English 102. Third Essay
In this assignment you will interview the insiders/informants from the subculture
you researched for your second essay. This assignment will help you learn to listen and
record the perspective of your informant. Prepare for your interview by conducting
background research and field observations and by writing interview questions. Make
sure to test your interview equipment and rehearse your interview questions with a
research partner. You may wish to use a cultural artifact to help focus your interview.
After the interview, you will transcribe the recording (See Cindie Marshall’s interview
(p. 265-69), and A Successful Interview (p. 244-47) in the book for good examples of
interviewing people). Finally, you will write a three- to-four-page paper in which you:
-describe your informant
-present dialogue (mostly through your interpretation and indirect reporting)
-draw connections between the interview findings and the subculture
-attach a one-page excerpt of the interview transcript
-attach a glossary of terms (if you find terms or expressions typical to the subculture)
Once you have conducted and transcribed the interview, consider the following
questions:
 What insider phrases, jargons, or occupational terms does your informant use?
 What words reappear? What are the language variations?
 What do you learn about the subculture from the words you’ve recorded?
 What technologies, oral literacy practices, or writing practices does your
informant use?
 Does your informant use stories, jokes, sayings, or proverbs? For what purpose?
 Does a theme emerge in your interview?
Write your analysis, reflections, and research into this paper. Use at least two in-text
citations and Works Cited (either from academic Websites or from Journals/Books
related to your topic) in your paper. At the end of your paper, offer a reflective paragraph
about what you learned about yourself as an interviewer. What are your strengths? Your
weaknesses? What assumptions or preconceptions did you uncover through the process
of interviewing? What might you do differently next time?
Required Format
Use MLA style: Title your paper, Include Works Cited page, Use 12-point font (Times
New Roman), Leave 1" margins on all sides of the paper
Evaluation Criteria
Your paper should:
-state and develop a coherent thesis
- describe your informants, and analyze your informant’s language
-support your thesis with data collected during fieldwork
-use organizational techniques such as analytic section headings
-relate your interview findings with the subcultural identity of the group
-be clear, engaging, and error-free
-be 3-4 pages
The paper is due on: Oct. 31 (for peer response), and Nov. 7 (for revised draft)