Interviews

High-intermediate

1. Vocabulary Exploration:

   • Divide the class into pairs or small groups and provide them with a list of vocabulary words/phrases from the interview, such as “neighbor complaints,” “confrontation,” “anonymous report,” “defer to,” “pickleball court,” etc.
   • Ask students to discuss the meanings of these words and phrases based on context clues or prior knowledge.
   • Encourage them to predict how these terms might be used in the interview and how they relate to the topic of neighbor complaints.

2. Discussion: Ethical Dilemmas:

   • Present students with hypothetical scenarios related to neighbor complaints, such as a neighbor consistently playing loud music late at night, a neighbor leaving their dog outside in extreme weather conditions, or a neighbor installing a noisy recreational facility like a pickleball court.
   • In pairs or small groups, have students discuss how they would respond to each scenario, considering ethical considerations, legal implications, and personal values.
   • Encourage students to share their opinions and reasoning with the class, fostering a respectful exchange of ideas and perspectives.

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

confrontation (noun): a situation where people or groups oppose each other and argue or fight
– Emily avoids confrontation with her neighbors by choosing to address issues indirectly.

defer (verb): to postpone or delay something
– I want to defer the decision about reporting the noisy neighbors until we talk with them directly.

minor (adjective): small in importance, seriousness, or significance
– The noise from our neighbor’s yard is a minor annoyance. Don’t worry about it. They are just having a party.

investigate (verb): to examine or inquire into systematically
– We need to investigate our neighbor’s complaints before taking action. Don’t call the police until we learn more.

important (adjective): having great significance or value
– Understanding and communicating with neighbors is important to resolve conflicts peacefully.

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, let us talk about neighbor complaints. You have a house. I have a house. And sometimes these things might come up. But how would you respond in each of these situations? And let’s start with a barking dog. How would you respond to a barking dog next door?

Emily: I think . . . it . . . a lot of it depends on the circumstance. Is the dog barking all night long, every night, or is it on occasion? If it’s barking every night, all night long, I might be a little bit concerned about its welfare.

Randall: Oh, okay.

Emily: And checking in, possibly anonymously, with animal control. I’m really bad at confrontation, so I probably wouldn’t directly approach the neighbor in this situation.

Randall: All right. So you mentioned you wouldn’t automatically call 911. You would probably look into the situation. Is that what you mean?

Emily: Yeah. Yeah. If it’s [the dog] been outside for a few minutes or even a few hours and it just . . . it’s kind of a noisy dog, that’s one thing. But if it’s locked in a cage twenty-four seven and it’s the middle of winter, I would probably get animal control involved.

Randall: Okay. Good point. How about loud music? Loud music going on till like 2 a.m. every night? Not only music, but cars coming in and out next door. How about that?

Emily: I would probably defer to my husband to go ask the neighbor to please keep it down.

Randall: Okay. And they’re can’t. . . We’re not talking about situations like celebrations. Maybe there’s a wedding wedding reception going on. I’m talking about something that happens every single night. So get your husband involved.

Emily: Yeah.

Randall: Okay, here’s the next one that is becoming more and more popular. It’s pickleball. And if you ever heard those, you know, I mean, those balls, it’s not like tennis, but they make a lot of noise. What about that? If you have a pickleball court right in the park right next to you, anything you can do?

Emily: Well, I feel like in that situation, you moved into that house knowing the pickleball court was there. One of the things you’re just going to have to deal with.

Randall: Yeah, but what if it’s something like you have a neighbor that they decide to put a pickleball court in their backyard?

Emily: That’s still their property. And I feel like for something that minor, I would probably just ignore it.

Randall: 2 a.m. pickleball.

Emily: I hope I’m asleep.

Randall: Well, thank you, Emily, for sharing some of those things. And I think we just need to keep in mind that some of those things happen once in a while, and investigating and putting some time into understanding your neighbor, I think is really important.

1. Intermediate

   1. What are some examples of neighbor complaints discussed in the interview?
   2. How does Emily prefer to handle confrontational situations with her neighbors?
   3. What does Randall emphasize about investigating neighbor complaints?
   4. In what situations does Emily suggest involving external authorities like animal control or the police?

   Advanced:

   1. Reflecting on Emily’s responses, how might cultural or societal norms influence people’s approaches to resolving neighbor disputes?
   2. What ethical considerations arise when deciding how to address neighbor complaints, particularly in cases involving animal welfare or noise disturbances?
   3. How might communication strategies such as mediation or negotiation be employed to resolve conflicts between neighbors effectively?

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

• Housing Complaints
• Good Neighbors
• Lucky or Not? Tom’s Quest for the Perfect Apartment