Shadowing Practice: September 2nd: Vietnamese National Day - Learn English Speaking with Video
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35 sentences
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1
The National Day of Vietnam marks the Declaration of Independence from France on September 2, 1945.
2
Let's take a look at the history of Vietnamese National Day.
3
Vietnam's history dates back to ancient kingdoms like Van Lang and U Lạc.
4
Chinese control began around the 2nd century BC and lasted for over a thousand years.
5
In 1887, Vietnam became part of French Indochina.
6
During the Second World War, Vietnam was occupied by the Japanese.
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The end of the war was followed by the August Revolution.
8
On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, or North Vietnam.
9
The Vietnamese Declaration of Independence drew heavily from the American version.
10
In 1959, the Vietnam War began when Ho Chi Minh declared war in an effort to reunite Vietnam.
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The war ended in 1973 with a ceasefire and the withdrawal of US troops.
12
In 1976, the two halves of Vietnam were finally united into one country, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
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Despite these monumentous events, September 2 remains the key date in Vietnam's road to independence.
14
To celebrate Vietnam's National Day, there are speeches, parades, fireworks and other festivities across the country.
15
A large march takes place in Ba Đi Nh Square in Hanoi, where the Declaration of Independence was made made.
16
This is a patriotic holiday, with the national flag displayed everywhere and large posters of Ho Chi Minh, also known as Uncle Ho, adorning city walls.
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To mark this important holiday, here are some interesting facts about Vietnam.
18
The Vietnamese flag is a yellow star on a red background.
19
The star represents the five main classes in society – intellectuals, farmers, workers, youth and military personnel.
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The red background represents the blood lost during years of conflict in the country.
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40% of the Vietnamese population have the surname Nguyen.
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Nguyen was the name of the last dynasty to rule Vietnam, as well as the name of Ho Chi Minh.
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Cashew plants were brought to Vietnam during the 19th century and were originally grown in gardens to provide shade.
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Today, Vietnam is the world's largest exporter of cashew nuts,
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producing more than 55% of the global supply and makes well over $2 billion a year from the industry.
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The country has one of the world's highest motorbike ownership rates.
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There are more than 60 million motorbikes in the country.
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The population is around 90 million.
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Vietnam is home to the world's largest cave, Hang Song Dong.
30
Stretching for over three miles, Hang Song Dong is a natural marble.
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In parts, it's wide enough to fly a Boeing 747 through,
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and many of the cave's chambers are large enough to house an entire block of New York City skyscrapers.
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Vietnam is the cheapest place in the world to grab a beer, thanks to the Vietnamese institution of Bia Hói.
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You'll have to sit on tiny plastic stools on busy sidewalks, but you'll get a glass of beer for around 20 cents.
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You may even get a buy one get one free offer if you visit during happy hour.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 35 sentences and 497 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:36. The speaker talks at a steady 138 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| chamber noun | /ˈt͡ʃeɪ̯mbɚ/ | The private room of an individual, especially of someone wealthy or noble. |
| worker noun | /ˈwɝ.kɚ/ | One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor. |
| establishment noun | /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/ | The act or process of establishing; a ratifying or ordaining; settlement; confirmation. |
| institution noun | /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/ | A long-established organization or type of organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work. |
| ownership noun | /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/ | The state of having complete legal control of something; possession; proprietorship. |
| stretch verb | /stɹɛt͡ʃ/ | To lengthen by pulling. |
| intellectual adjective | /ˌɪntəˈlɛkt͡ʃʊəl/ | Pertaining to, or performed by, the intellect; mental or cognitive. |
| cave noun | /keɪv/ | A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside. |
| poster noun | /ˈpoʊstɚ/ | A picture of a celebrity, an event etc., intended to be attached to a wall. |
| parade noun | /pəˈrɑd/ | Synonym of military parade: A show of troops, an assembly of troops as a show of force, to receive orders, or especially for inspection at set times. |
| shade noun | /ʃeɪd/ | Darkness where light, particularly sunlight, is blocked. |
| farmer noun | /ˈfɑɹ.mɚ/ | A person who works the land and/or who keeps livestock; anyone engaged in agriculture on a farm. |
| declare verb | /dɪˈklɛɚ/ | To assert or announce formally, officially, explicitly, or emphatically. |
| withdrawal noun | /wɪðˈdɹɔ(ə)l/ | Receiving from someone's care what one has earlier entrusted to them. Usually refers to money. |
| marble noun | /ˈmɑɹ.bəl/ | A metamorphic rock of crystalline limestone. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/, institution /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/, ownership /ˈoʊnɚʃɪp/, shade /ʃeɪd/, cashew /ˈkæʃuː/
- Long words — get the stress right: establishment /ɪˈstæb.lɪʃ.mənt/, institution /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/, intellectual /ˌɪntəˈlɛkt͡ʃʊəl/, patriotic /peɪ.tɹiˈɑ.tɪk/, festivity /fɛˈstɪvəti/
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 chamber, worker, establishment.
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.