New Year’s Contest for Teachers (ended January 16. See last comment for winner!)

Posted on December 19, 2008. Filed under: Blogroll, Contribute your Questions | Tags: esl efl learn real english contribute interview questio |

We need your help, and it should be a lot of fun for all of us, readers and contributors alike. What do we need? We need good questions for our interviewers! If you are not familiar with Real English questions in general, or the ones already used, check out some Real English video lessons.

I say “We need your help” instead of “I need your help” because I am blessed with true friends in several cities who are happy to interview for me. In other words, I organize the filming for Real English and I do the camera and sound work, and a small spontaneous team of close friends from College days comes together for every filming campaign. You could say that the process of getting Real English filming work done is just as spontaneous as the interviews themselves. 

Therefore, the invisible team of friends is one reason why I say “we” and not “I”.  Actually, the interviewers become visible in the “About” video (which needs updating) on the RE site.  The other reason for “we”  is another very close friend who hosts Real English on his servers in New Jersey, USA.  We are very tight. 

Who prepares the questions before we begin asking them? I usually do, but only after getting approval from the interviewer(s).  I get good criticism from them and sometimes half of the questions are changed, eliminated,  or replaced.  The interviewer knows what will “work” in his or her mind. (S)he’s the man.

So – finally, to participate in this contest, imagine you are the interviewer. Write a list of 10 questions for people we will meet on the street soon in south Miami Beach, Florida, USA (SoBe). We’re going to Miami because it’s warm there in the winter, and easier to film, easier for people to stop and talk, and my favorite interviever lives in Sobe in the winter.

On the other hand, speaking about the weather, it  is intereresting to note that the majority of British Passersby stopped to speak with us just as easily in the rain (!), on Westminster Bridge, on cold, horrible, windy days.  New Yorkers haven’t hesitated to stop to speak with us either,  in front of the 5th Ave library,  even in very cold & windy conditions, during February campaings. 

So, to get back to the point: The best entry will receive the complete set of 3 Real English DVD’s with the Workbooks and Instructor’s Guide  in the form of PDF and Word files that you can print out, AND the 3 Real English CD-ROM’s.

Do you use Real English with your students? Have you noticed that we have not covered some of the basic grammar structures? There are many which are missing. Just one example off the top of my head,  “there is” and “there are” are never used.

Don’t forget that the interviewer will ask your questions, or at least some of them, on the street when we meet passersby who agree to sign our release form (almost everybody we approach agrees).

Try to put yourself in 2 sets of shoes at the same time, the interviewer who must engage the people we meet with something interesting.  At the same time, imagine yourself as the English teacher using the questions and answers with your students. What do they need that we have not done yet?  There are lots of possibilities!

Come on, give it a try!  

To enter the contest, write 5 to 10 questions right here in the comments box.
Your first 3 Questions can be (if you like):
1 – Hello. how are you?
2 – What’s your name?
3 – Where are you from?
+ your additional questions. 

Remember, we try to interview two people at the same time, so the interviewees can also ask each other questions if you write your questions in a certain way. We will also be on a busy street where we can see other people… (Are you getting some ideas?)  Good luck!

I almost forgot: if you’re not familiar with Real English questions in general, or the ones already used, please check out a Lesson page such as http://tinyurl.com/63ow59