Shadowing Practice: This is why Starbucks Struggles in Vietnam - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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This is a coffee shop in Vietnam.
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This is a Vietnamese coffee.
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This is also a Vietnamese coffee.
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Hi, I'm Han, a 32-year-old local.
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Here, coffee is everything.
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Let me take you on a tour of some of the most unique coffee shops in Vietnam.
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Unlike many international chains, most people buy their coffee from small local cafes that have been serving the neighborhood for years.
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Vietnamese coffee is much bolder, stronger, with an intense flavor, while people enjoy Starbucks flavor.
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Many locals find it milder than the coffee they're used to drinking every day.
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A traditional cup of Vietnamese coffee costs only one dollar,
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making it affordable enough for many people to enjoy every day.
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The coffee culture focuses on its simplicity.
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Just a few plastic chairs and a small, simple space are often enough for people to sit down,
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enjoy a cup of coffee, and spend time together.
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For many Vietnamese people, the coffee itself is only part of the experience.
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What really matters is the conversation.
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People gather over a cup of coffee to catch up on daily life.
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On my way to the next coffee destination, I couldn't help but stop and show you this.
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This sea of motorbikes might look overwhelming at first, but it's completely normal in Vietnam.
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Instead of a cafe at street level, this one is hidden inside an old apartment building.
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To get there, you have to get to the seventh floor.
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Half the experience is simply finding the cafe.
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And once you reach the top, you're rewarded with a completely different atmosphere.
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Egg coffee is one of Vietnam's most unique coffee drinks.
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It begins with a layer of condensed milk, followed by fresh milk.
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Freshly brewed coffee is then poured into the cup.
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Before it is finished with a thick layer of whipped egg yolk. In some coffee shops,
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a thin layer of sugar is sprinkled over the foam before the staff uses a small torch to caramelize the top.
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This creates a light, crispy layer that contrasts with the soft, creamy foam underneath.
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Coffee was born out of necessity.
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In the 1940s, fresh milk was scarce in Vietnam,
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so a bartender in Hanoi whipped egg yolks with sugar and condensed milk as a substitute.
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The result became one of Vietnam's most iconic coffee drinks.
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First, you need to break the top with a spoon.
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The traditional way to enjoy egg coffee is not to stir it immediately.
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Instead, take a spoonful of the creamy egg foam first, then sip the strong coffee underneath.
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As you continue drinking, the two gradually blend together,
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balancing the bitterness of the coffee with the sweetness and richness of the egg cream.
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Combined with the strong coffee below, the drink offers a rich texture and a unique flavor that many visitors have never experienced before.
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Rather than covering up the building's age, the owners have embraced it.
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The peeling walls, exposed concrete, and weathered textures have all been left intact, giving the space a vintage,
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lived-in character that tells the story of the building itself.
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This old apartment is home to dozens of small cafes,
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boutiques, and local shops, so exploring the building becomes part of the experience itself.
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The entire cafe feels like a small rainforest, filled with hanging plants, wooden paths, and dense greenery.
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Every corner has a different backdrop, which is why people love walking around and taking photos here.
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In Vietnam, cafes like this are not only about the coffee, they are also places to explore, relax, and create memories.
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One of the most popular photo spots at this coffee shop
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is a small boat floating on a pond covered with colorful flowers.
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Many young people come here to take photos and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
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When it was my turn to get into the boat, I honestly felt a little nervous.
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Looking at its small size, I wasn't sure if it could support someone my size.
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Sitting here makes me understand why many women love taking photos.
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I almost feel like a princess sitting in the middle of the pond.
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Many coffee shop owners invest heavily in large spaces,
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beautiful landscapes, and creative designs to create memorable experiences for their customers.
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Many people visit these coffee shops to escape the busy city and enjoy the peaceful scenery.
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It's a beautiful place.
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It's a beautiful place.
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It's a beautiful place.
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It's beautiful.
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It's beautiful.
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It's beautiful.
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It's beautiful.
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For many Vietnamese people, taking beautiful photos has become an important reason to visit these coffee shops.
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Many customers come not only to relax, but also to capture memorable moments and share them on social media.
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Moving on to a different location where coffee is the main focus.
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Another traditional way of making coffee in Vietnam is called Sok Coffee.
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Instead of using a metal filter or a modern coffee machine, the coffee is brewed through a cloth filter.
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The barista first places ground coffee inside the cloth filter before slowly pouring hot water over it.
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The coffee is then gently stirred to help release more flavor as it passes through the cloth filter into the container below.
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Although the process is slower than modern brewing methods,
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many people enjoy watching each step because it reflects the care and patience behind every cup.
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For many coffee lovers, Sok coffee is not only about the taste, but also about experiencing one of Vietnam's traditional brewing methods.
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This cup is about $1.70, while a drink at Starbucks usually costs roughly two times more.
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For the price of one Starbucks coffee, many Vietnamese people could buy two or even three cups from a local cafe.
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And because the local coffee is often brewed with bold Vietnamese Robusta beans,
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many customers already feel they're getting the stronger flavor they prefer, at a much lower price.
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After all that coffee, it was finally time to grab a local meal.
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One of Vietnam's most unique food traditions is eating snails.
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While the idea of eating snails might sound unusual to many visitors, it's incredibly popular here.
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The vendor is right here on the sidewalk, squatting beside a small stove and cooking every dish by hand.
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She works with only a few pots, metal bowls, and simple ingredients arranged around her.
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Customers can watch everything being prepared just a few feet away.
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This is stir-fried razor clams with instant noodles, a dish that's incredibly popular at local seafood restaurants a dish that's incredibly popular at local seafood restaurants.
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The noodles soak up all the savory juices from the clams, while fresh vegetables add a bit of crunch,
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creating a simple but satisfying meal that's perfect for sharing.
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Another favorite is salted egg yolk spotted Babylon snails.
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The snails are coated in a rich buttery salted egg sauce that's creamy, slightly sweet, and packed with umami.
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It's messy to eat, but that's part of the fun.
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Seafood restaurants like this are where friends and families gather after work, ordering a table full of dishes to share.
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Just like coffee, the food is only part of the experience.
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The real attraction is spending hours talking, laughing, and enjoying a meal together.
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One thing I love is how affordable it is.
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For around $2 a dish, you can order several different kinds of snails and share them with three or four people.
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Instead of everyone ordering their own meal, the whole table gets to sample a variety of flavors,
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making it a fun and surprisingly inexpensive dining experience.
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Steamed clams with lemongrass.
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Grilled scallops with cheese.
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Squid teeth in a spicy butter sauce,
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stir-fried noodles with razor clams, steamed swimming crab.
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What Starbucks discovered is that Vietnam already had one of the world's richest coffee cultures long before it arrived.
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All cafes offer stronger coffee,
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lower prices, unique spaces, and deeply rooted traditions that have been part of everyday life for generations.
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In Vietnam, coffee isn't just a drink.
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It's a ritual, a social gathering, and an important part of the culture.
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So the story isn't about Starbucks losing.
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It's about entering a market where coffee was already deeply woven into people's lives.
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And perhaps that's the biggest lesson of all.
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Even one of the world's most recognizable brands can't simply replace a tradition that millions of people already love.
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Thank you so much for watching, and I'll see you in the next video.
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What You'll Practice in This Lesson
Get ready to dive into a fun, real-world English lesson using a video about Vietnam's vibrant coffee culture! You'll practice understanding conversational English, picking up new vocabulary related to food, culture, and daily life, and even try shadowing to improve your pronunciation. By the end, you'll feel more confident following stories about unique places and traditions—plus, you'll learn how to talk about your own favorite cafes!
Key Vocabulary & Phrases to Learn
- Bold (flavor): Strong and intense, like "Vietnamese coffee is bolder than many international blends."
- Condensed milk: Thick, sweet milk used in drinks—try saying, "Egg coffee starts with a layer of condensed milk."
- Caramelize: To cook sugar until it's golden and sweet, as in "They caramelize the sugar with a torch."
- Vintage: Having an old, charming style—describe a space as "vintage with peeling walls and exposed concrete."
- Backdrop: A scenic background, like "Every corner has a different backdrop for photos."
Tips for Shadowing Practice
The video's tone is friendly and conversational, with a natural pace—perfect for shadowing! Here's how to practice: Start by watching the video once to get the story. Then, play short clips (5-10 seconds) and repeat them immediately, copying the speaker's rhythm and intonation. Focus on words like "overwhelming" or "creamy"—notice how the speaker stresses certain syllables. For tricky phrases, use a shadowing app to slow down the audio and practice until it feels smooth. Apps like Shadowspeak can help you compare your pronunciation to the original, making it easier to improve. Remember, shadowing isn't just about copying—it's about feeling the flow of English. The more you practice with videos like this, the more natural your speaking will sound. So grab your coffee, hit play, and let's start shadowing!
Learning English with YouTube is a great way to connect with real stories and cultures—this video about Vietnam's cafes is just the beginning. Keep practicing, and soon you'll be describing your own favorite spots in fluent, confident English!
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 hidden · is finished · is sprinkled |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have never experienced · have embraced · has become |
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.