Interview with Chris Zhang
For this interview, the first important element is the interview questions. The objective or purpose for my interview is to learn more cultures and to know more people or students from different cultures and to know whether they have encountered the cultural shock after they came to the United States. Most of the questions I prepared are related to the object- culture and different living styles, as well as some background information of the interviewee. These questions will guide the interviewee to compare and contrast the culture of their own country and U. S. In order to create a relaxed atmosphere for the interview, I chose the coffee shop in Atwood as the location. For future reference, a video-camera was also used to record the interview.
I approached my interviewees by being friendly. The interviewees I chose are all my friends who I have already known for a while. As an international student myself, I have spend more than two years in St. Cloud and made many international friends both from my classes and other activities. So, choosing informant from friends will be easier for me to talk to them and get genuine information. In the meantime, the interviewee will also be willing to open up to me with both positive and negative thoughts they have experienced for the same reason. Moreover, as the friendship between me and the interviewee, I would have at least two ways to contact them, for example by using email or cell phone. That is the method for me to secure three interviews.
I conducted the interview in the afternoon around 4pm. Before the interview is conduced, I told Chris I would love to interview her and the purpose of the interview is to learn about Chinese culture and her cultural experience in the United States. She told me that she would help me. After getting her permission, I called her and checked with her schedule and we make an appointment the day before. In order to create a relaxed atmosphere for the interview, I chose the coffee shop in Atwood as the place to meet. I showed her the questions and while the interview is going I recorded the process.
Chris Zhang is my interviewee. Her Chinese name is Congyu Zhang. She is from the eastern part of China. Her hometown is Tianjin which is a big business city. She came to SCSU in August 2008. As a graduate student, she chose Teaching English as a Second Language as her major because she wants to be an English teacher after she graduated. Besides taking classes from her program, she also works as a graduate assistant in College ESL program. She had taught English 102 Writing and Reading last semester and she is tutoring for other international students this semester. Before coming to the United States, She told me that she had never been away from her family and as the only child in her family as most of the Chinese students do, her family misses her very much, too.
From the interview, I learnt a lot about China and the culture. People think the Chinese people are conservative and quite but that is not the truth. They are warm hearted and always willing to help others. My interviewee told me that actually people do not talk too much in front of other people especially strangers because they have strong concept about “face”. Losing face means to be humiliated and insulted which would cause the Chinese people feel uncomfortable. As a result, being afraid to making mistakes, talking to others, being questioned will put them under the risk of losing face. Therefore, the Chinese people choose to “play safe” in public. They would prefer to interact with the people they are already familiar with and discuss the topics they are confident about. They spend more time on doing stuff than talking because that will lower the risk of losing face.
Moreover, family is a very important element in Chinese culture. Respecting the elderly and taking care of the youngsters in the family are the basic ideas in Chinese moral sense.
China is an upraising country in recent years. It is famous for the large population, numbers of companies, labor forces and high- technology inventions. It is located in East Asia and it is the third largest country in the area. Mandarin is the official and most wide spoken language in China. Most of the people are non-religious so religion is not a big component in Chinese culture. China has a long history which can be traced back by five thousand years. Family is very important for Chinese and the morality is highly valued by the people.
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Interview questions
1. Where were you born, your native language, and where did you grow up?
I was born in China.
My native language is Chinese
My home town is located in the eastern part of China, called Tianjin.
2. Why did you choose MN for schooling(if you had the choice of another College what or where would it be)?
I’m a graduate student here. I chose St. Cloud state University because there is a joint program between my university back home and St. Cloud State. My school recommends us to come to MN
3. Name one thing about your culture?
People from China are believed to be conservative, but actually it is not true.
4. How is your living situation in St. Cloud different than at home?
5. Do you want to work in the United States?
I have no idea
6. Do you think stereotypes will change in the future?
sure. Because people from every part of the world are communicating with each other more frequently than before, their behaviors will definitely be influenced by other cultures.
7. What is your reaction about the media in the United
States?
I think the media is not always telling the truth. Every story has at least two sides. It is hard for media to be mutual and unbiased.
8. What do you enjoy to do for fun?
Watching movies, listening to the music, hanging out with friends
9. Do you think English should be a global language?
it has already become the global language for years
10. Do you recommend people attend school in the U.S.?
yes. It is always good to learn new cultures and knowledge.
11. During class how do you adapt to a professor with a different accent/language than your native tongue?
Try to get used to it. If I have problem understand it I will ask my classmates.
12. What do you miss about being home.
My parents and friends over there.
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