Interviews

High-intermediate

Have students make predictions about the interview based on its title and the provided excerpt.

1. What topics do you think Randall and Aubrey will discuss regarding living in a big city versus a small town?
2. Do you think Aubrey prefers living in a big city or a small town? Why?
3. What might be some reasons someone would choose to live in a small town over a big city?

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

suburbs (noun): residential areas on the outskirts of a city

– Many families prefer to live in the suburbs for the larger homes and quieter streets.

– The commute from the suburbs to the city can be long, but it’s worth it for the peaceful living environment.

demographic (noun): characteristics of a population, such as age, race, or gender

– The city’s demographic has become more diverse over the past decade.

– Marketers study demographic trends to target their advertisements effectively.

public transit (noun): systems of transportation for the public, such as buses and trains

– Public transit in the city includes buses, subways, and trams.

– Improving public transit can reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

neighborly (adjective): friendly and helpful, like a good neighbor

– The new neighbors are very neighborly; they brought us cookies on our first day.

– In small towns, people are often more neighborly and willing to help each other.

pollutants (noun): substances that contaminate the environment

– Factories are required to limit the release of pollutants into the air.

– Pollutants in the river have caused a decline in fish populations.

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 topic. Aubrey, let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city versus a small town. Any thoughts on this?

Aubrey: Yeah, I don’t have a lot of experience living in a big city, but I’ve definitely visited . . . Like tiny towns. Like right now I live in the suburbs of a smallish city. You know, it’s a college town, really, and it’s kind of boring. It’s not tiny, tiny, but I can definitely tell a difference from like where you live, where it’s a lot more populated. And there’s an even bigger difference like if I go to Salt Lake, which I guess would be considered the city in Utah, you know, cities do tend to be a lot more liberal-leaning, politic-wise. So you do tend to get a different demographic in the city versus out in the country. And then, you know, public transit tends to be more of a thing in the city versus the country versus the small town. Like where I live right now, I don’t think I could get to work without a car. Like once I get more into the city center, there are busses, but not out where I live. Um, you know, there was also more variety in food, more variety and things to do.

Randall: So let’s talk about transportation for a minute. So where you live, are there busses that go by periodically?

Aubrey: I don’t think up this way.

Randall: Okay. So in that part of the area where you live, there are not many busses or any busses, so that would be one thing, let’s say a disadvantage of living in a small town. No busses or fewer busses. Uh, how about the subway? And no subway.

Aubrey: What is that?

Randall: Uh, let’s talk about entertainment.  Like a large city versus a small town. What could be some of the advantages and disadvantages?

Aubrey: Even though I’m not in a tiny town, there’s really not a lot to do here. I am going to see a movie today in the one movie theater.

Aubrey: All right.

Randall: Enjoy. Okay, so movie theaters, we’ve talked about entertainment and so forth. What about people? What could you imagine in terms of just the way people, uh, interact with one another, perhaps in a large city versus a small town?

Aubrey: Yeah, I know in like tiny towns with really small populations, you’ve got that atmosphere is like everyone kind of knows each other, you know, it’s more neighborly, whereas if you live in the big city, you know, you don’t really know your neighbors. Even where I live, like, I’m vaguely aware of who my neighbors are.

Randall: Okay. And what about, let’s just say, cleanliness, you know, the streets, the air and so forth, large city versus a small town.

Aubrey: That really depends on the city. I think,and some cities have it set up differently, you know, different laws, different sanitary systems. So, you know, it depends on the city. Some of them are disgusting, and some of them are great. It . . . You know, it also depends on like weather conditions like Salt Lake tends to get really smoggy, but that is more of like an environmental thing, more of because in the mountains traps all of that smog in there versus having actual, you know, pollutants. There’s definitely that, but you know, you’re going to get a different thing in a different city if it’s all flat, and they don’t have that problem.

Randall: Right. Well, thank you, Aubrey, for sharing some of your thoughts on big cities and small towns.

Intermediate

1. What are two things Aubrey likes about living in a big city?

2. What type of transportation is lacking in Aubrey’s area?

3. How many movie theaters does Aubrey say are in her town?

4. Does Aubrey think the air quality in big cities is always bad?

5. Why does Aubrey find her current town boring?

6. How does Aubrey describe the sense of community in small towns compared to big cities?

7. What does Aubrey say about the variety of food in big cities versus small towns?

8. What environmental factor does Aubrey mention that affects Salt Lake City?

Advanced Level

1. How might the differences in public transportation between big cities and small towns impact residents’ daily lives and environmental concerns?
2. Aubrey mentions that cities tend to be more liberal-leaning politically. What are some possible reasons for this demographic difference, and how might it affect the culture of a city versus a small town?
3. What are some potential social and economic advantages of living in a small town that Aubrey might have overlooked?
4. How do weather and geographical features influence the environmental challenges of big cities, according to Aubrey’s observations?

1. Visual Learners

Activity: Concept Map Creation

• Description: Students will create a concept map comparing the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city versus a small town based on the interview.
• Materials: Large paper or poster boards, colored markers, sticky notes.
• Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will create a concept map with two main branches: “Big City” and “Small Town.” Under each branch, they will add sub-branches for categories such as “Transportation,” “Entertainment,” “Community,” and “Environment.” Students will fill in the branches with key points from the interview and their own ideas.

2. Auditory Learners

Activity: Group Discussion and Presentation

• Description: Students will engage in a group discussion about the interview and then present their thoughts to the class.
• Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a different aspect of the interview to discuss (e.g., transportation, entertainment, community, environment). After the discussion, each group will present their key points and conclusions to the class. Encourage groups to include quotations from the interview to support their points.

3. Kinesthetic Learners

Activity: Role-Playing Debate

• Description: Students will participate in a role-playing debate about the pros and cons of living in a big city versus a small town.
• Instructions: Assign students different roles, such as city residents, small-town residents, urban planners, and environmentalists. Have them prepare arguments based on the interview and their own research. Set up a debate format where each side presents their arguments and responds to questions from the audience. Encourage students to move around the room and use props if available.

4. Reading/Writing Learners

Activity: Reflective Journal Entry

• Description: Students will write a reflective journal entry about their own preferences and experiences related to living in big cities or small towns.
• Instructions: Ask students to write a journal entry responding to the following prompts:
  • What are your own experiences with living in a big city or a small town?
  • Based on the interview, which do you think you would prefer and why?
  • What are some advantages and disadvantages you have personally experienced or can imagine?
  • How do you think your lifestyle and daily activities would change in a different setting?
  • Encourage students to reference specific points from the interview in their responses.

5. Intrapersonal Learners

Activity: Personal Reflection Essay

• Description: Students will write a personal reflection essay on their thoughts about living in a big city versus a small town.
• Instructions: Ask students to write an essay reflecting on their own preferences for living in a big city or a small town. They should include reasons for their preferences, personal experiences, and how the points discussed in the interview align or contrast with their views. Encourage students to explore how their personality and lifestyle influence their choice of living environment.