Second Language Interview Insights

Interviewing Second Language Students

In relation to interviews that involve participants whose first language is not English (i.e. immigrants, refugees or ESL post-secondary students), it is important to be aware of cultural differences, language barriers and ensure that your interview questions are clear and easy to understand. When a language barrier exists between qualitative researchers and their interviewees, the research can come with unique challenges (Temple & Young, 2004). Despite the emphasis on cross-cultural communication, researchers have paid little attention to the effects of the language of the interview or cultural backgrounds of interviewees and the interviewer (Polio & Friedman, 2017).

I have had the opportunity to interview and transcribe interviews from a study on second language writing and culture and a study on online feedback and post-secondary ESL student’s perceptions and experiences. I will take what I learned from conducting these interviews and transcribing these interviews to my own research study, from the literature and discussions with peers.

I have included a few points below from my insights:

1. Listening

• Listening is key in any interview, but I really had to listen closely to understand some of the students due to their accents and use of words.

2. Building Trust and Relationships

• Building trust and relationships with participants is critical in all studies. In intercultural research, it is equally important. Many participants may come from cultures where relationships are important and in fact may be more important than the task. Don’t go into the interview in a hurry, take the time to get to know your participants and treat it as a conversation. This will go a long way and may lead to a more fruitful conversation.

3.Be flexible

• I did not know the students, but I did find that during the second round of interviews, they seemed to be more open and trust me more.

• I was flexible with scheduling interview times to accommodate participant’s schedules which may have helped build our relationships

4. Taking account of participant’s body language is critical

• It is valuable for researchers in the field, to consider the interview’s non-linguistic aspects, e.g. the interviewees’ body language, gestures and other sources of ‘unsaid’ data, as they represent an interesting source of research information (Talmy, 2010).

• Researchers need to be aware of other forms of communication norms within interviews, including non-verbal communication, which may differ between cultures. (Samovar, Porter & McDaniel, 2011)

Remember intercultural research is not easy. It is important to be aware of your participants cultural and linguistic backgrounds and take this into consideration when you are interviewing them. Some people value relationships more and will not trust you until a relationship is built between you. This is tough when you are doing research, especially if you have a deadline. If you rush you may miss out on some wonderful conversations and getting to know your participants which may help them open up more. Be patient and enjoy getting to know your participants. Remember to listen and if you do not understand, ask. These are basic principles in intercultural communication, but often overlooked when doing intercultural research.