Addressing Community Concerns about a Project
Representatives from an organization meet with local community members to discuss potential concerns or negative impacts of an environmental project and seek common ground or solutions.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
wetland
A wetland is a piece of land covered with shallow water, like marshes or swamps, important for the environment. Use it when talking about nature conservation projects.
restoration
Restoration means repairing or returning something to its original good condition. It's useful in discussions about fixing damaged environments, like 'river restoration'.
concerns
Concerns are worries or problems that people have. Say 'We have concerns about...' to politely express doubts in meetings or discussions.
disruption
Disruption means something that interrupts normal activities, like noise or traffic changes. Use it in contexts like 'minimize disruption' during construction talks.
mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are small flying insects that bite people and can spread diseases. Common in environmental talks about water projects, as they breed in wet areas.
ecological
Ecological relates to the relationships between living things and their environment. Use 'ecological experts' when discussing nature-based solutions.
predators
Predators are animals that hunt and eat other animals. In this context, it's about natural enemies like birds or fish controlling pests.
timeline
A timeline is a schedule showing when things will happen. Ask about 'the timeline' in project meetings to understand duration and phases.
reassuring
Reassuring means making someone feel less worried or more confident. Say 'It's reassuring to hear...' to show relief in conversations.
invaluable
Invaluable means extremely useful or important, more valuable than can be measured. Use it to thank someone, like 'Your input is invaluable' in feedback sessions.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
This polite sentence shows gratitude for someone's effort. Use it at the start of meetings to build rapport. Grammar: 'Taking the time' is a gerund phrase acting as the object of 'appreciate'.
We've got some serious concerns about the potential impact.
This expresses worries clearly but politely. Useful for raising issues in discussions. 'Got some' is informal for 'have some'; 'potential impact' means possible effects.
We understand those concerns are valid.
This acknowledges others' worries as reasonable, helping to de-escalate talks. Use in responses to show empathy. 'Are valid' means they are acceptable or true.
Perhaps we can walk through those now?
This suggests reviewing details together. 'Walk through' is an idiom meaning to explain step by step. Use it to propose actions in meetings.
That's a very good point.
This agrees with someone's idea positively. Useful to show respect in debates. It's a common polite response before offering solutions.
We're committed to keeping the community informed every step of the way.
This promises ongoing communication. 'Committed to' means dedicated to doing something. Use in project updates to build trust; 'every step of the way' emphasizes throughout the process.
It's reassuring to hear you've considered these aspects.
This expresses relief after getting answers. Useful at the end of discussions. 'Reassuring' means comforting; structure shows cause and effect with 'to hear'.
Your input is invaluable.
This thanks someone by saying their opinion is very important. Use to end meetings positively. 'Input' means contributions or feedback; 'invaluable' stresses high value.