How to in­ter­view some­bo­dy

Ba­rack Obama on race in the US (GL OS: 28)

What to do ...

Step 1: Read the text.
Step 2: Task: You are a jour­na­list who is to in­ter­view Obama on race. Write down ques­ti­ons and pos­si­ble an­s­wers.
Step 4: Read what you have writ­ten. Make im­pro­ve­ments (spel­ling, choice of words, order ...) with the help of the phra­ses given below. Check with the help of your feed­back sheet.
Step 5: Maybe you write your text again. File it in the “how to” part of your port­fo­lio.

Ha­ving an in­ter­view – use­ful phra­ses

As­king for con­fir­ma­ti­on

• So are you say­ing …?
• Do you mean…?
• So in other words you think…?

Chal­len­ging the in­ter­viewee

• Yes, but wouldn’t you say that…?
• But don’t you think that…?
• But su­re­ly….

As­king a sum­ma­ri­zing ques­ti­on

• Just to sum up, then: do you think…?
• So al­to­ge­ther, would you …say?

Fi­nis­hing the in­ter­view

• Thank you very much for spea­king to me/gi­ving me your time.
• It’s been great/very in­te­res­ting to talk to you.

How to in­ter­view some­bo­dy: Her­un­ter­la­den [doc] [30 KB]