Shadowing Practice: Learn English While Getting a Haircut in Vietnam 💇 | Barbershop Vocabulary | Comprehensible Input - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Good morning!
2
Dizzy.
3
Dizzy.
4
I feel dizzy.
5
Good morning you beautiful people and welcome.
6
This is my first ever V-Lock and today I'm going to get my hair cut.
7
I'm going to take you guys with me and teach you English using the world around me.
8
I've got my bag on, I'm ready to go.
9
Let's go get a haircut.
10
Here we go.
11
Hello.
12
I'm putting on my helmet to protect my head and with one hand I'm fastening the strap.
13
Good to go.
14
Key.
15
I'm putting the key in the ignition and turning it.
16
I am setting off on my journey.
17
We have arrived.
18
Viking Barbershop.
19
A barber shop is a hairdresser for men and a hairdresser for women would be a salon.
20
This bike is parked.
21
These bikes are parked.
22
They are stationary.
23
They are still.
24
Alright, let's go. for my free coffee.
25
So I'm here getting my hair cut and we would say to get a haircut not to cut your hair.
26
If you say I'm going to cut my hair it means that you're going to cut it yourself.
27
When you go to a barber shop, when you go to a hairdresser's you say I'm going to get a haircut or I'm going to have a haircut.
28
Soon in the future I will have a haircut.
29
So right now I am sitting in the barber chair.
30
In front of me there is the sink and we have all the different tools, the equipment.
31
This is wax, hair wax.
32
This is a brush for your hair.
33
These are clippers.
34
Clippers, clippers.
35
These little things are called figurines.
36
You've got three Spider-Man figurines, Iron Man figurine and Goku there.
37
On the wall we have stickers.
38
The stickers are stuck to the wall.
39
Tuan, the man.
40
Yes bro.
41
Okay, about to get my long hair cut.
42
Now is blow drying my hair with the hair dryer.
43
Alright, leaving the barbershop and walking out into the busy, hot Vietnam streets.
44
I am in the city of Da Nang.
45
I've just spotted a fruit market over there so I'm gonna go grab some fruits.
46
I'm just waiting for a safe moment to cross the road.
47
In Vietnam when crossing a road you have to be opportunistic.
48
What does that mean?
49
It means to take an opportunity when it arrives just like now I'm gonna be opportunistic.
50
It could be borderline dangerous.
51
You never know what's coming in Vietnam but we made it.
52
I'm across the road.
53
So look here we have a little fruit market.
54
We got some avocados looking very green and beautiful.
55
The oranges, so these are clementines or tangerines.
56
Here we have guava in the packets.
57
It's in a plastic packaging.
58
These are I believe bell fruits.
59
Bell fruits.
60
Coming this way.
61
I'm not sure what these little things are.
62
No idea.
63
Looks like a small apple.
64
Grapes here.
65
These are bunches of grapes.
66
Next to the grapes we have the dragon fruits.
67
These are white dragon fruits.
68
Inside the flesh is white.
69
Over here, inside the flesh of these bad boys is red.
70
The red dragon fruits and the white dragon fruits.
71
On the outside the skin looks kind of the same, but I've lived in Vietnam long enough to know my red dragon fruit from my white dragon fruit.
72
Everything looks beautiful.
73
It all looks very colourful.
74
Very colourful.
75
You could say a rainbow of colours.
76
Anyway, I'm going to buy some now.
77
I want to buy some avocados.
78
I'm testing these.
79
They're very firm, very hard.
80
They're not yet ripe.
81
When a fruit is ripe, it means it's soft, it's fresh, ready to eat.
82
One of the two one one one one one one one one one Feeling good?
83
Let's move.
84
Look how fresh my haircut is.
85
The attention to detail that my barber Tuan pays is phenomenal.
86
He's meticulous.
87
Meticulous.
88
What does that mean?
89
He takes care when he does something.
90
Every single detail is important to him.
91
He is meticulous.
92
He's trimmed my eyebrows before I had a monobrow.
93
Time to hop back on my motorbike.
94
We're going to go to a new location.
95
So we're going on a little walk under the bridge here.
96
I'm going to walk through the bridge.
97
So all this area is shaded.
98
It's protected from the sun.
99
And I don't know if you can hear that, but when I speak like this,
100
the sound bounces back off the walls.
101
Do you know what that's called?
102
that is called an echo echo echo echo echo let's take a walk through the gate
103
and up the stairs right now i am walking up the
104
stairs i was just talking past continuous i was talking to you about the echoes
105
and now i'm walking present continuous i am walking up the stairs On either side of me,
106
on either side, there is loud traffic.
107
Look at that.
108
It's a cool yellow van.
109
That's a yellow van.
110
And there was a man smoking a cigarette and he was very curious about what I was doing.
111
What the hell is that white man doing in 40 degree heat?
112
Well, good question.
113
I have no idea.
114
Hey guys, what would be really useful for you guys when watching these videos?
115
When you hear new vocabulary, when you hear me speak something that you have not heard before,
116
maybe it will be a skyscraper, then it would be great if you could put that in your own sentence, or if you could shadow me.
117
So basically when you hear me speak a new word that you have not heard before, shadow me.
118
Practice speaking that word.
119
Then not only are you learning the new word in context, but you're also producing it in context.
120
And this is basically going to boost the efficiency of these videos
121
if you can do your part and put a little bit of effort in in producing the language
122
as well as receiving it as well as listening to it and watching these videos.
123
I'm showing you guys the beautiful Da Nang River.
124
This is called the Han River.
125
There is the Dragon Bridge.
126
I'm very lucky to live in Da Nang, Vietnam.
127
If you're watching this and you're from Da Nang, then let me know in the comments.
128
I would love to know where you guys are from.
129
Right now, I'm going to head back to my bike, go home and take a shower before my English class.
130
Comment now, where are you from in the world?
131
I'm very curious.
132
I would love to know.
133
Now, make sure to like this video,
134
subscribe, hit that notification bell so you will be notified when I upload a brand new video.

Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

This engaging video titled "Learn English While Getting a Haircut in Vietnam" provides a unique opportunity for learners to immerse themselves in real-life conversational English. During a visit to a barbershop, the speaker uses everyday situations to teach vocabulary and phrases relevant to personal grooming. By incorporating this context, learners can better grasp how to apply these expressions in their daily lives.

Practicing speaking with this video allows you to:

  • Develop Vocabulary: Learn specific terms related to haircuts and barbershop experiences, enriching your English lexicon.
  • Enhance Contextual Understanding: Understand the social dynamics and situational context in which specific phrases are used.
  • Improve Listening Skills: Familiarize yourself with natural speech patterns and intonation through a practical and engaging scenario.

Using the shadowing technique demonstrated in the video can significantly help you improve your English pronunciation, while also allowing you to learn English with YouTube in a fun and interactive manner.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, the speaker employs several key grammatical structures and expressions that English learners should note:

  • Saying “get a haircut”: This expression implies visiting a barber or hairdresser, which is a common phrase among native speakers. Understanding its usage is essential for proper communication.
  • Using “I am going to” + [verb]: The speaker says, “I am going to get my haircut,” which effectively communicates future intentions. This structure is widely used in both spoken and written English.
  • Descriptive Language: The speaker describes items in the barbershop, such as “hair wax” and “clippers.” Using adjectives and nouns together enhances your descriptive vocabulary, making your conversation more engaging.

By practicing these structures through the video, you lay a strong foundation for your IELTS speaking practice and informal conversations.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While watching the video, learners may encounter some pronunciation challenges:

  • “Dizzy”: The speaker uses this word at the beginning, which may be difficult for some non-native speakers. It’s important to practice the 'z' sound followed by the 'y'.
  • “Barbershop”: The compound word features a blend of sounds that can trip up English learners. Focus on the correct cadence when pronouncing this term.
  • “Hair dryer” and “clippers”: These words contain vowel sounds that are easy to mispronounce. Repeating them aloud can help cement the correct sounds.

By actively practicing these terms while shadowing the speaker, you can effectively enhance your speaking abilities and overcome common pronunciation pitfalls. Integrating this aural practice will lead to more confident communication and better listening comprehension in everyday 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.