Interview a Grandparent/Grandfriend

What You Need: Paper; pen/pencil; a copy of the interview questions below. Optional -- tape recorder or video camera.

Doing It:

Interviewing a grandparent/grandfriend helps a young person better understand an older adult, learn family history, and develop research and interview skills. The sheets below offer a variety of questions that can be asked over several interview sessions; or just pick and choose those questions of interest to you.

In addition to having benefits for children, an interview with a grandparent can mean a great deal to the grandparent. People want to talk about their hopes and dreams and personal challenges, but they are rarely asked. When a young person takes the time to listen to an older person reminisce, what the young person is really saying is that who the older person is, what they've done, and the things they care about are important.

As a grandchild prepares to interview a grandparent, here are some interview tips:

• An interview is just like talking with someone, but with prepared questions.
  
  
• You can write down the answers to the questions, or videotape or audiotape the interview. Taping the interview ensures that you don't miss anything and also allows you to review the interview at a later time.
  
  
• During the interview, ask questions slowly, giving the person time to answer.
  
  
• You can use some "closed" questions (which prompt a respondent to give only a "yes" or "no" answer), but most should be "open" questions like: "Tell me about..."; "Describe..."; "What was it like when...?"; "In what ways...?"; "Why...?"; and "How...?"
  
  
• Start with easy, friendly questions and work your way up to more difficult or sensitive questions.
  
  
• Listen carefully to what the person says; don't interrupt or correct. Maintain eye contact and show interest by leaning forward and nodding.
  
  
• As you listen to answers, other questions will come to mind. Asking follow-up questions will help you get more information.
  
  
• If someone is talking about an unhappy or painful experience, show that you understand how they feel ("That's very sad"). If the person doesn't want to talk about something, that's okay -- just go to the next question.
  
  
• It's okay for there to be moments of silence or emotion. A person's life is important, and emotion is natural. Accept emotions as part of the process.
  
  
• An interview shouldn't last more than an hour. People do best when they're not tired. You can always do another interview. Doing several interviews actually allows you to think about answers, and come up with other questions based on the answers and things that interest you.
  
  
• Don't forget to thank the person you've interviewed. They've been generous with their time and perhaps shared personal information. Let them know you value what they've shared. Write them a short thank you note and even send a copy of the interview (for corrections and additions).

The questions on the sheets below are grouped into topic areas. Some questions are about the grandparent's life. Others are more general questions about life. Keep in mind that one question will lead to another and you should allow the interview to flow naturally from topic to topic as they come up.

No single set of questions will elicit all the stories from all families. The most useful questions will be those you develop through your own knowledge about your family. The questions provided may be helpful as a start. They're meant to be suggestive, not absolute. Pick and choose among them as you feel is appropriate. And change the wording to suit your personality and the person you're interviewing.

You can view and print the sheets below in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). If you don't already have it, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Acrobat Reader is available free of charge from the Adobe Website. Click on the link below to download and install your free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.