Shadowing Practice: How to ride safely in Vietnamese traffic - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
Hey this is Sam from Ticket Motorbikes Ho Chi Minh City.
⏸ Paused
101 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hey this is Sam from Ticket Motorbikes Ho Chi Minh City.
2
In today's video I'm in search of the worst traffic I can find to show you how to navigate the chaos.
3
In Vietnam the bigger vehicle has the right of way.
4
Four wheels trump two so you've just got to give cars the right amount of space to park,
5
to pull out and to do these special kind of maneuvers.
6
Crossing these massive intersections sometimes feels like you're going into battle,
7
but you've just got to find your pack and stick with them.
8
So right now we've got the oncoming traffic,
9
but I've also got a bike to my left,
10
my right and in front,
11
and it kind of gives me the circle of safety to shield me.
12
But once I've cleared the intersection,
13
I want to break away from the pack and split from the mess behind me.
14
Again at this red light I want to weave through the traffic to get in front.
15
I don't want to be squashed in between two cars behind me.
16
Vietnam has these racing style traffic lights that count down to the green
17
but it means a lot of people will run the red light.
18
The horn is both a means of communication and self-preservation.
19
You can see here If I did not beep,
20
I would have been sandwiched between these two bikes.
21
When there are no rules,
22
you can make your own rules.
23
This means a lot of judgment calls in Vietnamese traffic,
24
and everything is a case-by-case basis.
25
I can see now this car is turning left,
26
so I'm going to use it as a shield from oncoming traffic.
27
This is a classic example of how body language is the indicator.
28
There you go.
29
Perfect shoulder check, he's turning left.
30
This is not comfortable or fun to ride on on a small scooter,
31
so you can see how the roads can push people to the middle.
32
People will carry everything and anything on bikes and they're not always secured properly.
33
On an unrelated note, the Kronix store has a great selection of full-faced helmets.
34
Most people either love it or hate it,
35
but it's quite interesting to drive through a market.
36
It's essentially the speed of a parking lot.
37
A lot of people pulling out,
38
you can see all the bikes parked on the side of the road and up on the footpath.
39
Okay, so this is super cute and good for you,
40
but this couple is so infatuated with each other that the driver's not really keeping his eyes on the road,
41
it's a good idea to move past distracted drivers.
42
This lovely older lady is having a nice chat
43
and these two guys should be at the bar but instead they're doing it on their commute home.
44
Even in heavy traffic nothing really stops,
45
it just pushes out to the sides and then squeezes back in again.
46
I'm going to let this pack of U-turners go and then it's time to forge my own U-turn.
47
But I don't have a pack to follow,
48
so how am I going to get through?
49
As said before, you don't mess with cars,
50
so I'm not breaking that up.
51
You can see just how close the proximity is between the tyres.
52
It can be overwhelming, but I think you make a lot of friends in traffic.
53
And I'm about to make one now by squeezing my way through.
54
This guy in the blue bike is going to give me a little bit of gap
55
and then he's going to claim it back again.
56
One more U-turn, this time with three guardian angels.
57
Just like a flowing river,
58
they're going to be my rocks and they're going to break the flow of water.
59
So I can use that break to find my own path and fit in with traffic.
60
I must admit I'm guilty of this after eight years but the unspoken rule is you just turn right without looking left.
61
It's just like merging.
62
He's also got a delivery box which is going to impede his driving ability.
63
And in my experience delivery drivers are pretty distracted.
64
If you can move past, do it.
65
This woman was already turning by the time I saw her and she saw me.
66
It's why you drive slowly.
67
Perfect example of how things can go wrong really quickly.
68
I'm looking to overtake this guy,
69
I've got to cut to the wrong side of the road.
70
Just as I do, this woman starts pushing a bicycle across.
71
I've got a little love tap from the lady behind me,
72
but generally that's kind of the worst you're going to see in traffic.
73
Again, you're looking to read body language.
74
This guy's looking for a spot to drink coffee and 3,
75
2, 1, he just stops right in front of me.
76
I'm turning right, I think I've moved far enough over but lo and behold here she comes,
77
squeezes her way through and then goes straight from the right lane.
78
As you saw earlier, getting through it ended even in slow traffic is pretty possible.
79
So I'm just moving out of the danger zone.
80
Cars are generally slow and cautious.
81
I could see this SUV kind of taking erratic turns.
82
It's best to just get out of their way because he is not stopping for anyone.
83
If you're worried about driving,
84
try crossing the road or walking.
85
There's not really a safe option.
86
There is so much to see and take in.
87
Sometimes people will drive looking for dinner just like they're walking through a food court.
88
The shaky hand wields more power than traffic lights and police officers.
89
If you see this hand,
90
that person is turning now.
91
Here we've got some beautiful pedestrian choreography.
92
Just be aware that sometimes there will be multiple people crossing in different directions.
93
I've been in Vietnam a long time and this is still some of the tightest traffic I've experienced.
94
It's usually a two-lane road but it turns into one lane.
95
I decided to delegate her to lead me through the pack.
96
it's so tight you can actually see our exhausts are brushing against this poor lady's clothes.
97
If you have a big personal bubble it's probably not a great idea to ride in peak hour traffic,
98
you get very up close and personal.
99
But as you can see the speeds are so slow it's just like joining a queue but on a motorbike.
100
Okay and that concludes 25 tips on how to survive Vietnamese traffic.
101
I hope you learn a lot and you're ready to travel Vietnam.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English listening and speaking skills through an engaging video about navigating the bustling traffic of Vietnam. You will learn strategies shared by the speaker on how to ride safely amidst chaotic driving conditions. This experience not only enhances your vocabulary but also helps improve your comprehension of real-world scenarios in English. By the end of this practice, you will feel more confident in using traffic-related vocabulary and phrases, which can be particularly useful for IELTS speaking practice.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Right of way: The legal right to proceed first in traffic.
  • Traffic light: A signaling device that controls traffic flow.
  • Shield: To use something as protection against something else.
  • Body language: Non-verbal communication through gestures and postures.
  • U-turn: A reversal of direction made by a vehicle.
  • Oncoming traffic: Vehicles that are approaching from the opposite direction.
  • Distracted drivers: Drivers who are not fully focused on driving.
  • Slow down: To reduce the speed of a vehicle.

Practice Tips

For effective learning, consider using a shadowing app to replay sections of the video at a pace that feels comfortable for you. Listen carefully to how the speaker describes the experiences in Vietnamese traffic. Pay attention to the speed and tone of their voice, which can be quite rapid in places. Shadowspeak is a powerful method to enhance your pronunciation and intonation—try repeating phrases immediately after hearing them. Focus on the delivery rather than just the words alone to grasp the natural flow of English speech.

As you practice, aim to incorporate the key vocabulary into your spoken responses, whether you're practicing with a partner or using a language learning site. Including real-world contexts such as riding a scooter in Vietnam makes your IELTS speaking practice more relatable and exciting. By integrating language learning with engaging content like learn English with YouTube, you create a rich environment for developing your English skills.

Remember, repetition is crucial. Don’t hesitate to pause and rewind parts of the video that challenge you. Whether it be intricate traffic maneuvers or quick conversation exchanges, consistent practice will strengthen your understanding and fluency over time.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee