Description: The purpose of this paper is to present the use of the qualitative and semi-structured interview within the ethnographic research. In particular I'm interested in analysing the links and potential between the partecipant observation ( that implies a relationship with the subjects of the research)and the semistructured interviews: this sequence allows us to connect the track of the interview (so we can compare) to unaspected elements formed as a result of previous knowledge with the subjects of the research.The interviews that I'll describe in this paper aere related to my Phd research project that has the topic of analysing tha changes happened in the italian kindergardens after the arrival of foreign children and families. I observed two schools for a long period and then I used the semi-structured interviews with parents and teachers. Methodology: The persons interviewed were teachers, italian and foreign mothers - from Morocco, Nigeria, Romania etc- and also three fathers. I used the italian language except for a nigerian mum with whom I spoke in english. I used a recorder after having asked them permission: they agreed except for a moroccan mother that asked to me to take note. The interview with the parents was based on 13 questions while 3 had two different forms for immigrant or italian mothers. Teachers and parents were free to answer to my questions. I tried to expand the meanings of some answers in order to gain clarity on some points tacking advantage of my knowledge of them. Conclusions: Ø The semi-structured interview is used to delve into some themes that emerged from partecipant observation and also to expand onsome aspects;Ø The semi-structured interview is also useful to compare what subects declare and how they behave;Ø The researched subjects are free, and at the same time encouraged, to use their own words and linked to express their ideas;Ø The role of the interviewer is to explore the subject meanings and at the same time to connect their ideas to the common knowledge developed during the partecipant observation;Ø the characterstic of the interviewer and the interviewees have a big influence on the development of that "conversation";Ø The relationship between the interviewer and those interviewed has an influence on the quality of the information obtained.