The evidence

yue wang

mengyao ding

boshi chen

Outline for final paper

Outline for final paper




Introduction


By finishing my three interviews, I found that there are great differences between America and my country.  So I want to write a paper about the different cultures between America and China.  Through comparing these two countries, I will show some aspects of these differences in education, food and festival.





Body


1. education

  a. studying ways
  b. students learning condition
  c. grades system

2. food
  a. tastes
  b. different meaning
  c. cooking styles

3. festival
  a. celebration ways
  b. from different origins
  c. different festivals




Conclusion

Different countries have different culture.  After comparing America and China, I learn more about customs of America and I could study better in America.

Comparing interview three to two and one

Comparing interview three to two and one


I have finished all my three interviews.  From these interviews, I learned a lot from them.  I know how to prepare and work, so I think the third interview is the best one in these three interviews.   I studied how to prepare for a great interview.  I knew that I need to print out all of the questions on papers.  It also necessary to choose a quiet place for interview.  And from the first and the second interview, I am not nervous like before anymore.  My third interview, I prepared a lot about the questions.  I designed a few extra questions in order to make the second interview richer.  My first two interviewees are all from America and the third one is from Malaysia.  They are all very friendly and they help me finish the interview.  The first interview spent about 30 minutes and the second interview spent more than 45 minutes.  And this one is also about 40 minutes.  I talked with these three interviewees about school life, study and family.  Lately, we also talked about the hobbies and dreams.  I was very excited after each interview.  I learned more about the life of America people and other country culture.  I am studying in the USA.  And I need to adapt to my new life in the United States.

Using Quotes Correctly

Using quotes correctly

Introductory of  America


The full of the U.S.A. is called "the United States of  America".  It is located in central  North America.  It has forty-eight contiguous states and the capital of the U.S.A. is Washington,D.C.  It lies between the Pacific and Atantic Oceans, and it bordered by Canada to the north and Mexio to the south.  [1]  The united stated is the forth largest country with 3.79 million square miles in the world.  It has over 312 million people.  The economy of the U.S.A. is the world's largest national economy.  [2]  The United states is a multiculation nation.  It homes to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions and values.  The English is the national language of America.  And Spanish, spoken by 12% of the population at home, is the second most common language and the most widely taught  second language.  [3]


Reference:

[1]. http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/usa-state-and-capital-map.html

[2]. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2009&ey=2016&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=111&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr1.x=49&pr1.y=17

[3]. http://www.adfl.org/resources/enrollments.pdf

interview scores

My top three scores


1. Nicholas S   interview here   19 points

2. Wenting Cai   interview here   18 points

3. Tiffany S   interview here   18points

Grader Interviews

click here.

The third interview

The third interview

Interview preparation

This is my third interview.  After finishing my first two interviews, I have learned a lot from them.  I know how to prepare and work, so I think this interview is the best.  I interview one of my friends as my interviewee.  His name is JS and he is from Malaysia.  He has living here for about 2 years.  We knew each other because we had one same class before.  And we had the interview last Wednesday.  Before the Wednesday, I printed out all of the questions on papers and brought some pens.  On the Wednesday, we had the interview in a quiet place in the Atwood.  During the interview, everything is going well.  I made notes and we had a great interview.  We talked for about 40 minutes and I asked many details.

Interview report

I have done the entire three interviews.  From these three interviews, I learned a lot.  The first thing that I have learned should be the knowledge of Malaysia.  Malaysia is beautiful and kind country.  Malaysia is a multi-culture country.  There are mainly three kinds of cultures in Malaysia: Malaysian culture, Chinese culture and Indian culture.  The second thing I have learned is the interview skills.  The preparation is very important.  You should print the questions on the papers.  And learn a little about the topic is very helpful for the interview.  During the interview, you need to be relaxed, nervous has side effects on your interview.  Also taking notes or recording the entire interview help you with review the interview.  The third thing might be communication skills.  Sometimes, visual images and body languages are much easier for people to understand.  While you have a communication with others, listening is also very important.  Listening carefully makes you understand easier and focus on the communication.  Listening also shows your respect to others.

Country report

Malaysia, located in Southeast Asia, a federal constitutional monarchy.  Malaysia is declared its independence from British in August 31^st in 1957.  Since 16^th century, Malaysia had been invaded by Portugal, Holland and British. In1911, Malaysia became a British colony.  The populations of Malaysia are mainly aborigines, occupies about 67.4%.  Then, the second largest population is Chinese, occupies around 24%.  Then the third is Indian, occupies 7.3%.  And the other nation occupies 0.7%.  Among the aborigines, there are about 55% of Malayans.  As Chinese also is an enormous population, Chinese language is very common in Malaysia.  There are about three languages spoken in Malaysia.  There are Malay, English and Chinese.

The cuisine also reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of population in Malaysia.  Lots of cultures have influenced the cuisine.  Much of the influence comes from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese, and Sumatran cultures.  The cuisine of Malaysia is very similar to the cuisine from Singapore, Brunei and Filipino.  Also, cuisine in different states may be different.  As the time goes by, food in other culture has been assimilated into Malaysia.  A good example is some Chinese restaurants in Malaysia also serve with Malay cuisine.

Malaysians celebrate a number of holidays and festivities throughout the year.  The most important holiday is the "Hari Merdeka".  It is the Independence Day, also known as "Merdeka" (Freedom), on 31 August.  It commemorates the independence of the Federation of Malaya.  Some other important holidays are the Labor Day (1 May), the King's birthday (first Saturday of June) and so on.  Chinese New year is celebrated in Malaysia too.  It is the most prominent, lasting for 15 days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia

Transcript of the interview

H: Hao Xu

J: JS

H: Hi, JS.  I am doing a research on your country.  So I want to have a interview with you, would you give me some help?

J: Sure, of course.

H: Thanks.  Let’s start our interview.

J: No problem.

H: Where are you from?

J: I am from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.  It’s the most populous city in Malaysia.  I am very happy to live there.  I think it’s a very beautiful city.

H: I learned that Malaysia has two parts, the east one and the west one.  Which part does your home town belong to?

J: That’s right. Malaysia has two parts.  And my home town is belongs to the east part.

H: Do you have some sister or brother in your family?

J: Year, I have an order brother.  He has worked in Malaysia.  He is three years older than me.

H: When you leave your hometown and come to the USA?

J: About 2 years ago.  When I graduated from my high school in Malaysia, I decided to study abroad.

H: Could you tell me something about your family?

J: Our family is very big and we lived together.  Unlike America, people become adult and become so independent.  Now, my father and my mother are still lives with my grandparents.  Actually, we consider living with families as a kind of happiness.  In Malaysia, most of the families are like this.

H: It is very similar to China. What is the weather like in your hometown?

J: Much better than the weather here.  The weather in my hometown is very pleasant.  As my hometown is close to the sea, the humidity is high. We just have one climate in my hometown.  The average temperature is about between 26 ℃ and 30 ℃.  We got a lot of rains.

H: There are great difference between Malaysia and here.

J: When I just come here, I feel so cold and I feel very uncomfortable.  But I adapt the weather here now.

H: Why do you choose to study abroad?

J: Because of myself.  I want to study abroad to learn more different culture.

H: Great.  Could you tell me something about the education system of your country?

J: In Malaysia, we go to preschools first.  At about 3-4 years old, we attend into the pre-school playgroups.  Then we go to kindergartens for another two years.  After that, we spend 6 years in primary schools.  After primary schools, we go to secondary schools for 5years.  Then, it is another 2 years in high schools.  Then bachelor degree takes 3 years to finish.  In Malaysia, only the primary schools are compulsory.  But pre-schools, primary schools and secondary school are free education.  The government takes education very seriously.

H: It is very interesting.  Will you graduate in SCSU?

J: I think so.  After I graduate from SCSU, I plan to go back to Malaysia to find a work and live with my family again.

H: Let’s talk about some other things.  What is the form of government in your country?

J: Federal constitutional monarchy and Federal parliamentary democracy.

H: Could you tell me more about that?

J: Sure. In Malaysia, we don’t have president, but we have Yang di-Pertuan Agong.  I think Yang di-Pertuan Agong just like president in America.  He is the head of the state of Malaysia.  Then, we got prime minister and deputy prime minister.  Prime minister is the head of the government of Malaysia.  Prime minister is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

H: The state of Malaysia and the government of Malaysia is not the same?

J: Yes.  The prime minister and his cabinet should be collectively responsible to the parliament.

H: What is the most popular sport in your country?

J: I think it should be Badminton. It’s very popular in Malaysia.

H: Can you tell me something about the traditional food?

J: For Staple food, we have rice and noodles. We have lots of dishes to eat with the staple food.

H: What is the famous food in Malaysia?

J: Laksa.  It is famous among Nyonya dishes.

H: Is the food in your country spicy?

J: Yes. We like cooking with pepper as spices.

H: How about festivals?  Can you tell me what festivals you celebrate?

J: We have lot of festivals. The most important should be the "Hari Merdeka".  It is our Independence Day.  It is on August 31.  We also have Labor Day, Maulidur Rasul, King’s birthday and so on.

H: How do you celebrate these holidays?

J: For some national festivals like "Hari Merdeka", we will have several days off and we usually go travelling with our families. For other festivals, we may have a family dinner together.

H: Tell me one thing that makes you proud of your country.

J: The food in Malaysia.  Malaysia is known as Food Paradise.  Cates from different cultures mingle with each other. Chinese food, Indian cuisine and Portugal food are also can be found easily in Malaysia.

H: How old are people in your country by the time they got married?

J: I think is between 25 and 30 years old.

H: Is there some places you recommend me to visit in your country?

J: Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. As you know, is my hometown and it’s a very beautiful city.  Malacca is very famous in the world.  It is the oldest city in Malaysia.  Also the food in Malacca is famous.

H: I think I have got all answers of my questions.  Thanks a lot.

J: You are welcome.

Comparing my first and second interview

Comparing my first and second interview

I have finished two interviews during last two weeks and I learned a lot from these two interviews.  I studied how to prepare for a great interview.  I need to print out all of the questions on papers and prepare two pens in the bag.  It also necessary to choose a quiet place for interview.  And from the first interview to the second one, I am not nervous like the first time anymore.  During my first interview, I didn't complete record the answers of the interviewee.  So for my second interview, I prepared a lot about the questions.  I designed a few extra questions in order to make the second interview richer.  My two interviewees are all from America.  They are all very friendly and they help me finish the interview.  The first interview spent about 30 minutes and the second interview spent more than 45 minutes.  The second interview spent more time than the first one because of the extra questions.  I talked with two interviewees about school life, study and family.  Lately, we also talked about the hobbies and dreams.  I was very excited after each interview.  I learned more about the life of America people.  I am studying in the USA.  And I need to adapt to my new life in the United States.  I am looking forward to starting my last interview.  After these two interviews, I hope I could do better in my last interview.

interview scores

My top three scores


1.Nicholas S  interview here  18 points

2.Tiffany S  interview here  18 points

3.Justine B  interview here  17points

Grader Interviews

click now.

The second interview

The second interview

Interview preparation

During my first interview, I learned a lot about how to talking with others.  But I didn’t complete record the answers of the interviewee, my transcript is a little bit short.  So for my second interview, I really prepared a lot.  I have designed a few extra questions in order to make the interview richer and let all of extra questions be more logical.  Then I decided to interview MK.  He is my classmate and we know each other in a group meeting.  So I asked him if he could take some time for an interview with me.  And he asked he is glad to help me.  We set up the time last Friday in Atwood for the interview.  Before the Friday, I print out all of the questions on two papers and put recording pen into my bag.  On the Friday, we found a quiet place together on the second floor and started the interview.  During the interview, I also made some notes in order to remind me of some details.

Interview report

This is my second interview.  In this time, I also had a good time with my interviewee.  We talked a lot, not only about the interview, but also talking about our interests and dreams.  I think American people are easygoing and interesting.  And everything went well, I am not nervous like the first time anymore.  In order to avoid talking about some sensitive issues, I have learned some Korean history and also have watched current events in America on the internet.  During the interview, I can easily make sense what he said.  He is surprised that I know many things about America.  So I think, before you make an interview with someone else, it is important to know something about their country.  This can make both of you closer and gain more information.  In addition, it is a good way to make the process of interview more comfortable and interesting.  Above all, the interview really improves my communication skill a lot and let me be confident.  And I believe that I can do better during the third interview.

Country report

The United States of America also called the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States.  It is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district.  The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south.  The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait.  The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific.  The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the country's population now to be 313,252,000, including an estimated 11.2 million illegal immigrants.  The U.S. population almost quadrupled during the 20th century, from about 76 million in 1900.  The third most populous nation in the world, after China and India, the United States is the only major industrialized nation in which large population increases are projected.  Even with a birth rate of 13.82 per 1,000, 30% below the world average, its population growth rate is positive at 1%, significantly higher than those of many developed nations.  In fiscal year 2010, over 1 million immigrants were granted legal residence.  Mexico has been the leading source of new residents for over two decades; since 1998, China, India, and the Philippines have been in the top four sending countries every year.

The United States is a federal union of fifty states.  The original thirteen states were the successors of the thirteen colonies that rebelled against British rule.  Early in the country's history, three new states were organized on territory separated from the claims of the existing states: Kentucky from Virginia; Tennessee from North Carolina; and Maine from Massachusetts.  Most of the other states have been carved from territories obtained through war or purchase by the U.S. government.  One set of exceptions comprises Vermont, Texas, and Hawaii: each was an independent republic before joining the union.  During the American Civil War, West Virginia broke away from Virginia.  The most recent state—Hawaii—achieved statehood on August 21, 1959.  The states do not have the right to secede from the union.

Source:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas.

Transcript

Hao Xu = H

MK = M

H: Hello, MK.

M: Hello, Hao.

H: How are you today?

M: Good!

H: Let’s start the interview.

M: OK.

H: Are you from St. cloud, MK?


M: Oh, no. I was born in Wisconsin.  My family is living in Wisconsin now.  I have a big family and I have a younger brother and a elder sister.

H: Why you choose St. Cloud State University?

M: My family is in Wisconsin and it's close to MN.  My parents hope me to choose a school not in Wisconsin.  Because they want me to study outside and live by myself.

H: What is your major?

M: My major is marketing.  I like this major and I have been studying in  SCSU for 2 and a half years.

H: Are you interesting in Marketing?

M: I love this major and it’s build on my hobby.  

H: How is your class going?

M: Not bad.  

H: How about your life on campus?

M: It’s a brand new life.  The university life is totally different from high school.  I live on campus and I have a lot of friends here including some international students.  I come back home about once a month.  I have a car and I drive home by myself.  I feel comfortable and excited for studying here.

H: It sounds great.  And how could SCSU do to make students stay on campus better?

M: I think SCSU has done very well to make students stay on campus.  I just think it’s difficult to park sometimes because there are too many cars on campus.  So I think if there could have more parking lots, it will become better.

H: Good idea!  Is the car as the most common transportation in the America?

M: Sure.  Almost most of people have their own car including some university students.

H: When did you start school?

M: I started school at 8 years old.  After I graduated from primary school and high school, I went into university school.

H: Are you under a lot of stress in school?

M: I don’t feel too much stress on myself.  I think this is only the process of growth.  It’s useful for me to learn more knowledge.

H: How about your hobbies?  Which sport do you like best?

M: Sport?  Absolutely, my favorite sport is American football.  I played with my friends each week.  I watched the Super Bowl on time every year.

H: Can you describe famous sports in America?

M: Of course.  In the USA, American football and basketball are the most famous sports.  We have two famous unions in these two sports.  There are NFL and NBA.  American people like to watch the games and enjoy them very much.

H: I watch the NBA basketball games sometimes and I like it very much.

M: Really?  Sometimes I watch the NBA basketball but actually I watch the NFL games more often.

H: Let’s talk about the food.  Which country’s food do you like?

M: American food, of course.  Sometimes I will choose to eat Chinese food and Italian food.  They are all very delicious.

H: Do you cook by yourself or by other ways?

M: Most of all, I cook by myself.  I can cook hamburgers and chicken wings.  The rest of time, I will go to the restaurant.

H: I want to know about holidays in the USA.  Which holidays people celebrate in America?

M: We celebrate Christmas, Easter Day and Thanksgiving Day.  These are the most important holidays in the USA.  Students need to go back home and celebrate holidays with their families

H: I also want to know some typical greetings in your culture.

M: When people need to greed someone, they say “Hi”, “Hello” or “How are you?”.  On the other hand, people smile and shake their hands.

H: I think so, too.  In the last part, I want to ask you something about your government.

M: No problem.  The government in America is the democracy.  People can go to vote and elect the leader.

H: I have finished asking all my questions.  Thanks for having a interview with me.

M: You are welcome.

H: It’s a great interview.

Grader Interviews

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interview scores

My top three scores

1. Nicholas S   interview here   18 points

2. Tiffany S   interview here   18 points

3.  Joseph R   interview here   17 points

The first interview

The first interview

Interview preparation

This is my first interview.  About this interview, I want to learn more about different culture.  As an international student, I have been studied in the U.S.A. for about two years.  I study and live in a brand new country, so I want to know about the American culture.  Although I felt great differences between Chinese culture and American culture, I still feel relaxed and exciting here.  I decide to choose my interviewee form the United States.  My first interviewee named LK.  He lives in St. Cloud and he has learned in St. Cloud State University for 2 years.  We had a meeting last week before the spring break.  I prepared about 10 main questions and reserved a room at the library before.  Later, I interview him in that room.

Interview report

I had a successful interview with LK.  We told a lot about differences between two countries.  We discuss with this ten questions.  He told me lots ofcharacteristic about America.  After our interview, I know better about the different aspect of America.  In a word, we had a wonderful talking.  This is my first interview and I get much experience for the other interviews.

Country report

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district.  The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south.  The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait.  The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific.  The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.

At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population.  It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries.  The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion.   Per capita income is the world's seventh-highest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

Transcript

Hao Xu = H

LK = L

H: Hi, LK.

L: Hello, Hao.

H: How are you today?

L: Not bad.

H: Nice.  Let’s start the interview.

L: Alright.

H: Sure.  We are all studying in this school and how you choose St. Cloud State University?

L: I was born in St. Cloud and this is the most important reason for me to choose St. Cloud State University.  All of my families hope that I can study here because it’s close to home and very convenient.  I also hope so.  As a result, the dream comes true.

H: Wonderful.  What your major?

L: My major is mechanical engineering.  This is my second year in the university.

H: How do you choose this major?

L: It’s build on my hobby.  I want to be an engineer in the future and I am interested in designing and machine.

H: How is your class going?

L: It’s pretty good.  I just finish my exams last week.

H: How about your life on campus?

L: It’s a brand new life.  The university life is totally different from high school.  I live on campus and I have a lot of friends here including some international students.  I come back home about once a month.  I have a car and I drive home by myself.  I feel comfortable and excited for studying here.

H: It sounds great.  And how could SCSU do to make students stay on campus better?

L: I think SCSU has done very well to make students stay on campus.  I just think it’s difficult to park sometimes because there are too many cars on campus.  So I think if there could have more parking lots, it will become better.

H: Good idea!  Is the car as the most common transportation in the America?

L: Sure.  Almost most of people have their own car including some university students.

H: When did you start school?

L: I started school at 8 years old.  After I graduated from primary school and high school, I went into university school.

H: Are you under a lot of stress in school?

L: I don’t feel too much stress on myself.  I think this is only the process of growth.  It’s useful for me to learn more knowledge.

H: How about your hobbies?  Which sport do you like best?

L: Sport?  Absolutely, my favorite sport is American football.  I played with my friends each week.  I watched the Super Bowl on time every year.

H: Cool.  Can you describe famous sports in America?

L: Of course.  In the USA, American football and basketball are the most famous sports.  We have two famous unions in these two sports.  There are NFL and NBA.  American people like to watch the games and enjoy them very much.

H: I watch the NBA basketball games sometimes and I like it very much.

L: Really?  Sometimes I watch the NBA basketball but actually I watch the NFL games more often.

H: Let’s talk about the food.  Which country’s food do you like?

L: American food, of course.  Sometimes I will choose to eat Chinese food and Italian food.  They are all very delicious.

H: Do you cook by yourself or by other ways?

L: Most of all, I cook by myself.  I can cook hamburgers and chicken wings.  The rest of time, I will go to the restaurant.

H: I want to know about holidays in the USA.  Which holidays people celebrate in America?

L: We celebrate Christmas, Easter Day and Thanksgiving Day.  These are the most important holidays in the USA.  Students need to go back home and celebrate holidays with their families

H: I also want to know some typical greetings in your culture.

L: When people need to greed someone, they say “Hi”, “Hello” or “How are you?”.  On the other hand, people smile and shake their hands.

H: In Chinese, we say “Ni Hao”.  It’s the same meaning of “Hello”.

L: “Ni Hao”?  I know that.  These are only two Chinese words I can speak.  I think Chinese is very interesting but it’s too hard to learn.

H: Ha!  I think so, too.  In last part, I want to ask you something about your government.

L: No problem.  The government in America is the democracy.  People can go to vote and elect the leader.

H: Ok, I have got all answers about my questions.  Thanks for having a interview with me.

L: You are welcome

H: It’s a great interview.

L: sure.