英語(yǔ)播客 A Cup of English Do I make you nervous?

I have recently been conducting interviews with people in town who have businesses. Why? Because I am beginning to build a website of interviews and dialogues. I hope to launch it before Christmas;....let's see if I can get it ready in time. It sounds like a simple procedure, doesn't it? Interview a person, add grammar notes and pronunciation practice, edit it until it is clean and professional, and then upload it to my website. Well, it's actually all new for me, including the interviews. Most people, I have found, are not that comfortable with being interviewed. That's understandable; they don't want to sound silly. Some people might not even want their voices on the internet. So, there are steps that I have to take to keep everyone happy. First of all, I must ask their permission, and see if they are comfortable with being interviewed. Secondly, I must inform them that the audio of their voice will be on the web, and then together, we must arrange when and where to conduct the interview. Well, I've done that so far with four people, and it's all turned out to be okay. But, one thing I have noticed is that they all got nervous during the interview. Now, when you listen to the interviews, they don't seem very nervous. That's because I have edited out all of the ums and ahs and stuttering. However, as I sit in front of the people, I can see them fidget, scratch thier heads, chew their lips, and even sweat. Do I make them nervous? Is it me, or is it the experience of being interviewed? I do my best to make them feel comfortable. I smile, but not too much. I put my head on one side, to act friendly and not domineering. I agree with them and nod my head, and I make sure that I don't stare at them for too long. If I put myself in their shoes, I would probably feel the same. Thank goodness for editing.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to conduct an interview, to launch a website, to stutter, to fidget.

1. Yesterday, we had to conduct ten interviews.

2. He launched his website last year, and has had great success with his new venture.

3. He had to give a speech, but he was so nervous that he stuttered quite a bit.

4. Most kindergarteners fidget a lot, and find it hard to sit still.