Interview Objectives

-To successfully partake in an interview with an international student

-To create and ask thought provoking questions that lead to an interesting conversation with the interviewee

-To prepare for the interview by researching information about the native country of the interviewee and talking to other people about their knowledge of the country

-To find an interviewee who is willing to talk openly about his/her culture and beliefs

-To perform the interview with an international student and bring the necessary materials (pen, paper, recorder)

-To learn about the interviewee’s culture and his/her home country by asking questions and through conversation

-To not limit myself to only the questions I am prepared to ask……expand on topics

-To make sure the interviewee feels comfortable and does not feel like he/she is being put on the spot

-To audibly record the interview

-To thank the interviewee for his/her time in conversing with me

-To transcribe the recorded information from the interview

-To write a paper with the information collected from the interview

Group 1 pgs 530-540

Conducting Research:
-Pose questions worth exploring: Make sure the questions aren't too broad, too bland or too speculative. (i.e. What are the hazards of fad diets (too broad), What are the hazards of low-carbohydrate diets (narrow))

-Challenging questions: Avoid questions that fail provoke thought or engage readers in debate (i.e. What is OCD? (too bland), What treatments for OCD show the most promise (too challenging))

- Grounded question: The central argument of a research paper should be grounded in facts and not be based entirely on believes(i.e. Is it wrong to share files on the Internet (too speculative), Has Internet file sharing affected the earning potential of musicians (grounded))

- Map out a strategy: Ask a reference librarian for help to get started. Try not to do your whole work out of the Internet (Use books). Make sure you search information in newspapers, magazines, website, etc (have a wide variety of sources). Use a search database to locate articles (library) i.e. EBSCOhost and LexisNexis. Use keywords when searching (narrow search).

Hannah M, Brad H, Nicolas HR

Questions for international students

1. What country are you from? How is the lifestyle in your country different than the lifestyle of the U.S.?
2. What is your native language? At what age did you first learn English?
3. Why did you choose to study in the U.S., specifically at St. Cloud State University?
4. Do you feel the professors at SCSU are supportive and willing to provide sufficient assistance with the contents of the class curriculum considering English is your second language?
5. What about your country to you think would surprise Americans the most?
6. Would you recommend studying at SCSU to a student in your country? Why or why not?
7. What is your favorite aspect of the American culture? What is your least favorite aspect?
8. How is the educational system in your country different from that of the U.S.? 9. What do you miss most from your country?
10. Are there both private and public universities in your country? Is it expensive to attend a university?