English Language · Primary 5 · The Spoken Word · Semester 1

Conducting Interviews

Learning to formulate effective questions, listen actively, and record information from interviews.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Speaking and Representing - P5
• MOE: Listening and Viewing - P5

About This Topic

Conducting interviews equips Primary 5 students with practical skills to formulate effective questions, listen actively, and record information accurately. They design open-ended questions that encourage detailed responses, analyze how skills like paraphrasing and eye contact ensure clear communication, and evaluate ethical aspects such as obtaining consent and reporting truthfully. This topic aligns with MOE standards for Speaking and Representing, and Listening and Viewing at Primary 5, supporting the Semester 1 unit The Spoken Word.

Students apply these skills to real-life contexts, like gathering stories from family or classmates, which builds confidence in oral interactions and empathy for diverse viewpoints. It strengthens critical thinking as they organize notes into coherent summaries and reflect on interview effectiveness. Connections to viewing skills come through analyzing sample interviews from media, helping students critique question quality and listener responses.

Active learning benefits this topic because students gain proficiency through hands-on practice in safe settings. Role-playing interviews with peers provides immediate feedback on question design and listening habits, while recording sessions for review makes self-improvement concrete and engaging.

Key Questions

1. Design open-ended questions that elicit detailed responses in an interview.
2. Analyze how active listening skills contribute to a successful interview.
3. Evaluate the ethical considerations when conducting and reporting an interview.

Learning Objectives

• Design a set of at least five open-ended questions for a specific interview topic.
• Demonstrate active listening techniques, including paraphrasing and asking clarifying questions, during a simulated interview.
• Record key information from an interview accurately and concisely.
• Analyze a recorded interview to identify effective questioning and listening strategies.
• Evaluate the ethical considerations of obtaining consent and reporting interview information truthfully.

Before You Start

Asking Questions

Why: Students need a basic understanding of question formation to progress to designing effective open-ended questions.

Basic Conversation Skills

Why: Familiarity with turn-taking and maintaining a simple conversation is foundational for developing active listening skills.

Key Vocabulary

Open-ended question	A question that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no', encouraging a detailed response.
Active listening	Fully concentrating on what is being said, understanding the message, and responding thoughtfully.
Paraphrasing	Restating someone's ideas or words in your own words to confirm understanding.
Clarifying question	A question asked to gain more information or to make sure you understand something correctly.
Consent	Permission given by someone to be interviewed or for their words to be used.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Closed yes/no questions work best for all interviews.

What to Teach Instead

Open-ended questions yield detailed, valuable responses that build engaging narratives. Group brainstorming activities let students test both types on peers and compare results, clarifying why open questions suit most scenarios.

Common Misconception

Listening means staying silent without interrupting.

What to Teach Instead

Active listening requires cues like paraphrasing and eye contact to confirm understanding. Role-play interviews with peer feedback highlight these elements, helping students practice and refine habits in real time.

Common Misconception

Interviews need no preparation or ethics rules.

What to Teach Instead

Effective interviews demand planned questions and consent to ensure fairness. Class discussions of real scenarios, followed by mock practice, reveal ethical pitfalls and build responsible habits.

Active Learning Ideas

Pairs: Peer Hobby Interviews

Students prepare five open-ended questions about a partner's hobbies. They conduct a five-minute interview, using active listening by nodding and paraphrasing responses, then record key points. Partners switch roles and share one strength observed.

30 min·Pairs

Small Groups: Topic Survey Challenge

Groups brainstorm ten open-ended questions on a class theme like 'favorite books.' They interview five classmates, take structured notes, and compile a group summary. Discuss ethics like respecting shy respondents.

45 min·Small Groups

Whole Class: Mock Guest Session

Class collaborates to create questions for a 'guest speaker' (teacher or student volunteer). Conduct the live interview with a designated listener-recorder. Review as a group, noting effective techniques and improvements.

40 min·Whole Class

Individual: Self-Reflection Edit

Students record a short self-interview on a personal topic using a phone. Transcribe notes, then revise questions for openness and add ethical checks. Share edited version with a partner for feedback.

20 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Journalists regularly conduct interviews to gather information for news reports, asking questions to get firsthand accounts from witnesses or experts on current events.
• Market researchers interview consumers to understand their opinions on new products, asking detailed questions to gather feedback for companies developing items like new snack foods or electronic gadgets.
• Historians and oral historians interview people who lived through significant events, like World War II veterans or former residents of a changing neighborhood, to preserve their memories and perspectives.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Provide students with a short scenario (e.g., interviewing a classmate about their favorite hobby). Ask them to write down two open-ended questions they would ask and one active listening technique they would use. Review responses for understanding of question types and listening skills.

Peer Assessment

Students conduct a brief, 3-minute interview with a partner. Afterwards, they use a simple checklist to assess their partner's performance, noting: Did they ask at least two open-ended questions? Did they use paraphrasing at least once? Did they maintain eye contact? Partners provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

Exit Ticket

Students write one sentence explaining why obtaining consent is important before interviewing someone. They then list one ethical concern to consider when reporting information from an interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to teach Primary 5 students open-ended questions for interviews?

Start with examples: compare 'Do you like reading?' to 'What makes your favorite book special?' Pairs practice rewriting closed questions, then test them in quick interviews. Provide checklists for question quality, like avoiding yes/no starters. This builds skill through trial and feedback, aligning with MOE speaking standards. Follow up with group shares to reinforce best practices.

What active listening skills do P5 students need for interviews?

Key skills include eye contact, nodding, paraphrasing responses, and avoiding interruptions. Teach through modeling: demonstrate good and poor listening in a sample interview. Students practice in pairs, with one noting listener behaviors. Review recordings together to self-assess, fostering habits that improve interview depth and rapport.

How to teach ethics in conducting student interviews?

Discuss consent, privacy, and truthful reporting using scenarios like interviewing a shy peer. Role-play dilemmas, such as changing quotes, and vote on solutions. Create class guidelines, then apply in mock interviews. This ensures students value fairness, connecting to MOE's emphasis on responsible communication.

How can active learning help students master conducting interviews?

Active learning engages students through peer interviews and role-plays, providing safe practice for question design and listening. Small group surveys build collaboration, while recording sessions enables self-review of ethics and accuracy. These methods make skills tangible, boost confidence, and reveal patterns like poor questions via shared feedback, far exceeding passive instruction.