RHET 1010 - Andrew Dempsey

How to conduct good interviews of

migrants (worksheet)
Task 1 - Types of Questions
● Listen to the interview, and write down each question (even the short ones) that the
interviewer asks. Then write in the second column what type of interview question it
was. Use the 9 types of interview questions given in the lesson.
● Once you have written all the questions, highlight in yellow the 3 questions that you
felt were most important in helping the interviewee share their experience.

Question asked by interviewer Type of question

How old were you when you came to America?

And what was your reason for coming to America?

RHET 1010 - Andrew Dempsey

Task 2 - Active Listening Techniques

Look over the list of Active Listening Techniques (source)

● Make eye-contact, nod, smile and lean-in attentively.

● Don’t fiddle with your phone, computer or other device.

● Use occasional and well-timed verbal encouragement like ‘Uh huh’, ‘yes’ and ‘I see’.

● Paraphrase your participant’s words and reflect them back…”So what you’re saying is…”

● Refer to something your participant said earlier – this shows you are paying attention
and is a good way to seek clarification or keep the interview on track.

● Avoid interrupting or completing your participant’s sentences.

● Give participants time to think and embrace the productive pause.

● Be prepared to challenge inconsistencies.

● Stay in the moment – don’t spend time planning what you’re going to say next.

● Assess what you’re hearing to make sure there is enough detail but don’t mentally
criticize or judge.

● Strive for empathy – let go of preconceived ideas and try to understand your participant’s
unique perspective.

● “Listen between the lines” - pay attention to body language and the words your
participant is using to describe their experience.

What to do

1. Highlight in yellow one or more techniques that you feel are the most important
aspects for you to remember when conducting your migrant interviews
2. Highlight in light blue one technique that you feel would come naturally/easily to you
3. Highlight in light green one technique that you feel will be challenging for you when
you conduct your interviews
RHET 1010 - Andrew Dempsey

Task 3 - Interviewing with respect and compassion

Read the article “Advice for interviewing refugees with respect and compassion” by Sherry
Ricchiardi.

Write a short, 2-3 sentence reflection, based on the article, answering the question “Why is it
important to show respect and compassion to people when interviewing them about their life
stories?”

Your reflection:
RHET 1010 - Andrew Dempsey

Task 4 - Your interview questions

Write a list of at least 10 interview questions that you plan to ask your interviewees. The
questions should have a good and logically ordered blend of introducing questions, probing
questions, etc.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

(add more questions if needed)

Once you have done this, submit this lesson worksheet on turnitin.com.