Interview preparation
Where, when did we conduct and record the interview
My first interviewe is about America. I have been here for almost one year, and sometimes I will meet some culture shocks, I don't know how to deal with the situation when I stay with my American friends. I want to learn more about America through this interview, and as an international student, I want to have a closer relationship with my American friend by learning their culture. My first interviewee is Nick, he is from Minnesotyear, sometimes a. On this weekend, we decided to meet each other in the library and finished our interview together.
How did I conduct my interview
Last sunday, I met Nick in the library at 10 am. This was the first time for us to meet each other, and both of us were very excited. We introduced each other first, and we got the general information. Then, he began his interview first. Although we hd the same class, but we were in the different section. Then, we had different questions. He was very interested in China, but he just had a few ideas about China. Then, he asked a lot of questions. Such as, the food in China, the religion in China, and the education in China. I gave him my answers one by one. And after 20 minutes, I bagan my interview. As an international student, I want to know many information about America, and I want to have a more close relationship with my American freidns. Then, I asked him about the education, the custom, the religion in America. He gave me all the answers patiently.
Approaching interviewee
Nick, who was born and grew in Minnesota. Currently, he is a junior in SCSU, and his major is computer science. He took the same class with me, but we chose different section. Although we don't know each other before, we just contacted by email. He was interested in China, and I was interested in America, then we become partner to do our interview together.
Country report
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The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic
comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central
North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C.,
the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by
Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in
the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the
west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the
mid-Pacific. The country also
possesses several territories in the Pacific and
Caribbean.Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: local, state, and federal, in that order. Child education is compulsory. There are also a large number and wide variety of higher education institutions throughout the country that one can choose to attend, both publicly and privately administered.
Public education is universally available. School curricula, funding, teaching, employment, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards with jurisdiction over school districts with many directives from state legislatures. School districts are usually separate from other local jurisdictions, with independent officials and budgets. Educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by state governments.
Religion in the United States is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Faiths have flourished, as well as perished, in the United States. Those include faiths imported by the multicultural immigrant heritage, as well as those founded within the country. These have led the United States to become one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. A majority of Americans report that religion plays a "very important" role in their lives, a proportion unique among developed nations.
The majority of Americans (73%) identify themselves as Christians and about 20% have no religious affiliation. According to the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), those who identify themselves as Catholics make up about 25% of the adult population, while "other Christians" account for another 51%. The same survey says that other religions (including, for example, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism) collectively make up about 4% of the adult population, another 15% of the adult population claim no religious affiliation, and 5.2% said they did not know, or they refused to reply. According to another survey, 36 percent of Americans state that they attend services nearly every week or more.
Despite a high level of religious adherence, only 9% of Americans in a 2008 poll said religion was the most important thing in their life, compared with 45% who said family was paramount in their life and 17% who said money and career was paramount.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States
Transcript
Nick: N
Xianping: X
X: Hello, Nick, my name is xianping. Thanks for coming to library for our interview.
N: You' re welcome! Xianping, I'm glad to be your partner.
X: Me too. How about beginning our interview now?
N: Sure.
X: Ok, which state are you from in the U.S?
N: I am from a big city in Minnesota, and it takes almost an hour from my home to campus by car.
X: Sounds great! Do you usually go back home on your weekend?
N: Yes, I will go back home if I have time, and I enjoy the laughter and happiness when I stayed with my family.
X: I see. I have the same feeing with you. Do you have brothers or sisters?
N: Yes, I have a older sister and a older brother, we don't live our parents, but we usually come back on weekends.
X: Wonderful! I admire it. Do you have any religions? If you do, who affected your decision?
N: To be honest, I am a non-religion person. But when I was young, my parents usually brought me to church every sunday, I thought it was very boring when I stayed in church. Then, when I grew up, I didn't go to church anymore.
X: Ok, sounds interesting. Now, let's talk about food. Food will be regarded as an important part in our life, because we need to have food everyday. What's your favorite food? Do you cook by yourself?
N: Good question! Yes, sometimes, when I have time, I will cook by myself. For me, I like pizza very much. Because it is easy-made, especialy when we were busy with our homework.
X: I see, did you taste other countries' food before? Such as China, Korea?
N: Yes, you know, there are a lot of Asian resturaunts in Saint Cloud, and they offered a lot of delicious food which are very different from American food. But I enjoy them.
X: Wow, nice. I missed Chinese ffod too. They indeed have a delicious taste, and they are vey spicy. Ok, can we talk something about the education in America?
N: Sure, I'm glad to do that! As a native speaker in America, I don't have lanuage problems when I attended my class. I think America has a wholesome education system, and the peofessors are very experienced in their field. What's more, practice is one of the most important part in our education. Then, when we graduate from our study, we can own a lot of experience before we work. All in all, I think America has a scientific education system.
X: That's nice. I agree with you. You mentioned your major is computer science, woud you mind talking about the reasons why you chose your major?
N: Definitely not! For me, before I attended my college, my sister was graduated from this major. She shared a lot of things about her major with me, and I am interested in computer. What's more, this major is well-paid job, and it is easier to find a job.
X: Good idea! What's your hobbies when you are free? What kinds of activities would the American people choose when they are free?
N: Ok, I have a lot of hobbies. Such as hang out with my friends, watching TV at home, playing Video games, and playing the guita. Sorrounding my friends, I found most of my friends like having parties when they are free, and sometimes, they also enjoy inviting their friends to do sports together.
X: Sounds interesting! It should have a lot of fun. Maybe some Americans will regard Christmas Day as one of their important holiday. Which holiday is your favorite? And why do you like it best?
N: I like this question. I think I have the same opinion with other people. I like Christmas Day most, because we can have a long holiday, and I come back home and stay with my family. Besides, my sister, my brother and my cousins with stay with me, and we can have a lot of fun. That is a wonderful time!
X: Thank you, Nick. You gave me a lot of ideas about America. I appreciated it very much! Nice to meet you!
N: Nice to meet you too. We indeed had a good time together!
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