Lesson 19 — Activity 2: Sharing Traditions





Dancers from India


You know that everyone is unique and that all families are different. And you also know that cultural differences are not something to be afraid of or to make fun of. These differences are something that can be shared and enjoyed.



In the previous activity, you thought about whether oral tradition is important to your cultural background.



What else is important to your culture?
Think about some of the following traditions or customs that your family might have:

  • What holidays, if any, do you celebrate?

This is a Vietnamese celebration.


  • What traditional foods do you eat?
  • What common expressions or sayings do you have?
  • What stories or legends do you know?
  • What cultural items are important?
  • What traditional clothes or accessories might you wear?
Drumming at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay Ontario.




Dancers performing traditional Scottish dances at the Commonwealth Games.

You can probably think of other aspects of your life that are influenced by your culture as well.


Knowing about your cultural background can help you to be more aware of how you feel about certain issues.

This is important when you are communicating. You have to remember that you will approach different issues from a certain perspective. Other people may have a very different point of view.

Of course, people with the same cultural background will not always have the same point of view.

It helps to understand others and to express yourself more clearly if you are aware of some of the similarities and differences you have with others.
It might be easier to understand others when you are aware they may not share your point of view.

Conducting an Interview


Conducting an interview with someone will help you learn more about them and perhaps understand them better.

In Theme 1, you thought about interviewing someone and designed questions to help you get to know them.
In this activity’s assignment, you will plan and conduct an interview, this time focusing on the person’s cultural background.

When you interview someone, you should think about your purpose. An interview might be to:

  • gather information
  • understand ideas and opinions
  • evaluate both sides of an issue

 

       Think about the purpose of the interview.




Here are some things to think about before, during, and after conducting an interview:

Before:
  • do some research about the person you will interview
  • decide what you want to learn
  • write a list of questions to ask


It is important to organize your questions in advance.



Questions:

  • The questions should be specific and connected to the person you are discussing.
  • Avoid “yes” and “no” response questions.

Instead of asking, "Do you celebrate any holidays?" you might ask, "What holidays, if any, do you celebrate?"

  • Avoid leading questions that tell the person what answer you expect.

Instead of asking, "Don't you agree that wearing traditional clothes is important?" you might ask, "What do you think about wearing traditional clothing?"

  • If you aren’t sure what the speaker means, use statements or questions to make their answers clear.

You might say, "Tell me more about the traditional foods that your family enjoys."



During:
  • Before you begin: Introduce yourself, explain what you want to know, and make an appointment to meet. If you are planning to record the interview, ask for permission to do so.
  • Make eye contact: Show you are interested in what the speaker is saying by looking him or her in the eye.
  • Use body language: Lean forward. Nod your head in agreement. Don’t slouch or cross your arms.
  • Don’t judge: Don’t force your opinion on the speaker, be positive and encouraging.
  • Take notes: Write every word of the statements the speaker says that you might want to quote. Make sure your notes are clear. If you want to quote the person directly, ask permission, and check the wording of the quotations once again.
After:
  • Express thanks: Ask if the person would like a copy of the interview.
  • Organize notes: If you have a recording, make a written copy of it. If you are unsure of anything, contact the person once again.


When done, review your notes and write out the interview.


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