VIII: Using the Book, Chapter by Chapter

CHAPTER 1: Beyond the Q&A Presumption: Interviewing with a Listening/Learning

Perspective

• The nitty-gritty

Chapter 1 is an overview of the book’s guiding principles and major assumptions. It

justifies why we supplement the traditional interviewing emphasis on questions and

questioning with strong emphases on listening and framing, and justifies the practicality of

these skills. Without reading this chapter closely, students may regard listening as relatively

automatic and as too simplistic, and may dismiss framing as mere academic jargon. After a

preview of the different types of professional interviews the book will cover later, Chapter 1

presents students with an introductory exercise in informational interviewing. The chapter

concludes by presenting interviewing in an ethical context, and in terms of its contributions to

a democratic public dialogue — both topics that will come up again and again throughout the

book.

• Suggestions for “Trying Out Your Skills” and “Making Your Decision” boxes

— Consider using the “Trying Out Your Skills” (TOYS) box as an exercise that helps

students introduce each other to the class. You can either regard this as a highly informal

process, or adapt it to link with public speaking skills students may have developed. After

each introduction, let the rest of the class ask additional questions of the introducing speaker,
who must respond without the help of the student being introduced (“What kind of books

does she read? I don’t know; we didn’t get into that. I’d guess she wouldn’t like romance

novels much, though”); this will allow gaps of information to be filled in, and will provide an

opening for you to talk about the nature of inference in interviewing. Then the person

introduced can correct any misunderstandings before you move on to the next introduction.

This exercise may take two class periods or more, but we’ve found it pays off in setting a

vigorous climate of interchange. By the way, many teachers like to participate fully in these

opening exercises.