📘 Part 3: Neighbours

This episode's vocabulary

Keep an eye on something/someone (idiom) - to watch or take care of something or someone.

To strike up sth. (phrasal verb) - to start a relationship or conversation with someone.

Distant (adj.) - far away.

Insular (adj.) - interested only in your own country or group and not willing to accept different or foreign ideas.

By and large (idiom) - when everything about a situation is considered together.

Familiarity (noun) - a good knowledge of something, or the fact that you know it so well.

Unavoidable (adj.) - impossible to avoid.

Bump into someone (phrasal verb) - to meet someone you know when you have not planned to meet them.

To embrace (verb) - to accept something enthusiastically.

With open arms (idiom) - in a very friendly way.

To dictate (verb) - to give orders, or tell someone exactly what they must do, with total authority.

Proximity (noun) - the state of being near in space or time.

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Questions and Answers

M: Do you think it's important to have a good relationship with neighbours?

R: Well, it's probably a good idea to have a good relationship with everyone, isn't it? In the case of neighbours, you have a shared space to manage together, or at least be respectful of. And it's just nicer when people get along, isn't it?

M: Is it beneficial to get along with neighbours?

R: Well, it certainly helps when you go on holiday and need someone to look after things or keep an eye on them. Even if you don't need someone to do that, it's a good chance to make friends. Some people even marry their neighbours.

M: How can people improve their relationship with neighbours?

R: We already spoke about being respectful and polite, but aside from that, maybe taking the time to strike up conversations and help out when you can. Lots of people watch out for each other. Being community-minded, in a nutshell, I suppose. That would be quite helpful.

M: Do you think people's relationships with their neighbours today are the same as they were in the past?

R: Well, they might be a little bit more distant, since we live in a modern society with a well-developed infrastructure and places are reasonably well supplied. So there's less of a need to rely on people nearby. Aside from that, I suppose people are more insular these days, so that might contribute to some distance as well. But by and large, people still seem to rub along quite nicely.

M: And do you think this will change in the future? People will get closer or more distant?

R: I want to believe that people will become closer. But I can see in the immediate future a lot of social problems as a result of this.

M: Do you think people are familiar with their neighbours?

R: Well, there are levels of familiarity. You can at least recognise your neighbours when they're out and about. That's almost unavoidable. As for anything beyond that, I have no idea. I'd like to think they do, because we live in a society.

M: And why don't some people know their neighbours at all?

R: Well, if you live in a block of flats then you might not be very likely to bump into them. Similarly, you might have a fairly exclusive community or culture. That means when new people move in, they're not welcomed or embraced with open arms.

M: What factors help neighbours to have good relationships with each other?

R: Having a shared culture or a set of values is a good place to start, since that usually dictates how you interact with each other and how well you can work and live in close proximity. Outside of that, having shared interests and continuing dialogue usually keeps things going.

M: What could be the reasons for arguments among neighbours?

R: Conflict over land or shared land is one big one because of course you have to decide who's going to manage it properly and being respectful, full of a shared space in general. So for example, if you're playing loud music that other people can hear in their own homes, that's not being respectful of the shared space that you have together.

M: What makes a neighbourhood a good one to live in?

R: I always think a sense of community is the thing that really makes the difference. It means people can feel at home and understand each other better. Ideally, people who live there should have some sort of investment in or have grown up in the area. So they value it and they want to help maintain it. Without that, it seems likely that it would cause problems in terms of people even enjoying themselves or even wanting to be around each other.

M: Thank you for your answers!

R: Yay!

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Discussion

M: Wo-hoo! Neighbours. What an interesting topic! What a topic! Neighbours. So is it important to get a good relationship with neighbours? And then the strategy. Well, it's important to have a good relationship with everyone, isn't it? Or just like as a fact, it's important to have a good relationship with everyone, isn't it? Isn't it, yeah? So kind of we are stating a fact. And then in the case of neighbours, you have a shared space. So we are talking about a shared space. So our neighbours and some space we share. A house, a block of flats. So, but kind of we are together in this same space. Or maybe you have some houses and you share a garden or a playground, right? Usually. And it's important to have a good relationship with neighbours or at least be respectful of this shared space. So we should be respectful of the shared place, right? Or over the place we share. And then this phrasal verb. It's nice to get along with people. So it's nice when you get along with your neighbours. So dear listener, make sure you use this, get along, phrasal verb, when you talk about neighbours and good relationship. It's just nice to get along with your neighbours. Or to get along well with your neighbours. Then the examiner paraphrases the question. Is it beneficial to get along with neighbours? Is it good? Is it nice? And then Rory gets practical. He says, yes, especially when you go on holiday and someone needs to look after your things. Look after your things, or keep an eye on them. So, Rory, when you go on holiday, your parents are not around. What do you ask your neighbour to do?

R: Oh, that's a good question. I have not had to do that in a while, but I think they'd have to make sure the plants were watered, and make sure the house isn't broken into. Those are the big things. Everything else is taken care of, actually. That's nice.

M: Yeah. So we have a specific word to make sure the house isn't broken into. So to break in house, it means like somebody who doesn't live there just breaks in. Right? So burglars, burglars, criminals, to steal stuff. So just to look after the house, to make sure the house isn't broken in or into, the house isn't broken into. And then, like, keep an eye on the flowers, water the flowers. So, and, Rory, you would give your neighbour the key? Yeah?

R: Yeah.

M: Hmm. Right. Nice. So if even if you don't need someone to do that, it's a good chance to make friends. So you can, like, make friends with your neighbours, get along with them. And some people even marry their neighbours. Mm, romantic.

R: So many benefits to having neighbours.

M: Yeah, could be a husband, could look after your cat, could feed your dog. Yeah. And then we use the expressions of like be respectful, be polite towards your neighbours. This is how we improve the relationship. We can also strike up conversations. To strike up a conversation - to start a conversation. But to start a conversation, it's too easy. So we need to, you know, band nine vocabulary power. Strike up a conversation. Help out. Help them out. Not help your neighbours, but help them out. Help out your neighbours. Which means help them.

R: You can help out your neighbours. You can watch out for them and look out for each other.

M: And watch out for them like just what? Just be careful with each other, look after each other? Kind of like to have this community-minded atmosphere. So your neighbours, your community. Again, if you have, right? And these are nice ideas to talk about. Even if you hate all your neighbours and you never talk to anybody, this is like something good to say here for these questions. Comparing the past to the present. We can talk about, well, in a modern society, we have well-developed infrastructure, yeah? We have modern conveniences. And there is less of a need to rely on people nearby. And so, for example, I wouldn't go and knock on the door to ask my neighbour for some sugar or some salt. No, I would never do that. Right? I would do that only if they started off partying at 4 am in the morning, or maybe even I wouldn't bother. I would just call the police on them. Yes.

R: You're such a nice neighbour.

M: Oh, yeah, I am so nice. Well, I don't make any noise at night, you know, I'm, I'm fine. I don't have any huge dogs. So, you know, I'm actually a great neighbour, but those people next door to my right. Off, off. And also I'm not doing any renovations. So there is no drilling. Constant drilling. Oh, yeah, by the way, dear listener, you can talk about constant drilling and people renovating their flats. Renovation. Have you ever had this situation? In Moscow maybe?

R: Here? In Moscow yes. But I think that's common for everyone. In Scotland no. Like you have to tell your neighbours what you're doing. It's the law.

M: Oh. Oh. So in Scotland, you would go, okay, dear Sally, what time can we drill the stuffing out of this wall?

R: No. Well, what you do is you, at least this is an oversimplification of how it works, but you file planning permission with the local authority, like the local government.

M: Are you joking?

R: And then they give you permission whether or not and if people don't want it to happen, then they can object.

M: Are you joking?

R: No.

M: That's for the renovation? That's for...

R: I think so. I know it works for doing things outside your house. I think for things that you do inside your house, you maybe don't need it, but you certainly have to tell your neighbours because they could still file a noise complaint and that's not very nice. So one way or the other.

M: Oh wow. That's civilisation. No, in Moscow, they just start drilling. That's just...

R: Well, yes and no, because like planning permission laws can be silly sometimes. Like they can be used against people in the local government.

M: Wow. Interesting. And then Rory said that people are more insular. Insula?

R: Insular.

M: Insular these days. What?

R: They keep to themselves. They're not very socially integrated. They like their own space.

M: Yeah. So there is less of a need to rely on each other. And people are more insular these days. So maybe because of the pandemic restrictions, right? So still we kind of stick to each other or maybe just to the closest family. Again, it might be different in your community, dear listener. So, yeah. And that might contribute to some distance as well. Right? And then there's a nice phrasal verb, rub along. People still rub along quite well.

R: Yeah. But that just means get along quite well.

M: Yeah. So we've used get along. You should get along with your neighbours. And, but generally by and large, that means generally people still rub along quite well. That's a nice one. And then there's a question about this familiar with. What does it mean to be familiar with somebody? To be familiar with your neighbours?

R: Just to know them. Like know them well, I suppose.

M: Yeah. Yeah. Are you familiar with your neighbours? Do you know your neighbours? Right. And then Rorygoes like, I suppose there are levels of familiarity. See, the question is familiar with and Rory says familiarity in the answer. So that's a nice paraphrasing. Yeah, changing the part of speech. Familiar with, familiarity. You can recognise your neighbours, so just recognise. Oh, I know this face. I've never spoken to the guy but I know that this guy is my neighbour. So recognise or you may get along well with your neighbours. You may marry your neighbours, they might be part of your family. So yeah. Or they might be strangers. And then another good phrasal verb is to bump into neighbours. So when was the last time you bumped into Sally?

R: About, oh, just before I went on holiday, actually. She came around to give us flowers.

M: Yeah, you see. So she came round to give us flowers. So she came into our house. So I bumped into her when she came round to give us her flowers. Her flowers. Nice, nice perks, Rory, you have the flowers from your neighbour. Beautiful flowers. So you can say, like, okay, like, I don't know my neighbours much, but, or like people. Like some people may not know their neighbours, but they tend to bump into each other once in a while because it's unavoidable. Unavoidable? They share some space. Right? Like some garden or a block of flats. Or they can live in an exclusive community. So exclusive community, where it's like exclusive, only the members are allowed. So they don't embrace you with open arms. It's kind of a closed community, like Rory has three houses, one garden, and everything is like closed.

R: No, no, we have three houses with three gardens. So you just walk through. We have a shared path.

M: Oh, okay, okay. So you have a shared path.

R: Yes.

M: All right. I see.

R: I'm going to have to show you this on Google Maps because it's really odd. It's not usual at all. I understand people are not... They'll probably hear this and they'll be like, what? So you can't be just lazing around in your garden next to this shared path, like with your bikinis and, I don't know, half-naked. Because people are like coming and going.

R: Well, yes. But clearly, that's not something that would happen often in Scotland. Like it's raining now, for example.

M: Oh, okay. So people don't do this in their gardens. They just don't, I don't know, walk naked.

R: Well, they could if they wanted to. It's not, it's unusual. Let's just say that.

M: Hmm. Okay. And then you can say that people live in close proximity, right? So people, like, bump into each other because they live close together. Even if they don't talk to each other, if they don't know each other, still they kind of they see each other's faces. So they live in close proximity. In close distance from each other. Right? That's a nice one. In close proximity. Also, you can mention some conflicts, for example, there could be conflicts over the shared land.

R: There could be conflicts over what? Over noise. High noise levels, for example. Conflicts of, you brought me those ugly flowers or where are my flowers, woman? You are using my path.

R: I feel like that would be the least of your problems if you're having conflict with your neighbours.

M: Yeah. Yeah, because it could be pretty bad and ugly. Right, dear listener? And I'm sure you did have some of such stories. So maybe you've heard of such stories from your friends and your neighbours could flood you.

R: Well, I mean, that doesn't really happen terribly often. If you live in a house, but if you live in a block of apartments, then that could be quite a problem. Yeah, but the problem is like they flood you. This is how you say it?

R: No, well, no, that makes it sound like they did it on purpose. Maybe it's an accident.

M: Oh, it's an accidental flooding.

R: Yeah.

M: No, no. I mean, like, which verb do you use? Like flood or they what? They forgot to switch off the water tap?

R: I have no idea, because it would depend on who is responsible.

M: Hmm. Okay. So if, for example, your neighbour Bob from upstairs, so his water is running into your flat and you don't know the reason. How would you describe it?

R: Just say, I think there's a problem with the water in your house or apartment.

M: Oh, okay. Interesting. Oh, yeah. Your water is now in my apartment. Or if we want to give like a band nine answer. Like there appears to be an issue with the piping or the plumbing.

M: Oh, yeah, that's the plumbing, right? Yeah, yeah. All the tubes, that the...

R: The tubes? That's the pipes, not tubes.

M: Pipes. Not tubes. London tube is coming all into this episode. Pipes, yes. Pipes in the bathroom, in the kitchen. So it goes with plumbing. And the person you call to fix them is called plumber. We spell it in a crazy way. Plumber. Yeah, plumbers. Right. And we can discuss neighbourhood. And neighbourhood is the area. So people are neighbours and the neighbourhood is the area where all the neighbours and you live. So we can talk about a sense of community. Could be an exclusive community. Yeah. Or not exclusive.

R: Well, an inclusive community.

M: Yeah. Everybody come in.

R: Come in and do what you like.

M: Go wild and crazy. And you may want to maintain it. That's a nice word. To maintain your neighbourhood, to take care of it. So we maintain a house, we maintain a car, a flat. So we take care of that. That's a nice verb. Right. Dear listener, we hope that you have lovely neighbours and if your neighbours don't know about our podcast, what should you do? Yes, you just, you know, you put some note under their door, IELTS Speaking for Success podcast. Or you listen to our podcast at night. You know, with these high levels of noise.

R: That will make friends with your neighbours. Absolutely.

M: Make friends, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then they would open the door at 4 a.m. in the morning. Oh, you also listen to IELTS Speaking for Success podcast and they go, yes, me too. Aaa, brother. Could you imagine that? That would be nice.

R: That would be horrific.

M: Thank you so much for listening and being with us and staying with us! We love you! We hug you! Bye!

R: Bye!

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