My first interview

How did you approach people? When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview?
Whom did you interview?
 My interviewee from Vietnam and her name is Ha and she is 19 year old. When my professor asked us to make an interview and we have to interview at least three students from the same country, I thought it’s too hard to find three students from one country. Also, I don’t know if they can help me to interview them, so I start looking for friends or classmates. At the beginning I chose China, because I have too many Chinese friends, but unfortunately most of them taking English class 191 with me, while my professor told us don’t picked interviewee from our class. Then, I really got stuck about who will help me. Two days ago I was drinking coffee in Caribou café after having a really hard math test, so one of my last semester classmate came to me and say “Hi” and we had talked a lot about her and my classes. When we were talking I remembered that she’s from Vietnam , then I immediately asked her can you help me with my English 191 class and I explained to her my situation and she said of course I can help you and I can find some Vietnamese students too. So, we set up an appointment to do the interview and that was yesterday, October, 27, 2010 at 4:00 pm in the same café which is Caribou. Before we started the interview I appreciate her help and I asked her what she wants to drink. After a while of talking randomly about school and her jobs and life in Minnesota in general, we started our interview. I really spent good time interviewing a student from the country that I don’t know anything about it. I excited and enjoyed every single piece of
information that I heard from my interviewer.

2. Describe the interview. What did surprise you?
At the beginning I have no idea about Vietnam all I knew is that , its in Asia and I heard about the war between the US and Vietnam. So these are all my background about Vietnam.To be honest I was not expecting any developments in Vietnam because of the war, but i really surprised when I heard from a Vietnamese person that they have such a beautiful land with high population in their country.
3. Report on country/region and culture. 

Vietnam

Vietnam is among the most stunning nations situated within the South East Asia. Its capital city is Hanoi. According to Dirk (2004, p. 34), Vietnam has a total area of 329,560 square kilometers, and its typical time zone is UTC/GMT +7 hours. Into the North, the country divides up the extended borderline with China. In the South West, Vietnam is bounded by the Gulf of Thailand, in the East by the Gulf of Tonkin, by Laos and Cambodia in the West, and by South China Sea in the East and South. Vietnam has an exclusive shape of a stretched out S together with an elongated coastline of 2,140 miles with numerous amazing sites.

History      

The history of Viet Nam began 2,700 years ago. It served as a state ruled first by China, then followed by Mongolians and finally, undertaken by French. It got its independence from the French on September 2, 1945. However, Viet Nam was separated into North and South and unfortunately, led to the Viet Nam War.  The North side ended up winning the internal war.

4. Transcribe the interview.

Me: Hi, how are you doing?

Ha: hi, I doing great, thanks, how about you?

Me: I’m fine thank, I’m glad that you give an opportunity to interview you?

Ha: no problems you are my x-classmate, she laughing that mean she joking.
Me: Can you tell me about yourself and which country you come from?

 Ha: my name is Ha and I’m 19 years old and I’m from Vietnam, acutely I was living in the capital city of my country which is Hanoi. I have one sister and one brother and of course my mum and dad.
Me: Can you tell me a little bit about your country?

Ha: Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter “S”. I would like to say my country is very beautiful; love the weather there with tropic and monsoons. Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. People in my country are very friendly.
Me: What are the most famous things in your country?

Ha: It’s difficult to answer this question, because my country has a lot of places, things that people from difference countries like. Including culture, foods, travel perfect pictures of landscape of rice paddies and water buffalo, wide tree-lined streets full of bicycles and motorcycles.
Me: How are elderly people treated? Or what are the treatments for elderly people?

Ha: At home, one is expected to show respect to parents and family members. Outside the home, it is shown to elderly people, teachers, and other authority figures. By showing respect to others, individuals indicate their expectation that they will be treated with the respect due their age, social status, or authoritative position.
Me: Do you have any special events in your culture?

Ha: I really not in my culture really much, but I love to watch the music’s video from my country.
Me: What is the main religion in your country?

Ha: The main religion is Buddhism. And do you believe in any religion? I don't believe in any religion.
Me: What are the most common sports that people play and like in your country?

Ha: I would like to say soccer, badminton.
Me: How do you involved in new cultures in America?

Ha: First it was a little bit hard for me, but since I been here for while and being friends with all the people from different countries so I have learned it quickly.
Me: What is the thing that you find here in the US make you feel homesick?

Ha: The Vietnamese foods and weather.
Me: What is the hardest part about being away from country?

Ha: Miss my family and my friends back there. So I would say homesick.
Me: What is your academic background?

Ha: Before I moved here I was in 10 grades.

 Me: And what is your major?

Ha:  My major is Finance
Me: Could you tell me the differences between American education and your home education?

Ha: I could say the education here is way easy than my country, the classes rooms are different, the way teaching and the way students communicate with their teacher are way different.
Me: What kinds of difficulties have you experienced in US?

Ha: The most difficult thing I have ever had is the language.

Me: How do you overcome them?

Ha: I keep trying to learn and speak with people around me so my English can get better, and of course I ignore all the bad things around me.
Me: Can you tell me when people usually get married in your country?

 Ha: In the village they get married early around the age is 18 or 20, but in the city they want to get there degree first then they get married at the age 25 or 30.
Me: What is the common age for dating?

Ha: Its depend on the family, but for now this day students in high school at the age like 16 or 17 years old, they already date.
Me: What is your plane when you graduate from SCSU?

Ha: I will stay here get a job for while after that I will go back to my country, live with my family there and have my own business. 
Me: Do you want to say anything’s (comment, questions) before we finish our interview?
Ha: I would like to recommend people should visit my country because it’s so beautiful

Objectives:

1.    Learn a little bit about Vietnam.

2.    How people live in their country and what they usually do beside their jobs.

3.    Learn about their families and how they treat elderly people

4.    Learn more about marriage/dating and when people start dating.

5.    Traditions in their country.

6- Compare the similarities and differences between Vietnam and the United State in areas such as education, culture and lifestyle.

My first interview experience in class

With whom did you work?

What did you learn from her or him?

What did you think of the communicative situation?
How did it make you feel?
How did it prepare you to conduct the "real" interviews?

I have worked with 2 girls from my English 191 class and I learned quit enough information from their country and culture. The first interviewee is Hailey Eder and she is from the united state of America. I learned how the people are closed to each others in the small town such as her own town which is Buffalo. Also, I interested to the way people usually meet and date, because they are little bit religiosity, that how people are in my country too. However, the youth people in Buffalo are not tradition as their family. We talked about studying abroad and how its work for us, and she wants to continue her education in Europe especially in Paris for many personal reasons and I hope she can do it.

My first partner is Nan Wang and she is from one of the oldest country and culture in the World. She came from China and she grew up in a small city called Zhong Shan Province. I have been shocked from the population in her small town; it seems more than some countries population ever. Furthermore, I have known that people in China have a lot of differences between their cultures. She explained that their marriage ceremony is not too complicated and couples can get married easily, by dating each other’s the feel in love after that get married. So it’s more different than the culture I came from, which is the parents can manage their son’s life whether agree or disagree with the couple’s decision.

In conclusion, I felt comfortable with my interviewee and they are really kind. I got all the information I asked for clearly and the communicative situation were really positive. This interview makes me ready and more confident to do my “real” interviews and it’s helped me a lot.