicts through diplomacy.
60
The result is a country that feels genuinely non-aligned at a time
61
when most of the world is being pulled into someone's geopolitical orbit.
62
That makes Vietnam a stable place to live and a world that's becoming increasingly fractured.
63
Now, one thing I didn't really understand until I married into a Vietnamese family is the incredible pull of community.
64
Now, I've studied Vietnamese history, and I know that for thousands of years, Vietnamese society has revolved around village and clan.
65
But I didn't feel this until I was living in it.
66
Now, I'll give you an example.
67
A few months ago, we went to a housewarming party for my wife's cousin and her husband.
68
Big apartment complex, brand new high-rises, concrete, elevators, landscaping, the kind of place I normally find rather sterile.
69
But after the party, we all went downstairs, and the place felt like it had been there for decades.
70
Kids playing, parents chatting, vendors selling snacks.
71
You have to remember, five years ago, that spot was an empty lot.
72
And that's something I've come to admire.
73
Vietnamese people don't wait for community to form.
74
They build it.
75
They build it at work, in an alley, even in a brand new apartment complex.
76
Outside, you see a modern skyline, but the core is still built around kinship.
77
Now, I know some people worry this is changing, and maybe the sense of community isn't as strong as it once was.
78
But compared to most of the West, it's still very strong.
79
And when community isn't optional, when it's built into the way people live, you become part of it, and it changes how you live.
80
Another thing I noticed when I moved back to Vietnam, being middle class here is easier.
81
Now, I should say I'm in a great position.
82
I work from home, I make foreign income, and I don't deal with traffic or a daily grind.
83
But even so, we don't spend a fortune to live in Vietnam.
84
Now, things aren't free.
85
I see a lot of YouTube videos about how everything in Vietnam is so cheap, and they're a little misleading.
86
Sure, you can live for $500 a month in the same way you can live in a tent in Seattle.
87
But what I will say is, things fit what a middle-class budget can handle.
88
The truth is Vietnam doesn't run on just one economy.
89
It has more like three.
90
First is the street-level economy, where a beng ni or a plate of gum bing dhen costs a dollar and the food's delicious.
91
Then there's this middle-class economy, where a $3 espresso, gym membership, movie tickets on the weekend, that sort of thing's totally normal.
92
And then yeah, there's this luxury class with exclusive clubs, imported wine, private drivers.
93
You have that everywhere.
94
But you don't need the top tier or the bottom tier to live well.
95
In fact, the middle layer is very comfortable.
96
For example, my home internet costs $14 a month, high speed, excellent connectivity.
97
My gym membership, $17 a month.
98
Healthcare, now I probably should have insurance at my age, but part of the reason I don't is it's just not that expensive.
99
You can get an x-ray at a public hospital for around $10.
100
An MRI, $70 to $90.
101
Walk into a modern hospital and you can have a consultation with a good English-speaking doctor for maybe $100 to $130.
102
Public hospitals, of course, are much cheaper.
103
Even surgeries and overnight stays are affordable.
104
My wife was recently hospitalized for a kidney stone that had some complications.
105
Treatment, two nights in hospital, medication, and aftercare came out to around $1,500.
106
How much would that have cost in the U.S.?
107
The point is, in the U.S., most middle-class people I know have worries.
108
They seem to be running around full speed just to remain middle-class.
109
In Vietnam, being middle-class isn't without stress, but it is less stressful.
110
And the quality of life is much higher.
111
And you know what?
112
Vietnamese food really is all that.
113
It blew me away in 1991 when I first came here meaty broths with notes of ginger and star anise,
114
grilled pork and chili, nook mam hitting my nose before it hit my tongue.
115
I didn't understand any of it, but boy did it grab me.
116
And when I moved back in 2009, food was a big part of the reason.
117
Then I married into the culture, and for 16 years, Vietnamese food's been my home cooking.
118
Do you have any idea how lucky I am?
119
Dishes like gang chua, tit khó tô, caramelized fish simmering in clay pots in my kitchen?
120
These meals don't show up in travel videos, but they're the real stuff that anchors daily life.
121
And then outside it's pho and bún chà, flash of heat, the hiss of a grill.
122
You sit low to the ground, surrounded by noise, and it's one of the world's great culinary experiences.
123
But it's not just street food.
124
Vietnam's full of places where classic recipes are being reimagined by talented chefs.
125
Dishes like bánh cún with duck confit, chà cà with caviar, sticky rice risotto.
126
And it's not too expensive.
127
A family of three can eat like this for 30 or 40 bucks.
128
That's one of the things I love.
129
The cuisine, like the country, doesn't stand still.
130
It keeps evolving.
131
And when I sit down with my chopsticks, something tangy on the table, steam rising, I'm in my happy place.
132
Now for a foreign country to become a home, you need an anchor.
133
And for me, that anchor is Hanoi.
134
This city is where all the things I've talked about come together the optimism, community, lifestyle, costs.
135
Now, it's a huge city.
136
Greater Hanoi has over 9 million people, and like any big city,
137
it's full of contradictions, many of them centered around this tension between history and modernity.
138
Hanoi is a thousand years old.
139
It's the place where the Emperor Li Taito moved his capital in the year 1010.
140
It's also a place where new skyscrapers are popping up every day.
141
I've seen an old lady burning incense in a thousand-year-old temple while just outside, a group of teenagers is filming a dance video for TikTok.
142
And those contradictions are fascinating to me.
143
I'm never bored here.
144
I do burn out on it, though.
145
And when that happens, Hanoi is an excellent base for exploring the incredible landscapes of northern Vietnam.
146
In 90 minutes, I'm in some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen, and in three hours among people whose lifestyles haven't changed in thousands of years.
147
It's also an international hub with connections all over the world, and because of Vietnam's non-aligned policies, you can get tickets just about anywhere.
148
But most days, I don't feel the need to leave.
149
I like it here.
150
It's home. So how about you?
151
What makes a place feel like home?
152
And have you ever felt that in a foreign country?
153
I've shared my answer, now I'd love to hear yours.
154
Please drop a comment if you have any thoughts, and thanks for watching.
📺 同じチャンネル
B220
How the Iran War is Affecting Life in Vietnam
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B26
Weird Food Rules in Vietnam (That Actually Make Sense)
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B211
Vietnam's Three Economies: From Street Food to Luxury
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B28
Vietnam 2045: Why I’m Betting My Son’s Future on This Country
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
✨ おすすめ動画
B21
134 文
6 Years in Vietnam changed how I see America
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B215
48 文
Interview - HD
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
122 文
Realistic Life in Vietnam - Brutal Morning Daily Commute
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
256 文
We Tried Vietnam's 7 Most Iconic Dishes 🇻🇳 (Were They Worth the Hype?)
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
232 文
We Went to the Hospital 6 Times in Vietnam…Here's the Truth About Vietnam's Healthcare
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
216 文
A Journey Through Hanoi 🇻🇳 | Slow English Listening Practice for Beginners
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
106 文
Vietnam's Visa Problem Nobody Talks About
Business EnglishTravel EnglishUniversity Students
B22
278 文
Thousands of European THOUGHT America Was DYING... Then They Saw the Real U.S.
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
253 文
Goodbye Vietnam! 🇻🇳
Business EnglishTravel EnglishDaily Conversation
B25
19 文
Vietnam sets course for deeper U.S. partnership | Vietnam Today
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B2253 文
the trip to China I didn't know I needed
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
![[Briefly] Vietnam : Customs and Traditions of a Vibrant Culture](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ae5aY0sZ0_Q/mqdefault.jpg)
B223
19 文
[Briefly] Vietnam : Customs and Traditions of a Vibrant Culture
Travel EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
この動画で話す練習をする理由
アメリカ人がベトナムに移住した理由を語る自然な会話は、shadow speech（シャドーイング）の理想的な教材です。日常的な語彙から歴史・経済に関する表現まで、幅広いコンテキストで使われるフレーズが満載。ネイティブのリズムやイントネーションを真似ることで、英語の発音を良くするだけでなく、実践的な会話力も養えます。特に、「I can't remember the last time...」のような過去の経験を述べる表現は、自己紹介や意見交換で頻繁に使われるので、マスターしておくと役立ちます。
文脈の中の文法と表現
- 「I would never have guessed that...」：過去の予想外の出来事を表す仮定法過去完了。「若い時には...とは思わなかった」というニュアンスで、人生の転機を話す時に便利です。
- 「a version of myself that doesn't fit anymore」：「もう合わない自分のバージョン」という比喩的な表現。自己認識の変化を表す時に、イメージを鮮やかにするのに使えます。
- 「well ahead of」：「...を大きく上回る」。経済成長率や競争状況を説明する時に、簡潔に比較を表現できます。
発音の注意点
この動画の発音では、いくつかのトラップがあります。「optimism」は「オプティミズム」ではなく「オプティミズム」（最後の「m」を強調しない）、「embargo」は「エンバーゴ」ではなく「エンバーゴー」（語尾に長音があります）。また、「I have hangovers older than that」の「hangovers」は「ハングオーバーズ」と発音し、「than that」のつながりで「ザンナット」となるので、shadow speakの際はリズムを崩さないように注意しましょう。これらの単語を正しく発音することで、ネイティブとのコミュニケーションがスムーズになります。
この動画の文法
話し手がよく使っている文型を、動画の実際の表現とともに紹介します。
| 文型 | 動画での表現 |
|---|---|
| 現在完了形 have/has + 過去分詞 — 過去の出来事が今も関係している | have guessed · I've talked · I've ever lived |
| 受動態 be + 過去分詞 — 誰がするかより、何が起きるかに焦点を当てる | was born · are stationed · being pulled |
シャドーイングとは？英語上達に効果的な理由
シャドーイング（Shadowing）は、もともとプロの通訳者養成プログラムで開発された言語学習法で、多言語習得者として知られるDr. Alexander Arguelles によって広く普及されました。方法はシンプルですが非常に効果的：ネイティブスピーカーの英語を聞きながら、1〜2秒の遅延で声に出してすぐに繰り返す——まるで「影（shadow）」のように話者を追いかけます。文法ドリルや受動的なリスニングと異なり、シャドーイングは脳と口の筋肉が同時にリアルタイムで英語を処理・再現することを強制します。研究により、発音精度、抑揚、リズム、連音、リスニング力、そして会話の流暢さが大幅に向上することが確認されています。IELTSスピーキング対策や自然な英語コミュニケーションを目指す方に特におすすめです。