Shadowing Practice: Why are so many Foreigners leaving Da Nang? - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Moving from a Western country to Vietnam is a massive shift.
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People from all over the world are moving to Da Nang in search of a better lifestyle, but not everyone feels like they can fit in here.
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I've been living in Vietnam for seven years now, so I want to talk about some of the habits
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and routines that I have that make Vietnam feel more like home and not somewhere that I'm just visiting.
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The goal is to feel like you're not just a tourist on vacation forever.
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So my first tip is become a regular at a local coffee shop.
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There's a bunch of cool fancy coffee shops all over town and those are great every once in a while.
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You should try to find the most casual local joint walking distance from your house.
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It's a great feeling when you show up, see a familiar face behind the counter.
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Staff recognize you so you don't even need to order but they already know what you're drinking.
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A place like this is fundamentally different than a coffee shop with a bunch of foreigners working on laptops with headphones in.
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Most foreigners are going to have trouble feeling like they fit into the community when they first arrive.
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It was a good place to start.
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And believe it or not, the coffee is probably better here too.
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This next tip is going to sound very obvious, but hear me out.
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You've got to go to the beach.
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Now you're probably thinking that's the main reason I want to move there.
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Of course I'm going to go to the beach every day.
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You think you're going to go to the beach every day, and you might go a lot at first.
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The longer you're here, you can start to take the beach for granted
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if you don't make an effort to make it a part of your routine.
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When I first moved to Da Nang, I lived walking distance from the beach and I would go probably four or five times a week.
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Then I moved to the city side, so now I'm about a ten minute motorbike drive away.
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I didn't think that would make any difference at all, but now weeks go by and I realize I haven't gone to the beach.
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I used to think it was a me problem.
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I would make excuses like, oh, I'm too busy.
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I'm not too busy.
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I make YouTube videos for a living.
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I technically don't have to do anything.
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But a lot of my friends that have lived here for a long time, they all say they wish they went to the beach more often.
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So lately I try to make it a habit, go to the beach at least once a week no matter what.
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Usually no camera, just have a drink, throw up the hammock, quick dip in the water.
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The beach is clearly one of the best parts about living here and it's a good reminder that life is good.
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There's nothing to be stressed about.
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Now let's talk about the language.
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Learning Vietnamese is probably the biggest factor to how comfortably you can live in Vietnam long term.
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I'll be honest with you, Vietnamese is hard.
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There's no shortcuts, there's no easy way around it.
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But I'm not telling you to become fluent.
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learn some of the basics.
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Start real slow and you'll improve over time.
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A little bit goes a long way.
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I've spent years trying to learn Vietnamese.
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I've taken one-to-one lessons with teachers.
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I try to interact in Vietnamese whenever possible and I'm still nowhere near where I want to be.
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But I can at least have basic conversations with anybody I come across.
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I'm comfortable to navigate tricky situations.
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I can talk to my neighbors.
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I feel like everyone treats me normally rather than just with a random foreigner that lives on the block.
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Vietnamese people are easily impressed.
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A couple words and phrases here and there is gonna show them that you're making an effort.
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From their perspective, 99% of foreigners can't speak one word of Vietnamese.
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So simple, Chiao Kho, or hello, auntie, is gonna prove to them that you're not just a tourist passing through for a few days.
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So my advice is to start learning as soon as possible.
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A lot of people think they're just gonna pick it up along the way.
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It's not really how it works.
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There's a lot of different options for learning.
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You can find a private teacher.
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You can go to a language school.
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There's language exchange meetups.
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If you put in some effort, you'll start to make progress.
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It could be the one thing that makes or breaks your experience here.
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By the way, this is called Nook Mia, sugar cane juice.
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Highly recommend it on a hot day.
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The weather's taken a bit of a turn.
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I really hope this doesn't ruin my day today.
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Something that will ruin your day is buying an overpriced SIM card from the airport that stops working after a few days.
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So I've been recommending eSIMs for years now, and I've used Airlo in at least seven different countries.
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They're the leading eSIM company worldwide, and they've got data packages in more than 200 destinations.
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eSIMs are 100% digital.
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You don't need a physical SIM card.
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You just download the Aerolo app, choose a package.
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You'll be set up with data in minutes.
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I've got a discount code you can use.
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Enter Travis T3.
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You'll get $3 off your first eSIM.
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You don't need to wait in line to pick up a sketchy SIM card from the airport.
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Just use an eSIM from Aerolo and your data is automatically going to connect the moment you land in a new country.
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I'll have my link and code down in the description or you can scan the QR code over here.
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So download Aerolo today.
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Use the code Travis T3.
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You'll get $3 off your first eSIM.
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Let's hope this weather clears up and go whack some golf balls.
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Let's talk about some activities you can get involved with.
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I like drinking beers on the beach as much as the next guy.
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Alright, let's be honest.
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I probably like it more than the next guy.
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But believe it or not, drinking beers on the beach can get old pretty quickly.
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So I try to stay active, keep myself real busy with a lot of different hobbies.
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That way when I do start drinking, I feel like I've earned it.
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We throw a big group party for my travel group every month.
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I tend to get pretty loose at those things.
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So if you are moving to Danai, check out the group.
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It's going to help you get settled in.
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You can meet a lot of interesting people.
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And there's plenty of activities you can get involved in.
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So I've recently got hooked on golf.
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I come to the driving range almost every single day.
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I play at the indoor simulators occasionally.
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Try to get a round in at the course here and there.
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But you don't have to play golf.
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I used to think golf was boring too.
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There's also badminton, pickleball, beach volleyball, jujitsu, whatever you're into, there's gonna be a group in Da Nang doing that thing.
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It also doesn't have to be something athletic.
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There's art classes, board game cafes.
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You can also volunteer your time.
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You can visit local orphanages, teach an English class for Vietnamese kids, or join a beach cleanup project.
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These are all great ways to find some purpose here and actually contribute something to the local community.
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I think having a couple of things like this in your weekly routine makes a massive difference when you're living here.
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You start seeing the same people every week.
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You can make friends naturally.
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You want to have some planned events on your calendar
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that don't involve just going to get something to eat or getting pissed.
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Moving somewhere like Da Nang is probably going to give you a lot more time and freedom.
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It's up to you what you want to do with that.
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The beach and cheap beers are great, but they're not going to fulfill you long term.
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Just like that, look how quickly the weather can change.
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Summer ain't done with us yet.
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So listen, there's a reason why everyone's talking about Da Nang lately.
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This place is pretty awesome.
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Seems like it's the trendiest city in the world right now.
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And there's a lot of foreigners that are moving here expecting this to be the long-term play.
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But then some people don't end up lasting very long.
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And the reasons people leave are usually not what you expect.
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It's not because the prices have gone up or there's too much construction noise.
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It's usually because people didn't find community.
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They felt like outsiders.
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Of course there's plenty of things to complain about.
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No city in the world is perfect.
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But if you're willing to accept Vietnam's flaws, you're going to realize there's way more pros than cons.
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There's plenty of people, including me, that absolutely love Da Nam.
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There's nowhere in the world I would rather live.
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So what is the difference?
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Why do some people fall in love with this place, but for others it never really clicks?
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I think you have to make an effort to build a life here with hobbies
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and routines that make you excited to get out of bed every day.
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You gotta find some purpose and you gotta get involved with the local community.
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You don't want to end up living like a tourist on vacation.
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You want to build a life here that you don't need a vacation from.
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I really appreciate you guys watching till the end.
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See you in the next video over here.
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Peace.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Why are so many Foreigners leaving Da Nang?”. This video has 142 sentences and 1649 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:21. The speaker talks fast, about 197 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| foreigner noun | /ˈfɔɹ.ɪ.nɚ/ | A person from a foreign country. |
| hobby noun | /ˈhɑ.bi/ | An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time. |
| auntie noun | /ˈæn.ti/ | Term of familiarity or respect for a middle-aged or elderly woman. |
| badminton noun | /ˈbæd.mɪn.tən/ | A racquet sport played indoors on a court by two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs of players (doubles), in which a shuttlecock is volleyed over… |
| hammock noun | /ˈhæmək/ | A swinging couch or bed, usually made of netting or canvas about six feet (1.8 meters) wide, suspended by clews or cords at the ends. |
| jujitsu noun | /ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/ | A Japanese martial art and method of self-defence, typically unarmed, emphasizing manipulating an opponent’s force against themselves rather than directly… |
| meetup noun | /ˈmitˌʌp/ | An arranged informal meeting. |
| motorbike verb | /ˈmoʊtɚˌbaɪk/ | To ride a motorbike; to travel by motorbike. |
| orphanage noun | /ˈɔː(ɹ)fənɪd͡ʒ/ | A residential institution for the care and protection of orphans. |
| overpriced adjective | Priced higher than its real worth. | |
| pickleball noun | A racquet sport resembling tennis, played with solid paddles and a perforated ball, which combines elements of badminton, table tennis and wiffleball. | |
| shortcut noun | /ˈʃɔːtkʌt/ | A path between two points that is faster than the commonly used paths. |
| sketchy adjective | /ˈskɛt͡ʃi/ | Roughly or hastily laid out; intended for later refinement. |
| trendy adjective | /ˈtɹɛndi/ | Of, or in accordance with the latest trend, fashion or hype. |
| fluent adjective | /ˈfluənt/ | That flows; flowing, liquid. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| get off verb | To move from being on top of (something) to not being on top of it. | |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| clear up verb | /klɪəˈɹʌp/ | To clarify, to correct a misconception. |
| come across verb | To change sides; to cross over to work for the opposition. | |
| drive away verb | To force someone or something to leave | |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. | |
| go up verb | To move upwards. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You've got to go to the beach.
- I would make excuses like, oh, I'm too busy.
- I technically don't have to do anything.
- Start real slow and you'll improve over time.
- I've taken one-to-one lessons with teachers.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been living · I've been recommending |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to think |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't gone · have lived · I've spent |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be stressed · are easily impressed · is called |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 62 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: simulator /ˈsɪmjəˌleɪtɚ/, technically /ˈtɛk.nɪˌkəl.i/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like foreigner, hobby, auntie.
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.