Get the app

Shadowing practice: Traveling to the Least Visited Country in the World

Listen to the line, then say it out loud
Line 1

Full transcript

  1. What do you think the least visited country in the world is?0:13
  2. Well after a quick google search it turns out that neither myself nor most people on the street had ever even heard of this extremely tiny country in the South0:18
  3. Pacific called Tuvalu.0:26
  4. Have you ever heard of Tuvalu?0:28
  5. Tuvalu?0:30
  6. No I think not.0:31
  7. Can I be a barn?0:32
  8. Is that a band?0:33
  9. Kind of animal.0:34
  10. Tuvalu, perhaps movie?0:35
  11. Sounds like a disease.0:37
  12. Yeah, the artist?0:39
Show all 404 lines Show fewer lines
  1. Oh, is it a surfing spot?0:40
  2. Oh, Tuvalu, Tuvalu?0:42
  3. Yeah, and while trying to figure out where this country is located it was actually hard to even spot it on a map.0:44
  4. That's because the entire country's landmass is only twice the size of the LA airport or even just a fourth of the size of Disney World.0:51
  5. Tuvalu has about 11 ,000 residents and is sadly one of the first countries to be forecasted to disappear as a result of rising oceans caused by climate change.0:59
  6. Since the day I found out about this country I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.1:08
  7. Wondering what the people are like, what there is to do in a country without any tourism infrastructure and wanting to go tell a story about this country that could1:13
  8. possibly disappear very soon.1:21
  9. So we got me a plane ticket to the least visited country in the world and a few days away from my departure I wasn't too happy about the setup1:23
  10. for the trip.1:31
  11. Bye, Thomas!1:32
  12. Can someone tell me why I'm going alone?1:33
  13. I think you've just been too comfortable and your girlfriend has traveled to every country including this one.1:35
  14. So if you're too afraid to do it alone then clearly we should replace you with your girlfriend.1:39
  15. I've heard that there's no like service.1:48
  16. Really?1:50
  17. And I also read just now everything on the island is cash only and there's no ATM on the island.1:51
  18. So like how do people get money?1:56
  19. I don't even know what language these people speak.1:57
  20. Do you know what language they speak?1:59
  21. Tuvaluan, Tuvaluan language.2:02
  22. Tuvaluan.2:05
  23. And English.2:05
  24. That is the most uniquely shaped island I've ever seen.2:06
  25. Is that water in the middle?2:08
  26. Yeah.2:09
  27. Wow.2:10
  28. Yeah.2:11
  29. What do you mean are you sure?2:11
  30. How do you not know this?2:13
  31. Bye!2:17
  32. Okay.2:24
  33. Enjoy your trip.2:25
  34. Have a good one.2:25
  35. Are there a lot of people that go to Tuvalu?2:27
  36. Not many.2:29
  37. It's the quick stop in Fiji and the domestic airport.2:37
  38. It's pretty small.2:40
  39. We're boarding flight number two.2:42
  40. Hello.2:44
  41. Thank you.2:51
  42. Tuvalu.2:53
  43. Thank you.3:01
  44. Thank you.3:03
  45. Thank you.3:04
  46. All right.3:07
  47. This is it.3:09
  48. Looks like we've officially landed in Tuvalu.3:11
  49. The white roof?3:16
  50. Yeah.3:17
  51. That's the one.3:18
  52. That's the one right there.3:19
  53. Thank you.3:20
  54. Appreciate it.3:21
  55. Nice to meet you too.3:22
  56. At first thought, oh wow.3:23
  57. There's a lot more people coming to visit Tuvalu than I thought when I boarded the plane.3:24
  58. And then as I slowly started having conversation with all these people, every single one of them is here to work with the UN, not here for tourism.3:28
  59. So looks like I might be the only one.3:35
  60. Let's go see what this hotel is all about.3:37
  61. Is this the reception?3:39
  62. Yes.3:41
  63. What is your name?3:41
  64. At Thomas.3:42
  65. Hi.3:43
  66. Where am I?3:46
  67. Here.3:47
  68. Okay.3:48
  69. All right.3:50
  70. This is pretty nice.3:51
  71. There goes the only plane in the entire country.3:55
  72. Leaves now and doesn't come back for another three days.3:57
  73. Well everybody that seems to find out that I'm here for visiting seems pretty confused.4:01
  74. Like even the people working here.4:07
  75. Immigration lady.4:08
  76. She asked me, so why are you here, sir?4:09
  77. And I said, oh for fun.4:10
  78. She looked at me and she goes, for fun.4:12
  79. Tuvalu, the Swedish boy, is here to explore.4:15
  80. She'll probably get dressed to fit the colors of the island a little bit better.4:19
  81. All right.4:24
  82. This is a lot better.4:25
  83. Time to head out.4:27
  84. Is there anywhere I can rent a bike?4:28
  85. Well, we have one bike.4:30
  86. Oh, you have a bike here?4:31
  87. Okay.4:33
  88. Great.4:33
  89. Wow.4:40
  90. The ocean water is so clear.4:41
  91. What the hell?4:43
  92. Hi.4:46
  93. I'm moving to Tuvalu.4:50
  94. I'm staying here boys.4:52
  95. Sorry.4:53
  96. Sorry.4:54
  97. This country is so thin.5:25
  98. You can literally see both sides of the water pretty much at any point.5:27
  99. You see there's the lagoon and then there's the open water right here.5:30
  100. Pretty much every single person that I have crossed so far walking is waving and saying hi.5:34
  101. Already just first impressions like, love this place.5:40
  102. Are there a lot of tourists here?5:46
  103. Hey, are you a tourist?5:48
  104. Yeah.5:50
  105. Who just came today?5:50
  106. Yeah.5:51
  107. Is that funny to you?5:51
  108. Oh my.5:53
  109. But how did you get here?5:56
  110. How did I find Tuvalu?5:58
  111. Yeah.5:59
  112. I googled what's the least visited country in the world and then I found Tuvalu.6:00
  113. So I was like, oh, I have to go and see it.6:03
  114. I've been on this island for about four hours now and I still haven't seen a single other tourist.6:06
  115. Half a chicken.6:11
  116. Wow.6:13
  117. Thank you.6:14
  118. It is sunset time, which means the locals have taken over the airstrip and turned it into their soccer field, their volleyball field and all sorts of different activities going6:18
  119. on right now.6:29
  120. I think I've spotted my first tourist on the entire island.6:31
  121. Hi.6:35
  122. Hi.6:36
  123. I'm Thomas.6:36
  124. Thomas.6:37
  125. I'm Sarah.6:37
  126. Good to meet you, sir.6:38
  127. You're welcome.6:39
  128. Sweaty.6:39
  129. That's all good.6:40
  130. Thomas.6:40
  131. You're an outing, which is this how we go.6:41
  132. Nice one.6:47
  133. Why are you here?7:03
  134. I'm half Tuvaluan.7:05
  135. You're half Tuvaluan?7:06
  136. Yeah.7:08
  137. Wow.7:08
  138. And then half what?7:09
  139. Half Australian.7:10
  140. Wow.7:11
  141. I've joined a little local soccer game right now.7:12
  142. Turns out that the Australian guys that I saw here are half Tuvaluan as well.7:15
  143. What is it that you've been doing today?7:19
  144. I think the best thing is probably to try and get out to the other islands.7:21
  145. Ah.7:24
  146. My new Australian Tuvaluan friends later invited me to go have dinner with them.7:25
  147. Have you guys ordered already?7:30
  148. Yes.7:32
  149. They then invited me over to their grandparents' house where some of their family still lives and explained to me a bit more what growing up on the island was7:33
  150. like.7:41
  151. Can people sleep on this?7:41
  152. Yes, correct.7:43
  153. There's mattresses, but most of us prefer the mat.7:44
  154. So crazy to imagine that you grew up here.7:47
  155. For how long?7:50
  156. How much of your life?7:51
  157. On and off, I was about 16 here.7:52
  158. Wow.7:54
  159. Tuvalua was the language I thought and spoke here.7:54
  160. But it took a long time to get used to mattresses.7:57
  161. Are you serious?7:59
  162. How many people live in this house?8:00
  163. Nine.8:01
  164. But then we have like visitors everywhere.8:02
  165. The boys out there, they like to come and hang out here quite a few bits.8:05
  166. So sometimes they just pass out wherever they want.8:08
  167. There's sort of no boundaries here.8:11
  168. I live here.8:14
  169. It's just, oh wow.8:14
  170. That wraps up day one in Tuvalu.8:17
  171. Seeing how communal they all live together was awesome.8:20
  172. See how tomorrow goes.8:24
  173. Good night.8:26
  174. Okay, time to go wash the Tuvalu in sunrise.8:33
  175. Where are we going?8:38
  176. We're going right to the end.8:39
  177. Come on guys, let's go.8:41
  178. We have arrived at the sunrise spot.8:45
  179. Okay, we are about to go check out a local bakery slash market.9:21
  180. Let's go see what fresh Tuvaluan bakeries look like.9:24
  181. Oh my God, that looks amazing.9:28
  182. Did we just arrive in heaven?9:36
  183. What is this place?9:38
  184. We're in the Japan.9:39
  185. Hell yeah.9:40
  186. Oh my God.9:41
  187. First of all, I want to start by saying we met yesterday on the soccer field.9:42
  188. So right now we're going out on a boat to one of the other islands.9:46
  189. How many islands does Tuvalu have?9:49
  190. So Tuvalu has eight islands.9:51
  191. We are on Funafutzi, which is the capital.9:52
  192. Thank you for letting me tag along.9:55
  193. This is like, I don't know what I'd be doing today if I hadn't met you guys.9:57
  194. Yeah, but no worries.10:00
  195. That's awesome.10:01
  196. There he is.10:02
  197. That's our boat?10:03
  198. Yeah.10:33
  199. I think we have found our little paradise.11:14
  200. I can't believe this country is the least visited place on the planet.11:17
  201. I mean, look at this.11:20
  202. This is like out of a dream.11:23
  203. Like when you picture like a deserted paradise island.11:25
  204. This is it.11:28
  205. This is apparently one of their grandfather's old compound.11:31
  206. I don't know if anybody still lives here.11:35
  207. Yeah.11:39
  208. Yo.11:40
  209. What?11:42
  210. Yes, here he is on the boat.11:43
  211. Yeah.11:45
  212. Are you from Tuvalu?11:46
  213. Yeah.11:47
  214. You watched yesterday?11:47
  215. Yeah.11:48
  216. What?11:49
  217. What's up man?11:49
  218. That's amazing.11:50
  219. Yeah.11:51
  220. Did you live here on this island?11:51
  221. Yeah, I lived here.11:52
  222. That's awesome.11:53
  223. Oh man.11:54
  224. That's cool man.11:55
  225. Dude, you're probably the only like Tuvaluian yes theories.11:56
  226. I'm pretty sure it's just me.11:59
  227. Yeah.12:00
  228. This is your house right here?12:01
  229. Yes.12:03
  230. That one?12:03
  231. Yeah.12:04
  232. So you live here with your mom?12:04
  233. Yeah.12:06
  234. Mom, my dad, my sister.12:06
  235. This is it?12:08
  236. It's pretty much just a simple way.12:09
  237. That's all we need though.12:11
  238. So you grew up here?12:12
  239. This is your childhood home?12:13
  240. Right here?12:15
  241. That's amazing.12:15
  242. Who would have liked it man?12:16
  243. These are beautiful.12:18
  244. They make the necklace and then sell it.12:20
  245. It's communal living everywhere right?12:22
  246. Yeah.12:23
  247. Everybody shares?12:24
  248. Yeah.12:25
  249. Whenever one family go fishing, when they come back, they distribute it.12:25
  250. So you went to study in Taiwan.12:28
  251. What did you study?12:30
  252. Software engineer.12:31
  253. Software engineering.12:32
  254. That's crazy.12:33
  255. For how long?12:34
  256. Five years.12:35
  257. What's your biggest dream?12:36
  258. Biggest dream?12:37
  259. Yeah.12:38
  260. Oh my biggest dream is just you know, just help others and me.12:38
  261. Islands like us.12:42
  262. Yeah.12:43
  263. Especially the climate change.12:44
  264. Yeah.12:45
  265. I'm living a life.12:45
  266. Yeah.12:48
  267. That is effective.12:48
  268. Yeah.12:50
  269. Just trying to look for solutions.12:50
  270. Mm.12:52
  271. To all of you know, they used to call it the sinking island right?12:52
  272. Sinking island.12:55
  273. What's the main thing you think people should know?12:56
  274. It's just that it is real.12:58
  275. You know, climate change.13:00
  276. Like next month, November and July put all these houses.13:01
  277. It's just boom boom boom.13:05
  278. So we all go to the main hall, shelter there.13:07
  279. This is like meeting hall, dining hall.13:11
  280. Thanks for the tour man.13:14
  281. No problem man.13:15
  282. I was not expecting to meet a yes theory subscriber in the middle of the year.13:16
  283. Tovalu.13:22
  284. YouTube really does reach the world, eh?13:23
  285. Yeah.13:29
  286. It's going to be a weird type of oily, yeah.13:30
  287. Yeah.13:32
  288. That's all its natural oil.13:33
  289. Hey man.13:35
  290. I like your hat.13:36
  291. Ha ha ha.13:39
  292. Yeah.13:42
  293. Yeah.13:42
  294. Tell me.13:43
  295. Oh.13:44
  296. Oh.13:46
  297. Oh.13:47
  298. Oh.13:49
  299. By the end of the second day, I still hadn't fully comprehended how seriously the people of Tovalu take their communal living.14:02
  300. Just everybody shares, right?14:10
  301. There's food that's just made and everybody can come and just eat and stay here.14:12
  302. Yeah.14:17
  303. Wow.14:17
  304. This local ended up explaining to me something really interesting about Tovalu.14:18
  305. That at some point, along your upbringing, you can end up calling one of your best friends, your brother or your sister.14:22
  306. And at that point, that person literally becomes a part of your family.14:28
  307. And when you both grew up to have kids with your separate partners, you then all move in together in interconnected houses and raise all the kids as a community.14:32
  308. And so did you have a friend growing up that you called your brother and then he became your brother?14:40
  309. Yeah.14:44
  310. You have that?14:44
  311. Yeah.14:45
  312. I went home that night feeling grateful and amazed by everything I had just learned.14:46
  313. What's up, bro?14:56
  314. I want to gift you something.14:58
  315. Can I park this here?14:59
  316. Let's see what I brought with me.15:00
  317. Oh, yeah, a sick disco.15:03
  318. Dang.15:05
  319. Yeah?15:06
  320. Yeah.15:07
  321. All right, see if it works.15:08
  322. Dang.15:10
  323. I got a sick disco for you.15:12
  324. Yeah.15:14
  325. That's dope.15:15
  326. Dude, it fits you well.15:16
  327. Dang, thanks, brother.15:17
  328. Dude, thank you.15:18
  329. Remember the necklace you told me?15:20
  330. Oh, that would be great.15:21
  331. Yeah.15:22
  332. This is, wow, that's beautiful.15:23
  333. Thank you so much.15:26
  334. This is like advanced.15:27
  335. How long does this take?15:28
  336. Forever.15:29
  337. Forever, yeah?15:30
  338. Who makes these?15:32
  339. My mom.15:33
  340. Oh, your mom?15:34
  341. Yeah.15:35
  342. This is beautiful.15:35
  343. Cool.15:38
  344. Have a nice trip back.15:38
  345. Thank you so much.15:39
  346. I'm very happy.15:40
  347. Dude, yes, fam.15:41
  348. Yes, fam, let's go.15:44
  349. All the way up here.15:45
  350. I need more people around me.15:47
  351. Yeah.15:49
  352. Want people to come visit here?15:49
  353. Dude, 100%.15:51
  354. Just come see what people here are all about.15:52
  355. You know what they say?15:55
  356. Tivoli is the heart of the Pacific.15:56
  357. All the loves, all the yes fam out there, whatever you are.15:58
  358. Love you, bro.16:01
  359. Dang, man.16:02
  360. Amazing.16:04
  361. Just checked into the airport to leave Tivoli.16:07
  362. And she wrote my boarding pass by hand.16:09
  363. Just a quick reminder that we are still in the middle of freaking nowhere.16:13
  364. To Tivoli.16:19
  365. To Tivoli.16:21
  366. Man, it's just so freaking awesome meeting you guys.16:22
  367. I have so many necklaces.16:25
  368. Okay.16:29
  369. Tofa.16:29
  370. Tofa.16:31
  371. Oh, man.16:32
  372. Tofa.16:33
  373. Yeah, Tofa.16:33
  374. Is that goodbye?16:34
  375. Tofa, yes.16:35
  376. Awesome.16:36
  377. Have a good one, guys.16:36
  378. Bye.16:37
  379. You're welcome.16:38
  380. Oh, man.16:39
  381. When people say goodbye, you get these necklaces.16:40
  382. Everyone's been so kind for all of you who helped me right here.16:43
  383. If you're watching this, thank you guys for making me feel so welcome.16:47
  384. Time to go home.16:50
  385. I had never experienced such a deep sense of community radiate from an entire country.16:52
  386. From the moment I landed in Tivoli to the moment I stepped back onto that plane, people were nothing but smiling, welcoming, and kind.16:57
  387. I came as a stranger for only a few days and left feeling like I'd been adopted by this incredible and loving family.17:04
  388. I feel grateful to have met our local Yes Fam representative and for having had the opportunity to feel connected to people living so far away and living such different17:11
  389. lives.17:19
  390. As I was walking out the door, the lady at the hotel asked me if I'd ever come back and I usually just politely answer, of course, in these situations.17:20
  391. But this time, I think I meant it.17:28
  392. Thank you.17:35

Daily English conversation practice with Yes Theory's trip to Tuvalu

This B1 conversation follows the Yes Theory crew as they plan a trip to Tuvalu, the least visited country in the world. It moves fast, 224 words per minute, faster than most of the catalogue, and mixed accents trade quick questions and reactions rather than reading from a script. At 404 lines it gives you plenty of daily english conversation practice with real overlapping speech instead of a rehearsed dialogue.

The clip opens with a guessing game: friends try to work out what Tuvalu even is before they are told it is a Pacific island nation, then the scene shifts to a going away gathering before the trip. That mix of banter and logistics is closer to english speaking practice for daily use than a textbook conversation, because nobody in it is speaking for a camera script.

The language in this Tuvalu guessing game: short guesses, one dense fact

Three moments carry the clip's rhythm. Two are quick, thrown out guesses, and one is a single long fact said without a pause.

  • "Have you ever heard of Tuvalu?" opens the guessing game, and the guesses that follow it, "Can I be a barn?", "Is that a band?", "Sounds like a disease.", are each just a few words, which is exactly the length to shadow one guess at a time before chaining them together.
  • "So like how do people get money?" puts the filler word "like" in the middle of the sentence the way people actually talk, not as a hedge tacked onto the front.
  • The line that "is sadly one of the first countries to be forecasted to disappear as a result of rising oceans caused by climate change." is the one dense stretch in this section, useful for practising how to pronounce english words back to back without slowing down.

How to shadow this Tuvalu guessing game, line by line

Work through the opening minutes in this order.

  • Start alone with line one, "What do you think the least visited country in the world is?", repeating it until the stress lands on "least" and "visited" the way the speaker places it.
  • Move to the guessing round and shadow the whole run of guesses in one breath, "Can I be a barn?", "Is that a band?", "Sounds like a disease.", before slowing down to isolate a single guess.
  • Slow down for the fact heavy line about Tuvalu's population and split "is sadly one of the first countries to be forecasted to disappear as a result of rising oceans caused by climate change." into two halves before joining them back together at full speed.
  • Finish on the planning lines, where "So like how do people get money?" shows the loose, unplanned tone of a group figuring out logistics together, solid english shadowing practice for b1 learners moving from scripted guesses to open conversation.
Download on the App Store