Preparation for the Interview:
As an international student, I chose the Unite States of America as the country of choice for this interview. We had general questions that we drafted as a class, but I added and edited some questions so that they could fit my environment of interview. USA is a large country consisting of several states. I will have to choose one state that will be my basis of interview. I choose to do the interview in the city of Saint Cloud to interview a number of people. At the end of this report is a transcript of one of the interviews with an American citizen who lives and works in the city of Saint Cloud.
How did you approach people?
As an international student, I had contact with many students from the USA. One of my classmates introduced me to a longtime friend of his called Clair agreed to be interviewed. He told me that it was the first time he was doing this. He was obliged to chip in with my Interview. I told her that the interview was for my class work and that I would ask her general questions and that, I would record our conversion. He wanted to know why I wanted to record the conversation and I told him that is was for transcription purposes. She promptly agreed to go ahead with the interview. We met at the library. It is here that we conducted the interview.
When, where and how did you conduct and record the interview?
The interview was conducted on a Thursday morning. This was convenient for both of us since we did not have obligations over the weekend. I took with her my mobile phone that I would use as the recording device. I also had a printed copy of the questions that I was going to ask Clair. I also had with me some snacks that would serve to keep the mood lively throughout the interview.
Whom did you Interview?
I interviewed Clear who is a teacher at Saint Cloud State University. She teach ESL (English as a second language) Also, she was one of my teacher last semester . She is a student at our campus. Clair was born and raised in Chicago in Illinoi. She travelled within America with his family while growing up. she came to Saint Cloud to complete her studies.
USA is a developed country located in the Western seaboard. It is mainly
comprised of different people. Most residents are people who are originally
immigrants from other parts of the world. The society is diverse and rich of
different cultures. USA is a unity between 52 different states that are
represented by a president who is currently Barrack Obama. Below is a map of the
USA.
(1)
(2) Chicago is the third most populous city
in the United States.
Located in the State of Illinois, the city has approximately 2.7 million residents. It metropolitan
area,
sometimes called "Chicago land", is the third-largest
in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles, with an estimated 9.8 million
people. Chicago.
(2)
Cityscape, Chicago
Interview Report
Arriving at her Office, Clair warmly
welcomed me to her room. We spoke casually about our friends.I was happy to meet her it been a long ime . After the chitchat, he
directed me to the study room.
I
was surprised by the fact that Americans have an industrious spirit. The
education sector was well funded and supported in this country. This has
contributed greatly to the development of the country. I was also surprised by
the levels of insecurity in the country. There are gangs that mainly deal in
drugs. This is the ugly side of USA that was revealed to me. I soon realized
that while the government was fighting terror abroad, some of the most biting
issues were in their back yard.
Country Report:
(1)(2) Chicago is the third most populous city
in the United States.
Located in the State of Illinois, the city has approximately 2.7 million residents. It metropolitan
area,
sometimes called "Chicago land", is the third-largest
in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles, with an estimated 9.8 million
people. Chicago.(2)
(3)
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/chicago/images/cityscape-chicago$24150-7
Interview
Interviewer:
Tareq Alsomahi
Interviewee:
Clear
Location:
University of Saint Cloud, USA, 2.00 PM
T- Tareq
C-Clear
T: First of all , How are you doing ?
C: I am good how are you?
T:I am fine. How was the weather today?
C: I was so surprised about snowing hhhh
T: hhhhh me too
C: So, my husband mother came from United Kingdom and there
is not very many snow in England and so
she was asking usually before Halloween
there will be snow then this week.
T: Also, I Think in midnight we would have snow .
C: yeah, I heard this, so I don’t want to drive my car in
the snow Tareq hhh.
T: Ok, Could you tell me about your self ?
C: So, mmm I was born in Chicago in Illinoi. I spend all of
my life there and then I studied in University not in Chicago but it still in
Illinoi like Five Hours from my home town then after that I spent tow years in
Japan teaching English and then I Came back and spent one year living with my
family and substitute teaching so this mean like if a teacher is missing from a
class room they are sick then they call me and I come in just for on days it is
not very interesting work hhh. And then I move to Saint Cloud.
T: Do you Know Japanese? I mean did you learn Japanese while
you were there ?
C: It was in my University. SO I do not like learning
languages. When I was in high school I had to learn Spanish and I Hated it. And
I come to university they say you must learn a language . I think this sounds
terrible to me. I do not want to learn anything I could not do this it is too
hard. But then I found Japanese well I thought this is interesting very unique
I never knew this before and then I learned it and I really enjoy and then
there is system program with that university so some Japanese student stay with
me and my roommate in our dorm and we are really enjoy in this so from there my
interest grow.
T: That was very nice. So now you Know Japanese. So when you
went to Japan you was teaching English not Japanese.
C: Yeah English.
T: Would you like to learn Arabic?
C:mmmm Actually I wish but I think it is more than
difficult.
T: I think so too . ok.
What are you planning after school ?
C: I will finish my master this year I hope If I can and
then my husband will go to Loscu probably in the East coast Because he wants do immigration so hopefully
I can find a job teaching ESL somewhere in East coast.
T: amm why did you chose to study at Saint Cloud University?
C:amm For two reason. The first reason was I want to change
my job because is not an interesting job for substitute teaching hhhh. So I
want to get more Training and but when I deside to do this it is very late to
apply to university so many universities I can not apply to. I look at
University of Minnesota because I have some friends in Minneapolis but it was
too late. But then I find Saint Cloud.and I can apply here later and then also they respond back to me
and sau we can give you job and scholarships. So two Reasons.
T: ok . Would like to tell me about your country history ?
C: Sure ! What specifically would you like?
T: For Example Immigration People About United State in general .
C: So, my family most of my family my dad side were here
since the beginning of America. So, when we had our war with the Great Britain
. my relative was fighting in this war so half of my family has been in America
for a long long time but them my mom’s
family is from Poland and her grandfather came from Poland So he mmm my grandmother
Knows Polish But none of us Know Polish now and so that is something I always
wishing in America immigrants come and then they kind of adapt to American life
and I wish I have more like traditions from Poland and I wish I Knew Polish and
things like that in America I think we are very Friendly to immigrants but then
we want everybody to change to be the same hhhh . so it is tow ways it is good
for immigrants but not so good for
immigrants I think.
T: What do you do when you have a free time? Like what
activity do you do?
C:amm when I was A child I played Soft ball so I had many
teams Now I do running and also go with friends see movies or music shows .
T: Can you tell me about activates that young people do here
in Unites State?
C:well. When I was in high school and when I was in college
the main thing I did was either go to the movies or watch movies with my
friends so almost every weekend either renting a movie or going to a movie .
T: So the main thing is movie
C: yeah hh
T: What are the Major holidays in your country ?
C:mmm I think The most major Holiday is Chrisms and this is
just common for I think any country that was influence by Christianity. So it
is like kind of the celebration of Jesus but now even people who are not
celebrating for religion .celebrate it for just culture so like giving presents
and that kind of thing. Then another main holiday that I think a spicily
Americans like to celebrate is Thanks given and this is because it is kind of
our idea of America. So the Story of Thanks Given is probably not true well we
say but it is our idea. We like the idea we came to America and then the people
here helped us in it is this idea of immigrants and being together but the real
story maybe is not like this story.
T: So, I think Thanks Given Is coming soon Is that right?
C: Yes Yes I am looking for going to mu home in Chicago hh
T: That is nice ok.
How is the Political system of your country structured?
C: So, in America the main thing that we talk about with
political system is there is three different branches so one is the judges and
they decide about our constitution which is the document that the all main laws
and then there is the president he or she but not yet any she is leader of the
country and they can make a lot of decision and then there is congress and they
make the small laws. So the judges decide on the big laws that impact the
constitution but the congress they can decide in small lows about just the
everyday life.
T:ok What are your country major religion?
C: I think right now in America has mostly been christens
but then there are a lot of Jewish people in America and there is a lot of
Moslem people in America my idea is that those are the main religions in
America.
T: Ok.What do you perceive as differences between your
culture and the other culture?
C: I think In my mind
the biggest different between American culture and other cultures is
since America is very powerful we do not learn about other cultures as much as
many country so we just expect people want to come to America and so we have a
very small view of the world where many other countries Like when I was in
Japan. In Japan they know many things about America and they know about our
president and I do not know about this in Japanese culture Yeah so I think that
is a big different in America we do not try to learn about other countries as much where other countries
in the world really try to learn about the rest of the world
T:What is the consider offensive in your country ?
C:I think even now there is amm a major think that is
offensive in America is if people amm attack or say bad thing about
Christianity so even though , American
says or any religion can come here. The main religion is Christies and there is
a lot of people in America who if they feel that their religion is being like
move down they are very offended by that
so still like Jokes about religion we could save but many people do not want
like this ammm and I think that is probably the major think that considered
offensive the other things that is very a problem in America is racism and so
when people like make joke or say things about people of another race that is
big problem but we still have I think many problem with this.
T: now amm Is there anything you
would like to add before we end our interview? Or Do you have any questions for
me, now that I have had the pleasure of asking you about so many things?
C: I do not think so Yeah . ammm
So How did you come up with these questions and why did you decide to ask these
questions?
T: Actually I come up with these
question by My class mates and I chose this question because I am interesting
to hear the answer for it .
C:It is interesting to hear
people’s ideas instated of like we can
read news and read books but sometimes individual people have different idea so that is interesting
T: Ok . so thank you for Let me answering
my questions .
C: Of course . Good Luck
T: Thank you .
Work Cited:
(3)
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/chicago/images/cityscape-chicago$24150-7
