Fourth Interview Preparations:
The past three interviews I completed were of international students from China. In order to learn about another culture, I decided to interview someone from another culture. For my final project I wanted to interview a foreign exchange student. This was because I wanted to compare the different experiences they have compared to international students.
I began preparing for this interview by meeting foreign exchange students from my high school. I asked Soshi whether or not he would be interested in doing an interview and he agreed. We decided to do the interview during one of his free class periods in the Media Center at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School for convenience. I also gave him a copy of the questions I was going to ask.
The day before the interview I talked to a person at the front desk of the Media Center to check out a voice recorder. They also taught me how to use it and how to upload the interview onto the computer.
On the day of the interview I printed out two more copies of the interview questions. I arrived early to the interview and made sure the voice recorder was working.
Fourth Interview Report:
On Wednesday April, 20th 2011 I interview Soshi, who is a foreign exchange student at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School from Japan. The interview lasted around thirty minutes which was average for all of the interviews I have completed so far.
I found this interview to be enjoyable because I am a lot closer in age to this interviewee. Also, we have shared many of the same experiences throughout the school year such as some of the same classes, homecoming and other high school activities. This gave us a lot to talk about. Most of this part was at the beginning of the interview and was not included in the typed transcription.
During this interview I learned a lot about the schools in Japan. I also received a lot of information that was surprising to me. This will be explained further in the last section of the interview. In that section I will compare my findings in the interviews I conducted from International Students from China and the foreign exchange student from Japan.
Japan Country Report:
Japan is an island chain located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. Another name for this area is The Ring of Fire. This area has many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Every year Japan experiences over 1,500 earthquakes. According to the World Factbook, Japan’s population is 126,475,664.
The capital of Japan is Tokyo. Japan’s government is called the Diet, which includes the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors. The members of the Diet are elected by the Japanese people who must be at least twenty years of age. Japan has an Emperor who is the symbol of the state and does not have any effective power. (Japan Guide)
The climate of Japan differs among its three thousand islands. As stated by the Map of World, some parts of Japan experience hot and humid summer weather. Winters can be dry and windy in some regions while in others the winters are long and cold with a lot of snow.
Japan’s economy is the third largest in the world. The Japan Guide explains the industries in Japan which include manufacturing, construction, real estate, services and communication. Agriculture makes up a small percent of Japan’s gross net profit (GNP). Some of their main export goods are cars, electronic devices and computers. Japan’s main imports include oil, foodstuffs and wood. They receive many of these imports from the United States, Australia, Saudia Arabia and South Korea.
"Japanese Government." Japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide. Web. 27 Apr. 2011..
"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 27 Apr. 2011..
Facts About Japan. Web. 27 Apr. 2011..
"Japan Climate, Climate in Japan." World Map, Map of the World. Web. 27 Apr. 2011..
"Japanese Economy." Japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide. Web. 27 Apr. 2011..
China Country Report:
China is located in eastern Asia and is home to 1,330,141,295 as of July 2010 according to the World Factbook. China has unique climates, an interesting form of government, a changing economy, and rich history.
Firstly, China is slightly smaller then the United States with concern to area. From the U.S. Department of State, China has 9,596,961 square kilometers which makes it the fourth largest country in the world. A few of the natural resources that China has include coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, lead and zinc. The climate varies between north, central, south, and northwest China. In northern China the winters can be extremely cold and the summers bring a lot of rain. In central China the summers are humid and the winters can become as cold as northern China. While the south receives typhoons in the summer and the winters tend to be short. Lastly, northwest China has hot, dry summers with little rain and the winters severely cold.
Next, the form of government for the People’s Republic of China is the Communist Party. China’s capital is Beijing. According to The World Factbook, China received their independence on October 1st, 1949. This day has become a national holiday in China.
Like almost every other country, China’s economy is constantly changing. “In 2010 China became the world’s largest exporter.” (The World Factbook) This shows that China is working to expand their economy, especially since they have changed their economy to be market-oriented. China has been striving to play a more major role in the global economy.
China is full of rich history and many traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation. Unlike the United States, China is an ancient civilization and country. They have thousands of years of history that has helped for the country China is today. They strive to remember and practice ancient Chinese myths and cultural traditions in their everyday lives.
Essentially, China has a very rich history that has been growing for thousands of years. They also have a booming economy and a Communist Party as government. China is also a fairly large country with many natural resources.
"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html
"China." U.S. Department of State. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. http://www.state.gov/p/eap/ci/ch/
"China's Climate." China Travel Tour Guide - China Travel Guide, Information & Tips. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. http://www.china-travel-tour-guide.com/about-china/index.shtml
Fourth Interview Transcription:
N: What part of Japan are you from?
S: I am from Okinawa, it’s in the south.
N: How does the climate differ from here and in Japan?
S. Its complete opposite cause my home town is more like Hawaii. There is no snow in winter and the oceans are popular so its pretty hot. Summer in Minnesota is winter in Okinawa actually.
N: What are some cultural differences you have seen while you have been here?
S: There are so many things going on here and everything is big in America. Like drinks the larges are extremely large. Yeah everything is big. So many people are so religious here in America. Like every Sunday some people go to church and pray for God so that is very interesting.
N: Do you have different religions in Japan?
S: Actually no, religion is not common in Japan actually. We used to have a religion but it is more like tradition right now in Japan. Its not religion anymore.
N: What was the hardest transition when you came here?
S: I think it’s the food. The food is really different. Like you guys eat a lot of bread and pizza and meat but back in Japan we usually eat rice and more vegetables like Sushi and other Japanese food. So the food has been the hardest thing. Sometimes I miss Japanese food a lot.
N: Why did you decide to be a foreign exchange student?
S: Because I want to study English and I thought it was really interesting to live in a different country so the people are different and everything is different from Japan. I thought it would be a really good experience and pretty much I want to study English.
N: Have you considered going to college here?
S: Yeah I'm going to go to college in Japan first because I have to get a job there. It would be better for me to get a job if I go here too.
N: How are the schools different from here and in Japan?
S: It’s completely different because in Japan the school year starts in April and ends in March. Classes are different because all classes are set and we can not choose. We have to study Japanese, English, Math, Social study like world history, Japanese history and geography and science. We cannot choose like we can't take a social problems or psychology class. The school system is pretty different.
N: When is you summer vacation then?
S: We have from July twenty to September first we have summer vacation. December twenty-fifth until January sixth we have winter break. Around March twenty-second until April third we have spring vacation, it’s pretty different.
N: How are the classrooms different?
S: We have classrooms for each grade like A class B class C class. We take all of our classes with the same group of people all year. It’s pretty different. Actually in Japan we also go to another school to go to University. To go to a University we have to take five exams. We have to study and take the tests to go to University. We go to another school after school to study for those exams.
N: When you were growing up who lived with you in your house?
S: I have three sisters and I am the youngest. I am the only son in my family so I have to take care of my parents in the family. Its tradition for the first son to take care of the parents. So I think in like maybe twenty or thirty years I guess I will be living with my parents.
N: Do your grandparents live with you?
S: No not really. Some people do but not my family.
N: Who takes care of the finances in your family?
S: Both of my parents do. My dad is a policeman and my mom runs a night bar. Both of my parents work.
N: Is it common to have after school jobs in Japan?
S: It depends on what school you go to. Like my old school was more like studying. Studying was very important so we couldn't get a job. It was required that we study.
N: How is the media different from America and in Japan?
S: I think is pretty similar. We have Japanese J pop and Japanese TV drama and magazines and radios. I think it’s pretty similar.
N: What types of communication are popular in Japan for people around our age?
S: Texting is really popular. Everyone is always texting. We have mix, its kind of Facebook in Japan. Some people use that social network but not many people in Japan use it. Japanese don't use Facebook that much either. Everyone likes texting the most.
N: What traditions did you have while you were growing up?
S: We have Christmas and Halloween. We don't have Easter actually; I've never heard or seen it before like people painting eggs. We have mother’s day, father’s day, girls day, boy’s day, and Children’s day. They’re just kind of holiday. On girls day we put Japanese dolls on the corners of the house. Its just tradition.
N: How are the governments of Japan and here different?
S: We have two parties. It’s pretty much the same as here. We took the constitution from America after World War two so it’s pretty much the same.
N: How is America viewed in Japan?
S: Our image of America is big or like McDonald's and fast food and Hollywood stars. Hollywood stars are really popular Japan and just things like that.
N: How are sports in Japan compared to here?
S: Like you guys have seasons like this season is for football and this season is for basketball. Not really in Japan, if you join the basketball team in Japan you play basketball all year. You pick just one sport. Football is not really common in Japan. Mostly people play baseball, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and soccer. I don't really know anything about sports. I'm not really outgoing about sports.
N: Do you like living with a host family?
S: Yeah my host family is really kind to me. My host brother is learning Japanese so I sometimes help him with basic Japanese. But families are pretty different from Japanese families. Like in America families are really close to each other but in Japan people are more independent and more personal space. Japanese have a larger personal space. We don't hug, we don't kiss. We bow or shake hands when we meet strangers. Families are really close in America. Actually I've never played a card game with my family before until I came here. Its kind of weird for me. The families are pretty different.
Comparison of All Four Interviews:
I chose my fourth interviewee on the bases that he was from another country besides China and also that he was a foreign exchange student. My main objective in this interview was to be able to compare the experiences of International students to those of foreign exchange students.
Going into the interview I had never really talked to a foreign exchange student or international student from Japan about these kinds of questions before. I was expecting it to be similar to those of students from China. However, I was wrong. While asking the questions I was expecting similar answers to my previous interviews. I was surprised when none of the answers were similar. This showed me that I need to be more open minded when conducting interviews.
During my fourth interview I learned that Soshi lives with a host family. In this host family one of the sons is learning Japanese. This was an opportunity for Soshi to assist the son in his learning. In doing so, Soshi was able to teach his host family about his culture. Living with a host family has also helped Soshi learn a lot about the United States, especially in day to day activities. For example he has been to the Mall of America and other places in Minnesota. I also found out that Soshi likes his host family and there are very kind to them. I feel that this important for every host family to be like this in order for the experience to be a success.
One thing that was surprising to me during my fourth interviewee was learning about the Japanese family. Soshi explained how in Japan, members in the family are more independent then those in the United States. It took him awhile to get use to this. Before he came here he had never really played a card game, but now him and his host family bond over many different games. I think that these are important experiences for foreign exchange students to learn because it is opening them up to a different family life. Even though Soshi prefers being more independent he has enjoyed his time with his host family. International Students do not get to experience living with a family when they study in other countries. Another example of Soshi’s house family providing him with
In my previous interviews I learned that International Students participate in many activities on campus. This was mainly due to the fact that they did not have or know anyone with access to a car. My first interviewee said that she would like to be able to do more; however, most of her friends are fellow Chinese International Students and they too do not have a car.
I feel that the opportunity to be either an International Student or Foreign Exchange student in any country would be an amazing experience. Along with meeting a lot of new people we are able to learn about a culture first hand. I have become friends with many foreign exchange students throughout my High School career and I am looking forward to meeting international students in the future.
The past three interviews I completed were of international students from China. In order to learn about another culture, I decided to interview someone from another culture. For my final project I wanted to interview a foreign exchange student. This was because I wanted to compare the different experiences they have compared to international students.
I began preparing for this interview by meeting foreign exchange students from my high school. I asked Soshi whether or not he would be interested in doing an interview and he agreed. We decided to do the interview during one of his free class periods in the Media Center at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School for convenience. I also gave him a copy of the questions I was going to ask.
The day before the interview I talked to a person at the front desk of the Media Center to check out a voice recorder. They also taught me how to use it and how to upload the interview onto the computer.
On the day of the interview I printed out two more copies of the interview questions. I arrived early to the interview and made sure the voice recorder was working.
Fourth Interview Report:
On Wednesday April, 20th 2011 I interview Soshi, who is a foreign exchange student at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School from Japan. The interview lasted around thirty minutes which was average for all of the interviews I have completed so far.
I found this interview to be enjoyable because I am a lot closer in age to this interviewee. Also, we have shared many of the same experiences throughout the school year such as some of the same classes, homecoming and other high school activities. This gave us a lot to talk about. Most of this part was at the beginning of the interview and was not included in the typed transcription.
During this interview I learned a lot about the schools in Japan. I also received a lot of information that was surprising to me. This will be explained further in the last section of the interview. In that section I will compare my findings in the interviews I conducted from International Students from China and the foreign exchange student from Japan.
Japan Country Report:
Japan is an island chain located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. Another name for this area is The Ring of Fire. This area has many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Every year Japan experiences over 1,500 earthquakes. According to the World Factbook, Japan’s population is 126,475,664.
The capital of Japan is Tokyo. Japan’s government is called the Diet, which includes the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors. The members of the Diet are elected by the Japanese people who must be at least twenty years of age. Japan has an Emperor who is the symbol of the state and does not have any effective power. (Japan Guide)
The climate of Japan differs among its three thousand islands. As stated by the Map of World, some parts of Japan experience hot and humid summer weather. Winters can be dry and windy in some regions while in others the winters are long and cold with a lot of snow.
Japan’s economy is the third largest in the world. The Japan Guide explains the industries in Japan which include manufacturing, construction, real estate, services and communication. Agriculture makes up a small percent of Japan’s gross net profit (GNP). Some of their main export goods are cars, electronic devices and computers. Japan’s main imports include oil, foodstuffs and wood. They receive many of these imports from the United States, Australia, Saudia Arabia and South Korea.
"Japanese Government." Japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
Facts About Japan. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
"Japan Climate, Climate in Japan." World Map, Map of the World. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
"Japanese Economy." Japan-guide.com - Japan Travel and Living Guide. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
China Country Report:
China is located in eastern Asia and is home to 1,330,141,295 as of July 2010 according to the World Factbook. China has unique climates, an interesting form of government, a changing economy, and rich history.
Firstly, China is slightly smaller then the United States with concern to area. From the U.S. Department of State, China has 9,596,961 square kilometers which makes it the fourth largest country in the world. A few of the natural resources that China has include coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, lead and zinc. The climate varies between north, central, south, and northwest China. In northern China the winters can be extremely cold and the summers bring a lot of rain. In central China the summers are humid and the winters can become as cold as northern China. While the south receives typhoons in the summer and the winters tend to be short. Lastly, northwest China has hot, dry summers with little rain and the winters severely cold.
Next, the form of government for the People’s Republic of China is the Communist Party. China’s capital is Beijing. According to The World Factbook, China received their independence on October 1st, 1949. This day has become a national holiday in China.
Like almost every other country, China’s economy is constantly changing. “In 2010 China became the world’s largest exporter.” (The World Factbook) This shows that China is working to expand their economy, especially since they have changed their economy to be market-oriented. China has been striving to play a more major role in the global economy.
China is full of rich history and many traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation. Unlike the United States, China is an ancient civilization and country. They have thousands of years of history that has helped for the country China is today. They strive to remember and practice ancient Chinese myths and cultural traditions in their everyday lives.
Essentially, China has a very rich history that has been growing for thousands of years. They also have a booming economy and a Communist Party as government. China is also a fairly large country with many natural resources.
"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html
"China." U.S. Department of State. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. http://www.state.gov/p/eap/ci/ch/
"China's Climate." China Travel Tour Guide - China Travel Guide, Information & Tips. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. http://www.china-travel-tour-guide.com/about-china/index.shtml
Fourth Interview Transcription:
N: What part of Japan are you from?
S: I am from Okinawa, it’s in the south.
N: How does the climate differ from here and in Japan?
S. Its complete opposite cause my home town is more like Hawaii. There is no snow in winter and the oceans are popular so its pretty hot. Summer in Minnesota is winter in Okinawa actually.
N: What are some cultural differences you have seen while you have been here?
S: There are so many things going on here and everything is big in America. Like drinks the larges are extremely large. Yeah everything is big. So many people are so religious here in America. Like every Sunday some people go to church and pray for God so that is very interesting.
N: Do you have different religions in Japan?
S: Actually no, religion is not common in Japan actually. We used to have a religion but it is more like tradition right now in Japan. Its not religion anymore.
N: What was the hardest transition when you came here?
S: I think it’s the food. The food is really different. Like you guys eat a lot of bread and pizza and meat but back in Japan we usually eat rice and more vegetables like Sushi and other Japanese food. So the food has been the hardest thing. Sometimes I miss Japanese food a lot.
N: Why did you decide to be a foreign exchange student?
S: Because I want to study English and I thought it was really interesting to live in a different country so the people are different and everything is different from Japan. I thought it would be a really good experience and pretty much I want to study English.
N: Have you considered going to college here?
S: Yeah I'm going to go to college in Japan first because I have to get a job there. It would be better for me to get a job if I go here too.
N: How are the schools different from here and in Japan?
S: It’s completely different because in Japan the school year starts in April and ends in March. Classes are different because all classes are set and we can not choose. We have to study Japanese, English, Math, Social study like world history, Japanese history and geography and science. We cannot choose like we can't take a social problems or psychology class. The school system is pretty different.
N: When is you summer vacation then?
S: We have from July twenty to September first we have summer vacation. December twenty-fifth until January sixth we have winter break. Around March twenty-second until April third we have spring vacation, it’s pretty different.
N: How are the classrooms different?
S: We have classrooms for each grade like A class B class C class. We take all of our classes with the same group of people all year. It’s pretty different. Actually in Japan we also go to another school to go to University. To go to a University we have to take five exams. We have to study and take the tests to go to University. We go to another school after school to study for those exams.
N: When you were growing up who lived with you in your house?
S: I have three sisters and I am the youngest. I am the only son in my family so I have to take care of my parents in the family. Its tradition for the first son to take care of the parents. So I think in like maybe twenty or thirty years I guess I will be living with my parents.
N: Do your grandparents live with you?
S: No not really. Some people do but not my family.
N: Who takes care of the finances in your family?
S: Both of my parents do. My dad is a policeman and my mom runs a night bar. Both of my parents work.
N: Is it common to have after school jobs in Japan?
S: It depends on what school you go to. Like my old school was more like studying. Studying was very important so we couldn't get a job. It was required that we study.
N: How is the media different from America and in Japan?
S: I think is pretty similar. We have Japanese J pop and Japanese TV drama and magazines and radios. I think it’s pretty similar.
N: What types of communication are popular in Japan for people around our age?
S: Texting is really popular. Everyone is always texting. We have mix, its kind of Facebook in Japan. Some people use that social network but not many people in Japan use it. Japanese don't use Facebook that much either. Everyone likes texting the most.
N: What traditions did you have while you were growing up?
S: We have Christmas and Halloween. We don't have Easter actually; I've never heard or seen it before like people painting eggs. We have mother’s day, father’s day, girls day, boy’s day, and Children’s day. They’re just kind of holiday. On girls day we put Japanese dolls on the corners of the house. Its just tradition.
N: How are the governments of Japan and here different?
S: We have two parties. It’s pretty much the same as here. We took the constitution from America after World War two so it’s pretty much the same.
N: How is America viewed in Japan?
S: Our image of America is big or like McDonald's and fast food and Hollywood stars. Hollywood stars are really popular Japan and just things like that.
N: How are sports in Japan compared to here?
S: Like you guys have seasons like this season is for football and this season is for basketball. Not really in Japan, if you join the basketball team in Japan you play basketball all year. You pick just one sport. Football is not really common in Japan. Mostly people play baseball, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and soccer. I don't really know anything about sports. I'm not really outgoing about sports.
N: Do you like living with a host family?
S: Yeah my host family is really kind to me. My host brother is learning Japanese so I sometimes help him with basic Japanese. But families are pretty different from Japanese families. Like in America families are really close to each other but in Japan people are more independent and more personal space. Japanese have a larger personal space. We don't hug, we don't kiss. We bow or shake hands when we meet strangers. Families are really close in America. Actually I've never played a card game with my family before until I came here. Its kind of weird for me. The families are pretty different.
Comparison of All Four Interviews:
I chose my fourth interviewee on the bases that he was from another country besides China and also that he was a foreign exchange student. My main objective in this interview was to be able to compare the experiences of International students to those of foreign exchange students.
Going into the interview I had never really talked to a foreign exchange student or international student from Japan about these kinds of questions before. I was expecting it to be similar to those of students from China. However, I was wrong. While asking the questions I was expecting similar answers to my previous interviews. I was surprised when none of the answers were similar. This showed me that I need to be more open minded when conducting interviews.
During my fourth interview I learned that Soshi lives with a host family. In this host family one of the sons is learning Japanese. This was an opportunity for Soshi to assist the son in his learning. In doing so, Soshi was able to teach his host family about his culture. Living with a host family has also helped Soshi learn a lot about the United States, especially in day to day activities. For example he has been to the Mall of America and other places in Minnesota. I also found out that Soshi likes his host family and there are very kind to them. I feel that this important for every host family to be like this in order for the experience to be a success.
One thing that was surprising to me during my fourth interviewee was learning about the Japanese family. Soshi explained how in Japan, members in the family are more independent then those in the United States. It took him awhile to get use to this. Before he came here he had never really played a card game, but now him and his host family bond over many different games. I think that these are important experiences for foreign exchange students to learn because it is opening them up to a different family life. Even though Soshi prefers being more independent he has enjoyed his time with his host family. International Students do not get to experience living with a family when they study in other countries. Another example of Soshi’s house family providing him with
In my previous interviews I learned that International Students participate in many activities on campus. This was mainly due to the fact that they did not have or know anyone with access to a car. My first interviewee said that she would like to be able to do more; however, most of her friends are fellow Chinese International Students and they too do not have a car.
I feel that the opportunity to be either an International Student or Foreign Exchange student in any country would be an amazing experience. Along with meeting a lot of new people we are able to learn about a culture first hand. I have become friends with many foreign exchange students throughout my High School career and I am looking forward to meeting international students in the future.
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