Interviews

Intermediate

What are three most important qualities you look for in a friend? Explain your ideas.

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

• empathetic (adjective): showing the ability to understand the feelings of others
  – My teacher is very empathetic towards the challenges of her international students. In fact, she studied in Japan for two years, and thus, she knows how it feels to be away from close family and friends.

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.

Randall: In this video, Emily and I are discussing what are the qualities that we look for in an ideal friend, and what would those qualities be to you, Emily?

Emily: For me, probably the most important quality is someone who’s genuinely kind. Um, that’s really important to me that people are kind and honest and empathetic, and that’s my big few things.

Randall: And how would you measure kindness?

Emily: Seeing how they interact with other people and seeing how they interact with animals and on their social media. That’s a good way of seeing how kind they are.

Randall: I really like those ideas because it’s not just about people. It’s about animals, people around you, people that you know or don’t know. Those are really good qualities. So great. Thanks for sharing.

Easy:

1. What qualities do Emily and Randall look for in an ideal friend?
2. How does Emily measure kindness in a person?

Intermediate:

1. Why does Emily consider kindness, honesty, and empathy important qualities in a friend?
2. Discuss the significance of observing how someone interacts with animals and their behavior on social media in determining their kindness.

Advanced:

1. Analyze the relationship between kindness, empathy, and honesty in fostering meaningful friendships. How do these qualities contribute to trust and mutual understanding?
2. Reflect on your own experiences. Share examples of friendships where kindness, honesty, and empathy played a crucial role. How did these qualities impact the dynamics of those relationships?

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

• Friendships
• Making Friends
• New Friends