Jgst. 7/8 How to make a nice and lively interview (1) An interview is often part of a survey you want to do, e. g. on what people (your interviewees) do in their free time, what your classmates think about their school etc. or the interview gives you (= the interviewer) information for a school project you are doing about e.g. different ethnic groups living in Wuppertal,... When you want to make a good interview you have to be friendly and polite to your interviewee because he must give you some of his time and interesting and informative answers so that you can write a good report in the end. Every interview has got a beginning/ an introduction a main part (body) and an ending Here is Darius interview with his grandmother: Darius: Sit down, Gran. I just want to check some facts for my school project. Remember? Gran: School project? Darius: Yeah, you know. About multi-ethnic Britain. I'm writing about you. Gran: Oh yes, of course dear. What do you need to know? Darius: Well, I need to know about when you came to England from Jamaica. Why did you come, for example? Gran: Well... Jamaica was part of the Commonwealth. So we were all British. Your grandfather and I came to find work in 1958. He got a job on the London Underground. Darius: And what did you do, Gran? Gran: Me? I worked in a hospital. I was a nurse then. That was a long time ago! Darius: You flew from Jamaica, didn't you, Gran? Gran: Fly?! No, we came on a big boat. Lots of Jamaicans were coming to get jobs here. And the tickets were cheap! Darius: Really? Gran: Yes, they invited us to come and work. So the tickets were real cheap. But life wasn't so easy when we came, you know. Boy, it was so cold! And everything so expensive! If you were Black some people didn't want you as neighbours. Darius: Hmmm... I think things are better now though, Gran. People from all over the world have settled in Britian! Gran: Maybe. Darius: Mum says you want to go back to live in Jamaica. Is that true, Gran? Gran: Well, I'm an old lady now, child. Jamaica is my home... But you were born here. Your mummy and daddy were born here too. England is your home. And a lot of my friends have gone back to Jamaica or Trinidad. To the Caribbean. So I won't be alone. Darius: But Gran. We won't see you! Gran: What!? You can come and spend your summer holidays with your grandmother. In Jamaica! Now what about these questions for your school project... Task 1: Read the interview Darius has made with his grandmother and write down the line in which the beginning ends. (This interview does not have an ending because it is not complete.) Task 2: Analyze the beginning: How does Darius start his interview? Write down the phrases he uses. (2) Task 3: Analyze the body and write down how Darius starts some interview questions. Then check your findings with the solutions and read the complete lists.
Solutions (1), more phrases and tips: Task 1: The beginning/ introduction ends in line 4. Task 2: In the introduction to an interview you introduce yourself, give the interviewee some information about the project you are making the interview for and you ask for his time/ help in a very friendly way. Phrases Darius uses in his introduction: Sit down, Gran. I just want to check some facts for my school project... about multiethnic Britain. I m writing about you. Well, I need to know about... Here are some more phrases for the beginning of your interviews: Good morning/ afternoon/ evening. My name is.../ I m... and I m doing a project about.../ a survey on... Excuse me, can I make an interview with you, please? Excuse me, can I interview you, please? Excuse me, please, could/ would you answer me some questions on... Excuse me, please, I d like to ask you some questions on... Have you got a few minutes for me, please? Have you got some time to answer a few questions on...? Task 3: In the main part of your interview you try to get as much information as possible, that means good answers to your questions. Tips: Write down some big, important questions before the interview and leave some space (Platz) to make notes of the answers. Some more smaller questions you can only find when you are doing the interview. Take a clipboard (Klemmbrett) with you, some paper and a biro! Questions Darius asks in his main part: Why did you come, for example? And what did you do, Gran? You flew from Jamaica, didn t you, Gran? Is that true, Gran? Here are some more questions for the body of your interview: Where did you...? When did you...? Why did you (not)...? How did you...? What language do you speak? Can you speak (German)? What about...? Do you (eat a lot of German food)? Can you tell me why/ when/...? What did you do?
Remember to use the correct word order in questions: (question word) + did + subject + verb (infinitive) + object (+place/ time) Why did you come? (question word) + do + subject + verb (infinitive) + object (+place/ time) What do you need to know? modal (can/ would/ could/...) + subject + verb (infinitive) + object (+ place/time) Can I ask you some questions, please? Remember to be friendly and polite! Use would, could, excuse me, please. Use Pardon? when you want the interviewee to say something again. In the ending of your interview you thank your interviewee for his help/ time and say goodbye. Here are some phrases: Thank you very much for your time/ help. Thanks a lot for... Thanks a lot. You have really helped me. I d like to thank you for... Bye./ Bye-bye./ Goodbye. Remember to use spoken language (gesprochene Sprache) in your interview. That means: - short forms (I d like to interview you on..., not: I would like to interview you on...) - incomplete ((unvollständige) sentences are okay sometimes ( About multi-ethnic Britain. ) - gap fillers (Füllwörter, um Zeit - zum Nachdenken - zu gewinnen): - Just a moment/ second, please. / Wait a minute. - Let me think (this over). - Hm - Oh dear. - Oh great. - OK, ready. - Well, er... - Really? - Is this really true? - Well,... - Maybe/ Perhaps. - question tags ( You flew from Jamaica, didn t you, Gran? ).
Task 4: - Have a look at the rules for the formation of question tags. - Then do the exercise and in the end check with the solutions. Question tags Complete the following sentences with question tags. 1. Helen broke her leg,? 2. Mike has got a nice house,? 3. It won ' t take long to get to Beacon Park,? 4. He's a really strange man,? 5. I can go to the disco at the weekend,? 6. West Berlin is the largest German city,? 7. The Khans live in Halifax,? 8. There's a new girl in Ashraf's class,?
Solutions (Question Tags): 1...., didn t she? 2...., hasn t he? 3...., will it? 4...., isn t he? 5...., can t I? 6...., isn t it? 7...., don t they? 8...., isn t there? Solutions (2): Tasks 5 (a-e): Janet: Hey, Chow, Fozia! Have you both got a few minutes for me? You're just the right people to help me with my homework. Chow and Fozia: Homework, yuck! Janet: No, wait, you don't understand. Mr Mitchell has asked us to interview two people whose parents weren't born in England. Fozia: Oh, I see. Well, that's a bit different. What do you want to know? Janet: Oh, great. Let me just get my notebook out. OK, ready. Well, your parents came from India, didn't they Fozia? Fozia: No, from Pakistan. I know everyone thinks Pakistan is India. I was born there, too. My family came to Britain when I was 6. Janet: Can you tell my why they came to Britain? Fozia: Well, yes. One of my uncles was already living in Britain, and he wanted to open his own Indian restaurant. He needed a good cook and thought of my father. My father was really happy about the job. My mum wasn't very sure about coming to Britain first, but I know she likes it here now. Janet: What about your parents, Chow? Chow: Oh, they came from Hong Kong a long time ago, before I was born. I was born in London, but my parents gave me a Chinese name. Mum got a really good job here with a computer firm, so of course Dad had to come, too. Janet: Can you speak any Chinese? Chow: Mum's tried to teach me but I find it very difficult. I can only say a few words. Janet: How about you, Fozia? Fozia: Oh, I can still speak quite a bit of Urdu. Mum sometimes gets a video in Urdu, and I can understand most of it. We speak it at home sometimes, too, but mostly we speak English. Janet: What about your traditional food? It must be great to have a father as a cook! Fozia: Ummm, I love Dad's cooking. He taught me how to make chapattis and I can cook a wonderful Chicken Massala. That's my favourite. Chow: Hey, maybe you can invite us for a meal sometime? Janet: Can you cook anything Chinese, Chow? Chow: Well, er... no. I'm not very good at cooking, but Mum still cooks a lot of Chinese food. My favourite is her Peking Duck. It's fantastic! Janet: Do you eat a lot of British food, too? Fozia: Of course. We eat fish and chips, too, you know. Chow: Yeah, and my mum makes the best British apple pies. Janet: Hey, well, thanks a lot you two. You've really helped me. I've just got to write this up for Tuesday. See you both tomorrow. And thanks again! Bye. Chow and Fozia: Bye.
Interviews (2) Task 5: Read Janet s interview with Fozia and Chow and work on the tasks. Then check with the solutions. Janet: Hey, Chow, Fozia! Have you both got a few minutes for me? You're just the right people to help me with my homework. Chow and Fozia: Homework, yuck! Janet: No, wait, you don't understand. Mr Mitchell has asked us to interview two people whose parents weren't born in England. Fozia: Oh, I see. Well, that's a bit different. What do you want to know? Janet: Oh, great. Let me just get my notebook out. OK, ready. Well, your parents came from India, didn't they Fozia? Fozia: No, from Pakistan. I know everyone thinks Pakistan is India. I was born there, too. My family came to Britain when I was 6. Janet: Can you tell my why they came to Britain? Fozia: Well, yes. One of my uncles was already living in Britain, and he wanted to open his own Indian restaurant. He needed a good cook and thought of my father. My father was really happy about the job. My mum wasn't very sure about coming to Britain first, but I know she likes it here now. Janet: What about your parents, Chow? Chow: Oh, they came from Hong Kong a long time ago, before I was born. I was born in London, but my parents gave me a Chinese name. Mum got a really good job here with a computer firm, so of course Dad had to come, too. Janet: Can you speak any Chinese? Chow: Mum's tried to teach me but I find it very difficult. I can only say a few words. Janet: How about you, Fozia? Fozia: Oh, I can still speak quite a bit of Urdu. Mum sometimes gets a video in Urdu, and I can understand most of it. We speak it at home sometimes, too, but mostly we speak English. Janet: What about your traditional food? It must be great to have a father as a cook! Fozia: Ummm, I love Dad's cooking. He taught me how to make chapattis and I can cook a wonderful Chicken Massala. That's my favourite. Chow: Hey, maybe you can invite us for a meal sometime? Janet: Can you cook anything Chinese, Chow? Chow: Well, er... no. I'm not very good at cooking, but Mum still cooks a lot of Chinese food. My favourite is her Peking Duck. It's fantastic! Janet: Do you eat a lot of British food, too? Fozia: Of course. We eat fish and chips, too, you know. Chow: Yeah, and my mum makes the best British apple pies. Janet: Hey, well, thanks a lot you two. You've really helped me. I've just got to write this up for Tuesday. See you both tomorrow. And thanks again! Bye. Chow and Fozia: Bye. a) Underline the introduction in Janet s interview in blue. b) Underline the ending in green. c) Take your green text marker and highlight some gap fillers used in the main part of the interview. d) There s 1 question tag used in the interview. Have you found it? Please highlight it in yellow. e) Highlight the short forms used in the introduction in pink, please.
Interviews (3) Task 6: Read Max Hutchinson s text about himself. Imagine you are doing a school project on multi-ethnic Britain. You have to make an interview with your classmate Max whose family came to Britain from Jamaica many years ago. Write a nice and lively interview (complete with the answers) for your school magazine. - Find a good beginning, think of interesting questions and finish the interview off nicely. - Tip: In the text underline the information you want to ask for in your questions. - Look for help/ phrases in the other worksheets. Check with the solution when you have finished. Hi, I'm Max Hutchinson and I just want to tell you a bit about myself. My family lives in Bristol. My grandparents came to Bristol from Jamaica about 40 years ago. My grandparents came here for work really. My grandad tried to find a job in Jamaica but he had no luck. It has always been difficult to find a job in Jamaica, and many people are very poor there. Then my grandparents heard that big companies in England were looking for people to work for them. So my grandparents saved up all their money and made the trip to England. My grandad was lucky and got a job on the buses but I think it was quite difficult at first to live in England. At least they could speak English because Jamaica's part of the Commonwealth, and everybody speaks English there. Anyway, they settled here and my mum was born here. She met my dad in Bristol - at the school where they both work and then I came along! My gran often tells me stories about life in the Caribbean. I've seen lots of pictures too and I love reggae music. It makes me sad sometimes because I've never been to Jamaica. I'd love to see where my grandparents lived, so when I'm older l'm going to save lots of money so I can go on holiday there. I don't think I'd like to stay there forever, though. Well, England is my home and I'd miss all my friends.
Solutions (3): Here is what Theresa (T) wrote, but remember: This is only one possible solution/ interview: T: Hello Max. Excuse me, please, can I interview you for our school magazine? M: Yes, of course. T: We re doing a project about multi-ethnic Britain. Right. Where do you and your family live? M: Well, my family lives in Bristol now but my grandparents are not from Briatin. T: When did they come to Britain then, Max? M: Oh, they came from Jamaica about 40 years ago. T: And why did your grandparents leave Jamaica, Max? M: That s a long story, but they came here for work really. My grandad tried to find a job in Jamaica but he had no luck. It has always been difficult to find a job in Jamaica and many people are very poor there. T: Did your grandparents find a job in England? M: Well, yes. My grandparents heard that big companies were looking for peple to work for them. So my grandpaents saved up all their money and made the trip to England. T: And then your grandad was lucky, wasn t he? M:Yes, he was. He got a job on the buses but I think it was quite difficult at first to live in England. T: Did your grandparents speak English, Max? M: At leat they could speak English because Jamaica is part of the Commonwealth and everybody speaks English there. T: Your Mum was born here, wasn t she? M: Yes, she was. A long time later she met my Dad in Bristol - at the school where they both work and then I came along. T: That was 13 years ago, right? M: Yes, I m 13 now but I still like to listen to old stories about Jamaica. T: And who tells you the old stories, Max? M: My Gran often talks about life in the Caribbean. I ve seen lots of pictures, too and I love reggae music. It makes me sad sometimes because Ive never een to Jamaica. T: Oh dear. And wll you ever go to Jamaica? M: Yes, of course. I d love to see where my grandparents lived, so when I m older I m going to save lots of money to go on holiday there. T: Thank you for the interview, Max. You ve helped me a lot. M: Oh, no problem. Bye. T: Bye-bye.