Process Description:
1. Describe the preparations.
When I finished my first interview, I asked Thrinh if she could recommend someone as my second interviewee. And she was willing to help me to contact with her friend immediately. Thrinh gave me Loan's email, and I started to contact with her. Because of the spring break, we meet with each other two weeks later. The questions in my second interview are similar as the first one. Instead of email her my questions, I wrote an outline step by step and shown it to her during the interview, so that it could remind me which kind of questions that I could ask in the next, meanwhile, it might also help her to think about the next aspect during the time I wrote some notes about her answers.
2. How did you approach people?
I asked Thinh, who is my first interviewee, helped me to contact with her friend Loan. Then we contact with each other by email.
3. When, where, and how did you conduct and record the interview?
I made an appointment with Loan at 10am, March 14th. As we planned, we meet with each other in the library. Then, we chosen the first floor to have a set and start our interview. At this time, I also use pen to record the whole process of my interview. I found that it would be much convenience for me to write the transcription after interview.
4. Whom did you interview?
Loan Ta, a Vietnamese girl studied in SCSU at the first semester. She transferred from the university in California to SCSU. She likes the nice weather place to live and work. Working in Disney Company is her dream.
Personal Review:
Describe the interview. What did surprise you?
I would like to start my interview more naturally, so I changed the orders I used in the first interview. I began with the latest news about the Japanese earthquake, and linked it to the nature disaster in Vietnam, and then we talked more about her country. During the interview, I can find many interesting and amazing things. I think that might because of the differences in people's experiences. I could get the totally different information from my first and second interviewees, even though they are from the same country. After the first interview, I found that the record by pen is more useful to me, especially when I rote the transcription about my interview. The notes on the paper help me to remind the whole process about the interview, Even though some small places. And I also found that just write some key words during the time I talked with my interviewee could save a lot of time and let the interview not that boring. After the interview, I colored those key words immediately, so that it could help me to think about it when I wrote the transcription.
Transcription of the Second Interview
Course: English 191
Country: Vietnam
Interviewer: Beibei Wei
Interviewee: Loan Ta
Date: March 14th 2011
Me: Good morning, my name is Beibei Wei, nice to meet you!
Loan: Good morning, I am Loan, nice to meet you too!
Me: First of all, thank you for coming, and to be my interviewee. Here is the general process of my interview. Is that ok?
Loan: Yes, that would be fine.
Me: So, how was your spring break? Did went to any places?
Trinh: Yes, I went to a science museum and an art museum in Saint Paul, and I found that there are many parents took their kids to visit the science museum.
Me: I think it might be a good opportunity for kids to learn something new that are out of their classes. By the way, did you watch any news in these days, especially the biggest one?
Loan: Actually, I do not have the habit to watch news every day. When I go back to my room, I usually turn on the TV, and listen to the program.
Me: As I know, the biggest news in these days would be the Japanese earthquake, and a lot of people died because of that.
Loan: Oh. I need to pray for that.
Me: Yes, I hoped that the people in Japan could be safe. Just several weeks ago, China also had an earthquake in Yunnan province. Is there any nature disasters happened in Vietnam?
Loan: In Vietnam, sometimes, we have warning for some nature disasters, but usually there is no influence. We have flood, as there are a lot of rainy in my country, especially in the summer. While, it would be not that worse, and it usually happens in small places. We cannot find flood in the big cities.
Me: Okay. Could you describe something about your own country?
Loan: Vietnam is a small country. There are just two seasons in a year, which are summer and winter. It rains a lot in the summer, and that is why we have flood. Because of the location, the winter is not cold. The capital city is in the north part of Vietnam, while south part of Vietnam is more fashionable. As it is too crowded in the north, and there are a lot of entertainments in the south part. Young stars can be famous in the south, but it is hard in the north.
Me: What do you think of Vietnam food? As I know, fur is a kind of traditional Vietnam food, is it also popular in Vietnam?
Loan: Vietnam food the third health food in the world, as it’s not very oil. When we cook the meal, we usually use water, sauce, vegetables, and no more oil. I think that fur is popular in America, but not in Vietnam. It might respect the Vietnam food, like sushi could respect Japanese food in foreigner's mind, but we don't eat it very often.
Me: Oh, that is my first time to hear about it, and I get know information from you. Then, could you talk about yourself? Such as your name, major, and how long have you been here.
Loan: My name is Loan Ta, I have been in the US for more than 2 years, but this is my first semester in SCSU. I transferred from the university in California to here. Studio Art is my present major.
Me: Why do you choose this major?
Loan: I'd like watching some program about cartoon, and reading Japanese comics. Dragon Boll and Doraemon are my favorite cartoon program. I want to work in the Disney company someday, so that my ideal major.
Me: Wow, that's sound great! I hoped that your dream will come true. You said that you transferred from California to here, why do you choose SCSU instead of continue you study in California?
Loan: The tuition and living price is cheaper in here than in California.
Me: What do you think the differences between these two places?
Loan: I think that the students in SCSU study harder than the students in California. As there are more entertainment, such as night club in there, students seems not worry about their studies. The weather in California is very nice, but I feel extremely cold and dry when I stayed here for two months.
Me: When did you decide to study in the US? After graduated from high school or university?
Loan: Actually, I have been graduated from the university in Vietnam already, and my major is teacher of art. While, when I taught art classes at a high school, I felt boring. I found that I prefer more creative things. So that makes me decide to come here for studying.
Me: Finally, you find your ideal thing to do that is great!
Loan: Yeah, I also think of it.
Me: Now, let's start to talk about your family aspect. How many people are there in your family?
Loan: There are seven people in my family. I have four sisters, and I am the youngest. My elder two sisters get married already, and my other younger sisters stay in the Vietnam.
Me: Wow, what a big family! So what is the relationship between your sisters?
Loan: Usually I contact with the two younger sisters more than the two elders, maybe because of the gap.
Me: What will you do for fun in your free time in Vietnam?
Loan: I would like to go out with my friends, and sang KALAOK, watch movies, or drink a cup of coffee in the coffee shop.
Me: I would also like to sing KALAOK with my friends sometimes when studied in the college.
Me: I heard that the educational system in Vietnam is quite different from here. So could you tell me more about it?
Loan: We studied everything in high school. Compared to here, we leant some higher level courses, like math. If guys with long hair, they have to cut it. We have two big exams when we graduate from high school, and there are two week intervals between these two exams. The purpose of the first exam is grading our high school studies, and the educational department determined which seven subjects the students need to take in the exam. The second exam is called college entrance exam, which divided by general level, like history, and specific talent level, as art.
Me: Okay. You have been in the US for two years; did you still remember your first feeling when you stay here?
Loan: I missed my home so much when I came here at the time. I lived off campus, so I usually cooked by myself.
Me: So, what will you do when you miss your home?
Loan: I will concentrate on my studies; cook to myself; or contact with my family members through the Internet.
Me: Yeah, that's a good idea.
Me: When you graduated from SCSU, what will you do? Do you have any plan?
Loan: Because of OPT program; I will stay in the U.S. For one year to find the job after I graduated from SCSU. If there is any company accepts me, I may stay in the U.S., but I do want to stay here. I would like to find a nice weather place to work, like California.
Me: If you live in California, you can enjoy the sunshine and beach.
Me: You have been here for a long time, what is your opinion of the American diet?
Loan: I don't eat much of American food, as it is easily get fat if I eat a lot. I think many foods here are junk food.
Me: I think that cook by ourselves is much healthier.
Loan: Yeah, I think so.
Me: At last, could you use some simple sentences to describe your life now?
Loan: Now, the most important thing to me is study, and I want to graduate as soon as possible. I do not like the weather here. I know nothing about the weather of summer in here, because I am new here, but it is too cold, even though the spring is coming.
Me: That's sounds really nice. Here is my entire interview. Thank you for coming and to be my interviewee.
Loan: Thank you for your coffee.
Me: You are welcome.
