Shadowing Practice: 32 Years Old Low-income Living in Vietnam - Learn English Speaking with Video
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210 sentences
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How is life living in Vietnam?
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Hi, I'm Han, a 31 years old, low-income worker.
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Let me show you how I survive on a low budget.
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It's payday today.
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A mixed feeling of happy and worry.
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I'll show you the total amount I earned last month.
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Let's go to the ATM to withdraw some cash.
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This month, I earned about $500.
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A not so low, but not so high amount compared to the average in Ho Chi Minh City.
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Let's go to the convenience store to buy lunch.
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Many students depend on convenience stores.
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People just sitting, resting, using the air conditioning.
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Pre-cut fruits seem like a luxury to me.
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Grilled beef bento.
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Mr. Beast, feastables cost more than my hourly salary.
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I don't have that kind of money.
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Let's put it back.
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Unlike social media, influencers keep telling you, living in Ho Chi Minh City isn't cheap anymore.
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Rent goes up.
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Food goes up.
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It feels like your salary is just trying to catch up.
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Payday is the only day I don't feel guilty spending a little.
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Coffee is how I survive every day.
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In Vietnam, convenience stores are everywhere.
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And what I like about them is the variety,
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and electrolytes water for 100 degrees summer day.
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Life in mega city like Ho Chi Minh City is never easy for anyone.
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More importantly, we need to know when we have enough, because human greed has no bottom.
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If we keep chasing money without knowing contentment, we may lose the happiness that is right in front of us.
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Cotton candy, known as Kheo Bong Gòn in Vietnam, is a popular sweet treat made by spinning melted sugar into thin,
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fluffy strands that look like colorful clouds.
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It's a dying art in cities like Saigon.
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I don't eat this often, but when I see it, it reminds me of being a kid.
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This is my version of splurging on payday.
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A sweet 40 cent cotton candy. So fluffy and airy.
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Do you have this in your country?
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Let's go back home.
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A 40 years old apartment in Saigon.
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Let's go over the budget for this month.
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First is the budget for my mom.
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It's $250 per month to support her.
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She also buys me groceries.
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Next is food expense.
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It's about $70 per month.
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That includes lunches, drinks, and eating out.
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That is about $2 a day.
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Next is gas for my scooter.
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My scooter is almost 20 years old.
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so they consume gas like water.
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I pay $80 a month for this category.
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Finally, I set aside some money for other things.
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$100 for my future.
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Maybe a wedding one day.
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Maybe it's just a dream.
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What do you think about my budget?
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Although my salary is considered average, that's not enough to take care of anyone else.
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Friends and family ask me about marriage.
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all I can do is laugh and try to change topics
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because I know deep down I may never get that chance and I think I'm okay with it.
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Life may be difficult today, but as long as you have willpower, determination, and a desire to improve,
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I believe that one day you will succeed, and so will I.
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After that, I stopped by a large park near my house to find something to eat for dinner when I get hungry.
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I was craving omelet banh mi, so I decided to buy one for one dollar.
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It's simple, just eggs, cooked on a hot pan.
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It's warm, filling, and very affordable.
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Is street food safe in Vietnam?
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Most street foods here is cooked fresh, right in front of you.
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If a place has a lot of customers, that's usually a good sign, but not everything is perfect.
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Remember to ask the locals if you can, and we're more than happy to show you.
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If it's busy, I trust it more.
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If they've been around for longer, that's a plus.
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Oh Yeah,
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I'm gonna do What is it like to live alone in Vietnam?
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Hi, I'm Han, a 31-year-old office worker living in an old apartment.
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It's 7am.
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The city wakes up early.
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How do I live my life?
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Come and take a look with me.
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In the morning, I wake up to the sound of a rooster crowing.
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Drinking tea is the first thing I do in the morning.
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I don't eat breakfast to save money.
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I make around $500 per month.
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I sent my retired mom $250 to help her.
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After all expenses, I have about $70 per month for foods.
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Being the only child can be hard sometimes.
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But it's what family do, and I'm happy to do it.
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Let's go to the market for lunch.
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I know it's not healthy.
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Maybe I'll learn how in the future.
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Using the stairs every day is a workout I just hope I can find a better place for my mom.
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In Vietnam, scooter is local way of getting around.
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Cheap to buy and maintain, and fits narrow streets.
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Would you ride a scooter in Vietnam?
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I'm heading to a local market to eat lunch.
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The food is called white rice flour cake.
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It costs less than $1.
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Sometimes it's cheaper to eat out than cooking at home.
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This is one of Saigon's most iconic street foods.
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The vendor throws them onto a sizzling pan, fries them until they're crispy on the outside, soft inside.
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You can ask the vendor to add an egg for extra protein.
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Watch closely.
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This is the fun part.
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You'll hear that crispy sound as the cubes turn golden.
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Green onions for flavors and smells.
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It's exactly what street food in Vietnam is about.
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Cheap, filling, and fast.
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If you want to experience real Saigon, don't just go to restaurants.
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Stop at a street cart like this.
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And just like that, only 95 cents.
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You'll get pickled papaya on top. If there's one thing
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you have to try in Vietnam, it's this, banh mi.
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It starts with a crispy Vietnamese baguette.
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Light, airy inside, with that perfect crunch outside.
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Watch the vendor.
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Everything happens fast.
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They slice the bread open, spread a layer of pâté, add the meats, vegetables.
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This banh mi would last me an entire day.
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And it's only one dollar.
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I'm going to go to the next one.
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I'm sorry.
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This is steamed buns.
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It's warm, filling, and perfect.
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If you want something softer than banh mi...
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Let's go to the mall with me.
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It's almost 7pm and the sky is getting dark.
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I don't come here to buy things.
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I just walk around and look.
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For many young people, it's not easy to start a family anymore.
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Rent alone is half of my salary.
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Food, transportation, daily expenses, they add up quickly.
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Even if you work full-time, it can still feel like you're just getting by.
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I feel like I might draw a little out of the train with my dad.
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I don't want to have to go.
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I just run the train to see what's next to me.
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It's like the train that is just there.
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This way, I'm proud of the train.
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This is a very famous bookstore in Vietnam.
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I don't always buy a book.
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I just walk slowly between the shelves.
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In a busy city like Ho Chi Minh City, this feels like a different world.
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This is my childhood mangas.
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Do you know what this is?
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I'm stopping in a random alley to finish my banh. And that's my day.
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Thank you for watching, and see you in the next video. So
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What is
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life living in Vietnam?
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Hello world, I'm Han.
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I'm a 32 years old salaryman in Vietnam.
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I live in an old apartment in Saigon.
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To save money, I'm living with my mom.
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For young adults, buying a house is almost impossible.
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Let me show you my life on a Sunday.
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There's always loud noises in my apartment, so I can't sleep or work very well.
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After tax and insurance, my budget is $3 a day.
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A very tight budget in Ho Chi Minh City.
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I try to live a very frugal life.
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I also need to take care of my mom.
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This is a 40 years old apartment, and everything is falling apart, but I can't afford anything else.
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This is the view from the balcony.
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This is my scooter.
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My uncle gave it to me.
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It's falling apart, but buying a new one is not a smart decision for me.
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From Monday to Friday, I have to ride 80 minutes for work.
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Today, it's only a short grocery ride.
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Let's go grab some cheap snacks.
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Please don't laugh, but going to the supermarket is how I save electricity.
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I get free AC while window shopping.
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Potato chips to help with my chronic stress.
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As man, I never get asked about how I feel.
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It's always about what I can do for others.
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I know snacking is bad, but this is how I deal with stress right now.
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Ho Chi Minh City is always busy, but sometimes I still feel lonely.
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I'm splurging today.
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A $1 kumquat tea instead of coffee at home.
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People watching is a way of cheap entertainment for me.
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I have high blood pressure.
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I know my doctor won't like this drink.
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I hope you won't see this video.
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At 32 years old, while my friends are married and having children, I'm still struggling with my job.
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Making enough to survive, but not enough for anything else.
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I don't earn much money, and most days are quiet and repetitive.
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Most people here are rushing to offices, factories, or shops.
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Everyone seems to be chasing something.
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Money, stability, a better life.
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Surrounded by millions of people, but you feel completely on your own.
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Let's go have dinner.
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I just eat whatever is cheap and easy to find on the street.
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Today is stir-fry corn.
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Street food is everywhere in this city.
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For many people like me, it's not just a treat, it's survival.
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It's simple.
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Corn, butter, dried shrimp, cooked on a small pan right on the sidewalk.
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This serving cost me $0.8.
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It's cheap, filling, and easy to find.
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Another thing I eat is bà la lọt, grilled beef wrapped in beetle leaves.
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It's smoky, salty, and satisfying.
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Street food in Saigon is famous around the world, and I highly recommend you try it here.
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I got one.
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Let's go to the park to eat.
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Many people come here in the evening after work.
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It's one of the few places where you can sit for free.
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It's one of the few places where you can sit for free.
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The city outside is loud and crowded, but inside the park it feels a little slower.
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In a city of millions,
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a park bench can sometimes feel like the only quiet place. In Vietnam,
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people go to the park for badminton, dancing, and many things.
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An emergency call from my boss.
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Let's head home today.
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And that's my life in Vietnam.
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How is your life?
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “32 Years Old Low-income Living in Vietnam”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Vietnam, eat, month, cheap. This video has 210 sentences and 1824 words to shadow. The speech runs for 28:42. The speaker talks slowly, about 64 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| scooter noun | /ˈskuːtə(ɹ)/ | A kick scooter or push scooter; a human-powered land vehicle with a handlebar, deck and wheels that is propelled by a rider pushing off the ground. |
| crispy adjective | /ˈkɹɪs.pi/ | Having a crisp texture; brittle yet tender. |
| payday noun | /ˈpeɪdeɪ/ | The day of the week or month, or the specific day, on which an employee's wages or salary is paid. |
| vendor noun | /ˈvɛn.dɚ/ | A person or a company that vends or sells. |
| convenience noun | /kənˈvinjəns/ | The quality of being convenient. |
| expense noun | /ɪkˈspɛns/ | A spending or consuming, often a disbursement of funds. |
| airy adjective | /ˈɛə.ɹi/ | Consisting of air. |
| splurge verb | /splɝd͡ʒ/ | To (cause to) gush; to flow or move in a rush. |
| grill noun | /ɡɹɪl/ | A grating; a grid of wire or a sheet of material with a pattern of holes or slots, usually used to protect something while allowing the passage of air and… |
| snack noun | /snæk/ | A light meal. |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
| corn noun | /ˈkɔːn/ | Any cereal plant (or its grain) that is the main crop or staple of a country or region. |
| candy noun | /ˈkæn.di/ | Crystallized sugar formed by boiling down sugar syrup. |
| beef noun | /bif/ | The meat from cattle or other bovines; especially, that from adults. |
| badminton noun | /ˈbæd.mɪn.tən/ | A racquet sport played indoors on a court by two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs of players (doubles), in which a shuttlecock is volleyed over… |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fall apart verb | To disintegrate, to break into pieces. | |
| go up verb | To move upwards. | |
| add up verb | To take the sum of; to total. | |
| catch up verb | To pick up suddenly. | |
| get around verb | To move to the other side of (something, such as an obstruction) by deviating from a direct course or following a curved path. | |
| go back verb | To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time. | |
| go over verb | To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. | |
| set aside verb | /sɛt.əˈsaɪd/ | To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Let's go to the convenience store to buy lunch.
- Do you have this in your country?
- What do you think about my budget?
- How do I live my life?
- Do you know what this is?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is considered · is cooked · is called |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may lose · may never get · may be |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keep telling · keep chasing |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | is just trying · I'm heading · is getting |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 39 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shrimp /ʃɹɪmp/, shelf /ʃɛlf/, determination /dɪˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: electrolyte /ɪˈlɛk.tɹəˌlaɪt/, influencer /ˈɪnflu.ənsə(ɹ)/, salaryman /ˈsæl.əɹ.i.mæn/, repetitive /ɹɪˈpɛtɪtɪv/, supermarket /ˌsupɚˈmɑɹkət/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like scooter, crispy, payday.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.