Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
interview number one (united states)
Interview Number One (United
States)
After choosing the United States as a country to
find an interviewee from, I knew my friend of 2 years would help me if I asked.
Kayleen agreed to do the interview after I called her and she met me with me on
Saturday October 20th, 2012 at the library to do the interview. We
agreed to record the interview to intensify the importance of diversity of
language. I asked her 11 questions about herself and was surprised she had a
question for me at the end of the interview.
I
began the interview by asking Kayleen to describe herself. I know a lot about
her already because we have been friends but I was surprised and happy to learn
more about my friend. Kayleen’s full name is Kayleen Amber Phillips. She
recently turned 20 years old and lives in St. Cloud, MN. Kayleen was born in
the United States of America in the state of Colorado in 1992 but she was
raised in Minnesota. Kayleen described herself with these words, “I’m a bright fun person and love people.”
After describing herself, Kayleen began
to tell me of her plans after college and in the future. She plans to attend
school for nursing and human services. After school she wants to get a job and
plan the future for her family. One thing she wants to do for fun is travel to
the Bahamas, but she loves where she is from.
I asked her to tell me about where she
is from and she responded by saying,
“My country is the country
of “Freedom” and “Liberty.” America gained its independence on July 4th
1776 and has been the “country of opportunity” since. It has 50 states and its
capital is Washington D.C. The first people of the United States were natives
but it is occupied by all diversity now.”
She also told me about the way people
in America typically get married. The traditional way people in America usually
get married is by having separate parties for the husband and wife before
having a ceremony together with friends and family. After this ceremony, they
continue to celebrate with each other. I then went on to ask Kayleen about her
country and what people her age do for fun. She told me people her age usually
go to clubs with friends and dance for fun. They also eventful things with
their families like bowling and camping. Camping is one of Kayleen’s favorite
things to do.
“I love
the long night by the fire and swimming and being in nature.”
After telling me about some of her
favorite things to do, I wanted to know more about her country as a whole. I
asked her things such as the holidays and traditions of the United States. One
country I know of and remember her telling me is July 4th. This is when Americans get together and have
fireworks and food and spend time with their family, remembering their
independence. Another holiday in the United States she talked about was
Christmas. This is on December 25th. It celebrates the date Jesus
was born. They share gifts and food and love with their families.
We went on to talk about the
different kinds of foods that are usually eaten in America.
“Americans
eat food that is mostly originated from the Native Americans. Foods like wheat,
corn, potatoes, pork and beef are the main traditional foods from America.”
I thought this was interesting
because in my religion we cannot eat pork but we often eat vegetables like
here.
We also talked about the political
system in America. She told me about freedom and how people have their own
rights for their independence. She told me about the religions they have here
in the U.S. The main ones include Christian, Catholic, and protestant. I was
surprised to learn that a lot of people, like Kayleen, have no religion at all.
This does not mean she doesn’t believe in anything but she doesn’t consider
herself a certain religion, as she believes a lot of different things about
life.
I really enjoyed to learn about
Kayleen’s life in the United States because it is much different from where I
came from. After learning about the United States Kayleen had a question for
me.
“Was
there anything about the United States that you learned in the interview that
you didn’t know before?”
I answered by telling her I learned
a lot about my own friend that I didn’t know that is very important and one
thing I learned about the United States that I didn’t know is what Americans do
when they camp. It is different from my country because the ecosystems are
different.
I thanked Kayleen at the end of the
interview and really appreciated her help with this interview and enjoyed
learning more about the United States of America.
Our Conversation:
Me: “ Could you tell me about yourself? Like your name
and where you are from?”
Kayleen:
“My name is Kayleen Phillips. I recently turned 20 years old and live in St.
Cloud,MN. I was born in the United States of America in the State of Colorado
in 1992. I moved to Minnesota when I was two and have been here since. I’m a
bright fun person and love people.”
Me: “ What are you planning to do after school? “
Kayleen:
“After school, I just want to get a good job and stable life and be able to
start a family. I want to travel though, I want to see the Bahamas, but I love
where I’m from.”
Me: “ Would you like to tell me about your country?”
Kayleen:
“My country is the country of “Freedom” and “Liberty.” America gained its
independence on July 4th 1776 and has been the “country of
opportunity” since. It has 50 states and its capital is Washington D.C. The
first people of the United States were natives but it is occupied by all
diversity now.”
Me: “Why did you choose to study at St. Cloud
University?”
Kayleen:
“I chose to study here because my family is here and the University has the
best programs for me.”
Me: “Could you tell me about your country's traditional
process reguarding marriage?”
Kayleen:
“In America, people get married in probably the most traditional way possible.
It varies depending on religion but for
the most part, the traditional Christian way
is used. They have their ceremonies for both bride and groom and then one
together. Then they have a big party after where everyone pretty much just
celebrates and dance.”
Me: “Can you tell me about activities that young
people like to do in your country?”
Kayleen:
“In America you see most young people going to big cities for fun. We go to the
clubs and dance with friends. Other things we do for fun are bowling, camping,
shopping for girls and most men like sports, like every man. Camping is one of
my favorite things to do. I love the long night by the fire and swimming and
being in nature.”
Me: “ What are major holidays in your country?”
Kayleen:
“One of the biggest holidays in America is July 4th. This is the
date when America gained its independence. We have a lot of fireworks and
everyone gets together to have fun. Another one is on December 25th
its Christmas. Jesus was born on this day so we celebrate his life and share
gifts and food and family time.”
Me: “ What is your traditional food?”
Kayleen:
“Americans eat food that is mostly originated from the Native Americans. Foods
like wheat, corn, potatoes, pork and beef are the main traditional foods from
America.”
Me: “What’s considered offensive in your country? “
Kayleen:
“Racism exists everywhere but it is still a big problem here.”
Me: “How is the political system of your country structured?”
Kayleen: “The United States has a federation and it’s the oldest in
the world. Politics are big here and there are many boards and branches. There
are a lot of rights for the people that are followed also which is good for us
so we have our freedom.”
Me: “What are your country's major religions?”
Kayleen: “There are many religions here because of the diversity but
the main ones I would say are Christian, Catholic, Protestant, and a lot have
no religion at all. I don’t have a religion but I believe in God. I just
believe a lot of different things about life so I don’t consider myself a
certain religion.”
Me: “ Do you have any questions for
me, now that I have had the pleasure of asking you about so many things?”
Kayleen: “Was there anything about the United States that you learned
in the interview that you didn’t know before?”
Me: “I learned a lot about my own friend that I didn’t
know that is very important and one thing I learned about the United States
that I didn’t know is what Americans do when they camp. It is different from my
country because the ecosystems are different.”
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student
Challenges and benefits of
interviewing an international student
There can be many challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student. Some challenges one may face while interviewing another is understanding the person and thinking of what questions to ask. International students might be hard to understand depending on their experience with English. There are different accents and ways people pronounce their words so it can be challenging. Also, when thinking of questions to ask, it is challenging because you don’t know the person or if they might find some questions to be offensive or not.
Besides challenges, there are benefits
to interviewing international people as well. You get to know different cultures.
Also, languages sometimes can be similar sounds between the interviews, which
are really enjoyable. This can be very good for your personal experience. Also,
by interviewing people, you get experience with being comfortable asking strangers’
questions. The interview process has both good sides and challenging sides to It.,
but in the end we hope for a good outcome.
Challenges and Benefits Ideas
Those challenges and benefits Ideas for our group: (Mostafa,
Yang, and Hassan)
1.
It is benefit for us to
learn other countries’ culture.
2.
We can learn them what they
have experienced in their home country
3.
Some topics are sensitive
to them because of the different culture background.
4.
We do not have to talk some
racial issues.
5.
We can get much information
from the interview.
6.
From the interview we can
make more friends.
7.
Some international students
are shy.
8.
It is not easy for us to do
an interview with each country’s student.
9.
Interview can improve our
English.
10.
It is hard for us to find
some problems regarding this interview.
11.
Difficult communication.
12.
It can be enjoyable.
13.
Language barrier.
14.
It is hard to find an
international student.
15.
We will be interested in
some places.
16.
To know about many
different holydays.
17.
Interesting about new
traditional food.
18.
Improve your speech during
the interview.
19.
To be ready in the future
for getting job.
20.
The uniform about another
country.
21.
Learn the different between
families.
22.
Learn about the different
lifestyles.
23.
Know the different roles in
the other country.
24.
The sports the country
interesting.
25.
What’s the country export
outside?
26.
Other countries’ system.
27.
The flag of country.
28.
The population of the
country.
29.
The location of the
country.
30.
The different between the
body language.
31.
Which religion they follow.
32.
We can learn how to prepare a professional
interview.
33.
Learn about a new heritage.
34. which types of education they learn.
35. the relashinship with other countries.
36. Sovereign rights.
My Objectives
By doing these interviews, I believe it will help me to better understand
a country from a personal point of view. It also helped me to be more
comfortable when interviewing new people. My interview will be on America.
My Objectives:
For the interviews I plan to
do I have the following objectives:
-
Get to know the person I’m interviewing
-
Understand and ask questions about where the person came from
-
Ask questions about certain things in the persons country like views on
marriage and religion
-
Get to know the importance of the persons country
My core questions:
1. Could you tell me about yourself? (your name, home country)
2. What are you planning to do after school?
3. Why did you choose to study at St. Cloud University?
4. What is the difference in educational systems between your country
and North America?
5. Would you like to tell me about your country?
6. Could you tell me about your country's traditional process reguarding
marriage?
7. Can you tell me about activities that young people like to
do in your country?
8. What are major holidays in your country?
9. What is your traditional food?
10. What’s considered offensive in your country?
11. What do you perceive as differences between your culture and the
American culture?
12. Is there anything you would like to add before we end our interview?
My three interviewee countries
The
three countries I chose to do my interviews on are America, Russia, and
Germany. I chose these countries because I am interested in the ways these
countries formed and what they have done good for the people and cultures of
these countries in specific.
I live in
America and attend school here so I thought it would be a good opportunity to
write and learn more about this country. The United States of America is a
federal republic country in North America made up of 50 states. This country is
located between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and is bordered by Canada in
the north and Mexico to the south. According to history.com, “America is 3.79
million square miles and contains more than 314 million people, making it the
third largest country.” The first people to migrate to the States were the
Paleoindians about 15,000 years ago, migrating from Asia. The native lands
would later be completely taken over by the French and Europeans by being
tricked into signing treaties but not knowing they would loose everything. The
government now pays back most of what was taken from the natives through
providing funds for college and more for people of the native decent.
On July 4th, 1776, America gained its
independence by signing the declaration of independence, declaring its
independence and right to have a sovereign union. Another country that I chose
is Russia. I chose this country because I know a little of how much it
contributes to the worlds oil supply.
Russia, also known as the Russian Federation, is
a country located in northern Eurasia. Russia was first settled upon when,
according to factmonster.com, the “Viking Rurik came there in 862 and founded
the first Russian dynasty in Novgorod.” It borders Norway, Finland, Poland and
other countries such as China and North Korea. Russia is the largest country in
the world, as it covers more than one-eighth of the Earth’s land. It also has
one of the world’s largest energy and mineral resources and is one of the
largest oil producers throughout the globe. According to geographic.org, “Russia
is the third largest, next to Saudi Arabia and the United States, in oil
production.” There are so many interesting things about Russia that are not
noted here. Russia is a major contributor in the world’s oil reserves, forest,
and natural resources. Another country I chose has power in many theoretical
and technical fields.
Germany is a country consisting of 16 states and
the capitol of Berlin. Germany is 357,021 square kilometers and is inhabited by
81.8 million people. Germany is very powerful both economically and
politically. It is the third largest exporter and importer of goods. It is
known widely for its oldest health care system and home of many influential
composers.
I chose to talk about these three countries
because of the influences they have on their peoples’ culture and survival.
Each country have their own significant meaning to the world and have their own
independent ways of making history.
Resources:
wikipedia.
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