Conducting+Interviews

=How to conduct interviews for data collection=

Your data collection will consist of observations, interviews, and other research conducted to better understand your group or individual. In this activity, we'll work on your ability to conduct interviews.

Part One - Writing your interview questions (10 minutes)
First, take out a piece of paper to use in drafting your interview questions. You will write questions to help you in a "semi-structured" interview process. This means that you'll script out a series of questions to get you started...but you should expand on these in the interview.

Your interview questions should always focus on your research question. The research question for this activity is:

//How is your group and/or individual identity shaped and influenced by language and culture?//
On your piece of paper, write three to five questions you would like to ask your partner. You should leave lots of blank space in between the individual questions. This allows you to take notes while interviewing your subject.

You may choose questions like the following:
 * What was your home language?
 * How would you describe your culture growing up?
 * What culture do you most identify with? How is this an important part of your identity?
 * Do you interact with others who come from a different language background and how do you make these connections?
 * Do you travel to other areas where different languages or dialects are spoken? Is your identity changed at all by these experiences?

Identify the order in which you plan on asking your questions.

Part Two - The interview (5 minutes per interview X 2)
At the beginning of the interview, you should introduce yourself and your position. You should describe your purpose for the interview and what you plan to do with the data you collect. Explain that you'll be taking notes during the interview to help you with remembering their responses. Ask the subject if they have any questions.

Ask the questions from your sheet. Take notes as you ask questions. Identify new questions that you add to the list. In a general sense, identify some key ideas or trends from their responses.

After the interview, thank the subject for taking the time to speak with you.

Interview your partner. They interview you.

Part Three - Following the interview (10 minutes)
In a typical interview, it is advised that you immediately take some time in a quiet place to write down any themes or patterns you found in the interview. You'll want to do this quickly before you forget and move on from the interview.

For this activity, you'll reflect on the following questions with the group at your table.
 * How did you feel being interviewed? What thoughts did you have "on the other side of the table"?
 * What questions worked well in the interviews?
 * What questions could be improved?

=Part Four - Reflecting as a class (10 minutes)= Reflect as a group and identify possible questions to use in our research.