Personal Interviewing


Tell Exactly

Topic: Evidence from personal interview

Objective: After completing this activity, students will be able to create proper speech about the topic.

Materials: Prepare some stories which are including random numbers, long words, and confusing sentences. Students need notes and pens.

Steps:
1. Number each row. Hand out paper written stories to the leftmost person in each row.
2. People read and remember it for 2 minutes. Teacher collects them after that.
3. The leftmost person in each row tells the story to next person and repeats it as a telephone game.
4. As the rightmost people heard the story, make them talk about that. And, make sure it is right or not.
5. Pair up and interview each other. Get general information like name, age, hometown… and what he (or she) did last weekend. When one is talking, another is taking notes. After completing it, change role and do it same thing.
6. Give students a few minutes. Students make a short his (or her) introduction speech based on the interview.
7. Till class time period, pick students and make a speech.

Result: Students will interview their family in their home and make a short their introduction speech.

Aki Kato
September 17, 2007


Time To Get Personal

TOPIC: Evidence From Personal Interview

OBJECTIVE: After researching six prospects to interview for a persuasive topic, students will be able to identify the most credible prospect to interview and what preparations are necessary to follow before conducting a personal interview.

MATERIALS: School Library (all available resources), white/chalk board, paper and a pencil

STEPS:
1. Divide the students into groups of six with each group consisting of an even number of students. Tell the students that each of them will need pieces of paper and a pencil to record information on.

2. Write the persuasive topic on the white/chalk board. (Should “home schooling” be permitted?)

3. Explain to the students that they will be working within their groups to research six prospects that would give a credible interview for the assigned persuasive topic.

4. Tell the students that they will be going to the library for thirty minutes to conduct research and that they are not limited to which resources they want to use. Clarify that each group member must write down all the six interviewing prospects on one sheet of paper, the sources used to support their choices, and why these six interviewing prospects based on their research would be credible prospects to interview for the persuasive topic.

5. Once, the thirty minutes are over, return with the students to the classroom.

5. Talking within in their groups, have each group discuss what research each member will present to the entire class. Then, have each group come up to the front of the class one at a time to present their research.

6. After all the groups have presented their research, begin the lesson on “Interviewing for Information”.

7. Give the “Interviewing for Information” handout to each of the students.

8. Read all of the information on the handout to the class. The handout will help the students understand how to prepare and conduct a personal interview for their next persuasive speech. Furthermore, it will explain the importance of the evidence that is collected from a personal interview.

9. After reading the handout, have the students participate in a discussion about the handout and the activity. Have them compare the activity to the handout and ask them what strategies they could have used in the activity to help them find prospects that would provide an interview with credible evidence for their persuasive topics.

RESULT: Students will be able to conduct their own personal interview for their persuasive speech topics, and understand how to identify a reliable prospect that will give an interview full of credible evidence towards their speech topics.

Research: Osborn and Osborn the Seventh Edition Public Speaking textbook.
Interviewing For Information

Evidence from personal interviews can be an excellent source that adds credibility to the person giving the speech and to the speech content.

EXAMPLE: If you can say, “Carolyn Jenkins, the director of research and development at Richardson Electronics, told
me…,” you will gain the ATTENTION of your audience
and they will find your EVIDENCE to be reliable.

STEPS

1. Acquire In-Depth Knowledge

* You must KNOW ABOUT THE SUBJECT in order to make an accurate judgment of what you hear. Therefore, RESEARCH your speech topic ahead before you select your interviewing prospect.

* Try to use a VARIETY OF SOURCES representing different perspectives on your topic.

2. To Minimize Problems

* Make the interview the FINAL PHASE of your research
preparation.
* Check your library’s local clipping service or local newspaper archives to help you IDENTIFY NEARBY PROSPECTS for face- to-face interviews.

3. Establish Contact

* Write a LETTER explaining why you want to interview them.
* Include a list of QUESTIONS you would like to ask. (Provides the prospects with an evaluation of your motives, sets up an
agenda for the interview, gives the expert an idea of how much
time will be needed.)
* Express the SIGNIFICANCE of your request: you are preparing
a speech that is important to both them and you.
* Follow up with a TELEPHONE CALL to schedule the interview.

4. Prepare for the Interview

* Complete most of your research before you conduct the interview. (helps you identify what questions to ask)
* Plan questions that invite discussion. (no “yes” or “no” answers)
* Formulate your questions in an order so that the answers show
coherent thinking.
EXAMPLE: * What are the causes of air pollution in Silver City?
* What is the impact of air pollution on the citizens of our area?
* Is there a serious effort under way to
minimize air pollution?
* Are polluters cooperating in this campaign? Why or why not?
* What can students do to help the effort?
* Ask tactful questions
EXAMPLE: * Some people say that experts like you need to
‘dirty their hand’s more’ in the day-by-day effort to improve the environment. How do
you respond to such criticism?
* Ask consent before you tape-record your interview.
(tape recording helps with getting the exact wording)

5. Conduct the Interview

* Arrive on time, dress appropriate, establish small talk, (things
the both of you may have in common-where the person lived)
* Let the expert do most of the talking while you listen.
* Don’t interrupt, adapt to the flow of conversation.
* Follow up answers:
PROBE: Questions that ask a person to elaborate on a response
“Could you tell me more about the part played by auto emission?”
MIRROR: Questions that reflect a part of a response to encourage additional discussion.
“So I told Joan, ‘If we want people to change their attitudes,
we’re going to have to start marching in the front of the
movement.”
“You felt you were moving towards a leadership role?”
Verifier: Confirms the meaning of something that has been said.
“If I understand you correctly, you’re saying…”
Reinforcer: Provides encouragement for the persons to
Communicate further.
Smile/nod- “I see”
* Interview DRIFTING COURSE: “I believe I understand now the
courses of air pollution. But can you tell me more about how
this level of pollution affects our lives?”
* Towards the conclusion of the interview, summarize the main
points to verify what you heard and it insures the expert that
the information will be used accurately.
* Thank them for their time- follow up with thank you note.)

7. Record What You Learn
* After the interview is completed go over your notes and write
out the answers to important questions.

8. Citing an Interview for the Works Cited page

EXAMPLE: Scipione, Stephen. Personal interview. 20 Mar. 2002.

Abby Wolf
September 23, 2009