Shadowing Practice: I'm Happier Living in Da Nang, Vietnam than LA - Here's Why - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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My second week here in Vietnam, I'm already DJing at Maya Beach Club, which is one of the most popular beach clubs here.
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And I was like, wow, all I did was just walk in and get an email.
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Santa Monica and Venice, like, they're cool, but this here has like, just the water is just a lot cleaner.
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Man, my life now abroad is just, I think it's everything I asked for.
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Whether it's where I'm living, the rent I'm paying, the food I'm eating, the friends I'm making.
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Physically, I'm always working out and taking care of my body in my body, it's just been a whole lot easier.
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I just kinda tell people like, you have to just try it.
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Explore the world cause you'll find the place for you.
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Yo, what's up, my name is Marlon, also known as DJ Throwback.
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I'm 37, I'm from Los Angeles, California.
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Grew up in South Bay, Harbor City.
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I've been living in California my whole life.
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I never went away to school or for college or anything like that.
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So I just knew it was like, long overdue.
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Cause I just always knew I wanted something more for myself.
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I feel like I've done everything I possibly could.
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Party, DJ, hangout.
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Staying there was just gonna stunt my growth.
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A friend from LA recommended you should go check out Da Nang, it's a beach vibe.
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You know, it's very similar to back home.
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I think you can make a name for yourself out there.
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I would say my first month was a little like, like I said, it's gonna take the first month to kinda get familiar.
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The language barrier was kinda hard, as well as like sometimes you do get stared at a lot, you know what I mean?
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So I don't know if it's a good stare, or a curious stare, or whatever, but it was happening a lot.
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But then, you know, when you actually just start talking to people, whether it is through Google Translate, you kind of just be like,
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they're just interested, and you just want to get to know you and see who you are and what brought you here.
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People aren't really standoffish here.
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They're pretty open and friendly.
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So open your mouth and say, hey.
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I think the main difference is that being here is just way more affordable.
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The stuff that we try to do and want to do in Cali, like we can't, it's going to cost.
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Like what it calls for parking, gas, traffic, getting there.
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It's not gonna just be an easy, just get there.
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It's gonna have like some things to make you think like do I really wanna go?
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So here it's just way simpler and it's just the price that works for me.
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I think it's what everybody back home in Cali thinks we should be paying for, for this type of lifestyle.
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Yo, what's up?
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Welcome to the crib.
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Yeah, so this is the kitchen.
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Kitchen yet, however you would call it.
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I mean, I can still cook.
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Got the portable stove.
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Also got a rice cooker down here too.
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And all this is, it's a brand new building, so everything is fully furnished.
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I didn't have to bring none of this stuff.
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We have a nice little walk-in bathroom.
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Very spacious, and we have good water pressure.
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Just because it has a nice shower doesn't mean the pressure's gonna be good.
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And then this is like my creating space.
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This is my DJ controller that I brought from home and I'll practice with.
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This neighborhood is pretty dope.
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It's all pretty much new buildings.
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It's a lot of ex-packs and tourists living here.
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There's at least seven coffee shops within walking distance,
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seven to eight 24-hour grocery stores walking distance as well.
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My main cellar that brought me here was a park that's like two blocks over
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and that's kind of my other spot that I worked out if I'm not at the beach.
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It's nice, but there is construction everywhere and that's just because they're building the place up.
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So just be aware, like if you're going to look for a place, visit it in the daytime and the the nighttime.
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If you're somebody who always wants it quiet, it may not be the place for you just because they're building it.
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I haven't found any place in Vietnam and Da Nang that's not got construction.
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Those are just the facts.
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To get in the building is facial recognition, so it's high tech.
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Even to get in my door, there's no key, it's just my fingerprint or it's a code.
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We're living in the future and it's affordable.
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I definitely can't get this back home for the price I'm paying, which is less than $500.
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I think I was paying, what, 40 bucks for the month to rent a motorbike.
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Almost like living the life of a grandifado, like riding a motorbike, cheap food, like you can't really do that back home.
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Being able to be car free this long is crazy.
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I didn't think I could be car free, but I'm getting around with my bike and it's perfect.
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Everything's always gonna be cheaper than in LA.
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Back home I was like kind of a caregiver for my grandmother and my uncle at one point.
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And then I was still DJing on the weekends and making good money in like Newport Beach and South Central and LA, different parts of LA.
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So I was really working with a lot of good clients.
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And even when it comes to the wedding scene, I was making good money with weddings.
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But it was just becoming so repetitive, and I just wanted something bigger.
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Like, I don't want to just be known as LA.
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I want to be internationally known.
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You know what I mean?
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Like, I want to learn other music.
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I want to learn other cultures.
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This was a video game.
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I just want to keep adding more points to my character.
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Well, he has LA down.
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That's like only just one part.
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This is a whole planet, a whole world, so don't sell yourself short.
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If you decided to leave and try somewhere new, like, just trust that it's gonna work itself out.
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You have to know that you bet it on yourself.
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Just wait for the bet to make its money.
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A lot of people are just scared to even buy a plane ticket.
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Some people are even scared to leave their hometown.
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Traveling and going to another country is like, the real life adulting.
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Like, all the stuff you learn from school and college, it's like, all right, cool.
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Now, let's see how much of an adult you are without anybody holding your hand
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and I'm gonna drop you off somewhere foreign, let you go and figure it out.
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You really will grow as a person.
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You'll be like, wow, I'm not the same adult as I was when I left versus where I am now.
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If I do three months, that's fine.
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If I do six months, then that's good.
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If I do a year, we did it, we made it.
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That means we can keep going.
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If you committed to a job that you weren't sure about, if you committed to a school that you weren't sure about, you can do it, you can commit to a country and explore.
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Because you'll meet other first time travelers here.
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It's just like, yo, we just figuring it out.
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A lot of us have success stories from figuring it out.
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Hitting that one year mark was like, yeah, we did it.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice listening to and speaking English through a relatable narrative about living abroad in Da Nang, Vietnam. By engaging with the content, you will enhance your listening comprehension and speaking skills through a method commonly known as shadowspeak. This technique allows you to imitate the speaker's tone, rhythm, and pronunciation, helping you develop a natural flow in your English speaking. You'll learn about cultural differences, personal experiences, and the excitement of exploring new places, which can provide meaningful context for your language practice.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • DJing: The act of playing recorded music for an audience.
  • Beach Club: A venue located near the beach that typically includes amenities for relaxation and entertainment.
  • Language Barrier: Difficulties faced when people speak different languages.
  • Affordability: The quality of being within one's financial means.
  • Curious Stare: A look from someone who is interested or intrigued.
  • Furnished: Describing living spaces that come with essential furniture and appliances.
  • Water Pressure: The strength of water flow from faucets or showers.
  • Create Space: A designated area for creative work, such as music production.

Practice Tips

When practicing with this video, focus on the speed and tone of the speaker, who shares heartfelt insights about his life in Vietnam. To effectively utilize the shadow speech technique, try the following:

  • Listen First: Play the video without repeating anything. Just absorb the content and familiarize yourself with the speaker’s delivery.
  • Shadow the Speaker: After your initial listening, replay sections and start mimicking the speaker right after they finish a sentence. This helps you match their speed and cadence while speaking.
  • Focus on Intonation: Pay attention to how the speaker emphasizes certain words and phrases. Make sure to infuse similar emotions and life into your own speech.
  • Pace Yourself: If the speaker talks too quickly, pause the video and repeat phrases at your own speed. Gradually build up to matching their tempo.
  • Use Tools: Utilize Google Translate for vocabulary assistance or subtitles available in the video for reference. This can solidify your understanding of context while you practice learn English with YouTube.

By incorporating these strategies into your practice routine, you'll become more comfortable speaking English and gain confidence in various social contexts.

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.