Interview preparation

Before I start the interview, I followed the interview list, check every steps that I was wrote down from the list.
After the check everything I need in the interview, I e-mail the people who can let me interview him, and make appointment for Monday March 12 at 2:15, and we meet in Atwood.  prior to interview, I want to learn something that I never know about the America. Such as, what kind of food that the American people most like  ? their typical greetings, government, religious holidays, famous sports, transportation, and so on that I do not know. After we meet, I opened the recorder, and we start to interview. I interviewed Nicholas ES who from America.


Interview Report


The interview went very well, Nicholas is a nice guy. the interview just like two people who knew each other and having conversation. We talked a lot and he let me learned many thing I never know about the America. He also is a high school student now, and he take a few collage class now. After the conversation for beginning, then I just went thought the 11 core questions, and I also told him something about China. Nicholas is the guy who knows very well about America.



Country Report

Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.

American culture was more unified in a general sense a generation ago when television was still a relatively new phenomenon. The glow of the Second World War and its victory still suffused the nation. Americans had fought a just war and triumphed over some of the most evil men in history. Americans saw themselves, and were largely seen by the world, as the good guys.

Today, American culture appears much more fragmented. There is a bewildering range of shows, music, religious and political discussions available to the viewer. There are equally bewildering role models. The excesses of the consumerist culture are embodied in figures like Paris Hilton, who is a caricature of herself. Many people are seduced by the idea of consumption for the sake of consumption, excess for the sake of excess. This zeitgeist also feeds into the idea of being American, the notion that every American has the
absolute right to do what they will of their lives.




 Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/akbar-ahmed/what-is-an-american_b_240790.html

Interview transcription

Y=Zhaoyang Zhang ,N=Nicholas ES

Y: Hi. I am name is Yang. I come from China. How about you?

N: yeah, I am from America

Y: Are you born in America?

N:Yeah from America, and born in America, actually I was born in kXX, MN, it is a little.. I think is south from here.

Y: Do you have class today?

N: No, postsecondary, I have a few classes on campus, because I am still in high school. I am eleventh grade this year, so.

Y: Are you in high school now?

N:Yeah, still in high school

Y: Do you cook by yourself? And what kind of food do you like most?

N: Em, sometimes, I don’t know, hotdog, hamburger, not too much, but that’s it. Oh yeah, that’s faster.

N: I love Japanese food a lot

N:My favorite good is McDonald I think. Haha

Y: Which country`s food do you like the most? What are the similarities and differences between it and your own culture`s food?

N: That is a tricky one, I think there is a tie between Chinese food and central American food, because I like spicy food., for sure.

Y: How about American food?

N:I think that American food, that s a lot non spicy, not like Chinese and Thai food, there is a lot spicy in it. American food, there are  lot vegetables, usually I eat the supperXXXX

Y: So you like spicy food and mix some vegetables?

N:I kind of like it together

Y: OK! What are the typical greetings in your culture and what do they mean?

N:To the greeting, in America, people usually shake hands, yeah, think about that, it is kind of odd when we do that, I cannot think of what is means, but most of people shake hands. People you know better you may hug them, and sometimes kiss. But I think shaking hands has been the most common.

Y: OK. What kind of government is in charge of your home country, how did it affect your life and how has democracy in America been a change?

N: It is the democracy in charge the America, the democracy basically is the idea that people elect the leaders, and people get fair stay, even if they elect the leader, and they blew something, and people like all the citizens, can you know, they can control basically the whole country

N: everyone has a faith and has voice for decisions.

Y:OK. For the holiday.  What religious holidays or other cultural events do you or others celebrate; can you explain your traditions for each?

N: I celebrate Christmas, Easter. Yep, Easter is yeah, the rabbit, is celebrating the reborn of jesus, I know a lot people celebrate Easter after Christmas and the Christmas celebrates the born of Jesus. Usually, people get a lot gifts in Christmas. And Easter, eggs and rabbits are associated with Easter for some reasons. You don’t do much in the Easter, if you are a small kid, you parents will have a lot egg-shaped chocolate, candies, and you will find eggs, it is kind of fun. As an adult, I don’t think people do much.

Y: HAHA…Are they usually use the ege??

N: Usually it is the classical eggs, using cooking and crack eggs.

Y: Do you have any daily rituals in regards to your religious beliefs?

N: Daily rituals, yeah, I pray every day. No, you are not required to pray every day, there are not a lot of things you have to do, for the religion, I pray.

Y:OK. I sometime pray also. How about the sports?

Y:  How would you describe famous sports in your country?

N: Sports, in America, the sports are very popular. It is hard to say, but I think the most popular is football. Because the Super Bowl. Huge, you heard that? America has a lot sports team, like soccer, and swimming, and bowling. Soccer and baseball are the next two. I guess soccer is not the most popular game.

Y: I think so.  Football is most famous.

Y: Can you describe a typical day for a child in your country?

N: Typical day for a child probably 7 am in the morning, most the children ride the bus to school , the parents can drive them , they go to the class with lunch there, and class ends about 3 or 4 pm,  ride the bus back home. And then at home, they can do things like homework, but I think most the kids at that age, probably will do something like maybe play video game, and sometimes, they do some physically activities like that.

Y: WOW. That is very different between China and America.

Y: What different modes of transportation are used in your country?

N: I think cars are the most common transportation, people have a job, and they own their car, drive that to work, school and the second most common transportation is buses. Bicycle is also common. Maybe train. For everyday use, plane. But the car is the most popular.

Y: what kind of people uses the bike?

N: People don’t bike if is it over 5 miles.

Y: OK. At what age do you start school? Are you under a lot of stress in school??

N:Kids go to school at age 5 or 6. The thing before kindergarten is called pre-school, which is a preparation for the kindergarten. I did not go to. One year in kindergarten, and then you do to first grade, second grade, up to 12^th grade, and they you go to college.

Y: How many years do you need to study before you go to collage?

N: Maybe 14 years.

Y: How to get to collage?

N: As long as you have all the things to graduate. We need to take math, science, English, social study, art class, required to graduate. Not all, but most the schools want you to learn a second language.

Y: Do you like our school? And What could SCSU do to make your stay on campus better?

N: At SCSU, I am a postsecondary student; I don’t really stay on campus or a dorm here. Overall, it is pretty good. Something to change, probably is the parking, they can reduce the cost for parking. You pay for the class, the university gets money for that, for parking, they don’t actually use the money; it is just a piece of ground. You don’t need to put money into it.

Y: OK, I agree with you, the student should be free.  Last question!

Y:  Could you tell me a secret about yourself that very few people here know about and that shows us well, who you are and what you stand for?

N: Okay, I don’t have too many secret, expect I consider myself as a musical. And I play a lot instrument, I play guitar, piano, baritone. I know how to read notes on baritone, but I can manipulate the music on the piano.

Y: Is there required to do?

N:There is not a lot you are required to do, in high school, you can do the independent study at home.

Y: Thank you, I am so happy I can interview you today. Thank you so much!
N: You are welcome. Have a nice day!