Interviews

“Meeting New People”

Level

High-intermediate

Pre-Listening Question

Which of these questions are appropriate to ask when meeting someone for the first time?

  1. Where do you live?
  2. Where are you from?
  3. Are you dating someone right now?
  4. Where do you work?
  5. What is your name?
  6. Are you married?

Vocabulary and Expressions

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the video:

context (noun): information that helps us understand a situation
– The word, “hot,” can mean different things depending on the context in which it is used.

respond (verb): give a reply to something, answer
– How would you respond if someone asked your age?

innocuous (adjective): safe or harmless
– My brother thought he made an innocuous comment about different cultures at the party, but several people were offended by his apparent insensitivity.

vaguely (adverb): not clearly or exactly
– I vaguely remember meeting Maria last year at a conference.
– His face seems vaguely familiar. I wonder if we took a class together at the university.

deflect something (verb): turn something, like a conversation, in a different direction
– The coworker asked Brandon why he was late, but Brandon deflected the question for personal reasons.

actual (adjective): real or exact
– I’m not sure of the teacher’s actual words, but I think he said we would have a test sometime next week.

social cues (expression): the ways we communicate through verbal or non-verbal language. This language helps us “read” another’s intended signals.
– People sometimes do not understand the social cues of a new culture, and misunderstandings sometimes arise.

straight up (expression): truthfully, honestly
– You should usually tell your close friends straight up how you are feeling unless you are dealing with very private matters.

Listening Comprehension Questions

Now, watch the interview and answer the comprehension questions. You can also turn on the automatically-generated captions for the video once you start it.


Conversation Questions

In ways are Aubrey’s thoughts on introductions similar or different to your own views on this topic? 

Related Language Activities on Randall’s Web Site

The following activities deal with related topics to give you additional language practice.

Try More Free Listening at Dailyesl.com