Interviews. Some hints for interviewers

Transcription

1 Interviews You often see or hear people being interviewed on TV or radio. They are usually chosen because they have something of interest to say. The job of the interviewer is to ask the kind of questions that will encourage that person to speak freely and give the kind of information, that will interest the viewers or listeners. The secret of being a good interviewer lies not only in preparing the right kind of questions, but also in being a good listener. By listening carefully to what the person being interviewed is saying, the interviewer will think of other good questions to ask. Choosing the right kind of questions is very important. Some hints for interviewers 1. Try to find out as much as you can about the person you are going to interview to help you to prepare the right kind of questions. 2. Ask questions to obtain information that will interest listeners. 3. Avoid questions which require one-word answers. 4. Listen carefully to the replies. Your subject may say something to suggest new questions which are more interesting than your prepared ones. 5. Do not do too much talking yourself. You are the link between the audience and the person being interviewed, not the star! 6. Always be polite. Thank the other person at the end of the interview. 28

2 Let s talk about it News report Imagine that you are a radio news reporter. Prepare a report on any newsworthy event for a live broadcast. Remember that you will have to present word pictures which will enable your readers to visualise the event. Examples of news items that you may use are: a devastating forest or veld fire a tragedy at sea the plight of endangered wildlife a train derailment or major road accident Interviews OR In pairs, role-play an interview between a television reporter and a sports star, or another famous personality. Find out as much as you can about the person beforehand in order to prepare the right kind of questions to ask during the interview. Dramatisation: advertisements AND a. Dramatise your own favourite television or radio advertisement OR b. In groups, write and act your own television or radio advertisement for any product which would appeal to children. For example: cool drinks, kites, chocolates, chips, bicycles, skateboards, etc. Include characters and situations with which you can identify and use a catchy tune (a jingle), in which the product s name is repeated. 29

3 Creative reading Language exercises The Loggerhead turtle The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), a marine turtle which lives along our tropical to moderate coasts, from Cape Town to Mocambique, is endangered in its wild habitat. Listed in the South African Red Data Book as vulnerable, these turtles live in the sea, but breed on beaches. Karetseeskilpad in Afrikaans and ufuda lwasolwandle in Zulu, the loggerhead turtle is characterized by its reddish brown, smooth shell elongated and tapering at the rear. The neck, throat and the sides of its neck are yellow, while the head can also be identified by reddish-brown blocks, divided by white lines. Smaller than the leatherback turtle, which also occurs along the South African coast, the loggerhead turtle grows to a length between 70 and 100 centimetres, while the leatherback turtle can reach a length of 1,7 metres. Young loggerhead turtles hatch from eggs, buried in the sand of beaches along the Maputaland coast. Females lay about five clutches of 100 eggs each. The young hatch after approximately two months and head straight for the sea. Many young perish both on the way and into the water. Their small sizes makes them an easy prey for many predators. For the first three years of their lives, the young loggerhead turtles drift in the surface water foraging on softer foods. As adults they hunt for crabs, molluscs or sea urchins in shallow coastal waters. Although they spend most of their time in the water, loggerhead turtles regularly go to the surface to breathe. A young loggerhead turtle at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town 1. Which words in the first paragraph are nouns? How do you know that they are nouns? 2. Find some adjectives in the second paragraph. How do you know that they are adjectives? 3. Find some prepositions and the objects they refer to; e.g. in the sand, in the fourth paragraph. Synonyms and antonyms Words similar in meaning are called synonyms. Words opposite in meaning are called opposites or antonyms. Opposites or antonyms handsome - ugly friendly - unfriendly bold - shy steady - unsteady diligent - lazy obedient - disobedient humble - vain quiet - noisy, rowdy serious - funny, jovial caring - selfish polite - impolite famous - infamous 30

4 Synonyms handsome - attractive, good-looking, dishy, striking friendly - amicable, amiable, affable bold - brave, courageous, daring moody - temperamental diligent - industrious, conscientious obedient - dutiful humble - modest quiet - timid serious - grave, solemn polite - courteous Do some bodybuilding he s a giant (of a man) she s an amazon extremely tall tallish above average height he s / she s got a good figure he s / she s well-built plump corpulent built like a barrel he s as square / big / round as he s tall obese overweight squat muscular opposites he s a midget slightly built woman very short shortish below average height not well proportioned puny thin skinny like a pipe cleaner a stringbean like a lamp-post underweight slight and slender slim 31

5 Discuss or write down the answers to these questions 1. Which of the adjectives and phrases would suit a student in your class or a member of your family? 2. Do you think your build sometimes determines your character? If so, how? 3. What sort of build should gymnasts, football players and weight lifters have? 4. Which word in each pair of words would you prefer people to use about you? Why? a. skinny / slim d. plump / stocky b. overweight / obese e. short / below average height c. all skin and bones / thin f. knee-high to a grasshopper / very short 5. Should you be content with the way God made you? Enjoying poetry Unfair is a poem about a family. It is about how we inherit our looks and our personality from our family. For example, you may have the same shape of eyes as your mother, or your toes might be funny like your father s, or you might laugh at the same things as your uncle. Read the poem and think about what you have inherited from your family. Unfair Gareth Owen They say I ve got my father s nose They say I ve got his walk And there s something about my granddad In the serious way I talk. And aren t his legs just like our Jack s, Says smiling Auntie Rose He could bend them just like that And touch his head with his toes. I ve got Aunt Julia s funny laugh I ve sister Betty s lips And just like Sid on my mother s side I m fond of fish and chips. I have moods that remind them of Auntie Vi And my hair s just like their Paul Sometimes when I look in the mirror I wonder if I m me at all. But what I ask myself is this Why does it have to be That it s me who looks like them and not them that look like me? 32