Interview

What an 'interview' is: An interview is a media text in which an interviewer asks an interviewee (the guest) a series of questions, and the guest answers. It belongs to the theme Media texts in the Text Types unit.

You need the vocabulary to introduce a guest, ask good questions, and close politely. Treat the list below as a glossary: learn each term with its meaning, then reuse it in the reading and writing sections.

interview

a text where one person asks another a series of questions

interviewer

the person who asks the questions

interviewee / guest

the person who answers the questions

to conduct an interview

to carry out / lead an interview

to introduce (the guest)

to present the guest and say why they are interesting

open question

a question that needs a developed answer, not just yes/no (How? Why?)

closed question

a question answered with yes or no, or one word

follow-up question

a question that picks up on what the guest has just said

to round off / close the interview

to finish the interview neatly with a final line

to thank (the guest) for their time

a polite closing convention of an interview

register

how formal or informal your language is

semi-formal / polite register

respectful but not stiff — the usual register for an interview

quote / quotation

the guest's exact words, shown in inverted commas

Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text in interview form, a listening clip of an interview, a Paper 1 interview task, or your oral. Reusing precise interview words is how you score Criterion A (Language) and Criterion C (Conceptual understanding).

What makes a text an interview: Examiners reward you for using the conventions of the text type. An interview is recognised by three things: an introduction of the guest, a series of question–answer pairs, and a polite closing that thanks the guest. Get these right and you earn Criterion C.

Keep the register consistent: Pick a semi-formal, polite register and keep it all the way through. Mixing very casual slang with polite questions breaks the consistency examiners look for under Criterion C. Open questions (How…? Why…? What…?) almost always score better than closed yes/no ones.

Read like Paper 2: Here is a short interview — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.

Interview: a young engineer: Today we are interviewing Aisha Bello, a young engineer who has designed a low-cost water filter for rural villages.

"How did the idea begin?" "It began at university, when I read that millions of people still drink unsafe water. I wanted to do something useful."

"What was the hardest part?" "Without a doubt, keeping the cost low. The filter had to be cheap enough for families who earn very little, so I tested dozens of cheap materials before I found one that worked."

"What advice would you give to other young inventors?" "I would tell them to be patient and to listen to the people they want to help. The best ideas come from real needs, not from a laboratory alone."

To finish, we thank Aisha for her time and wish her every success.

low-cost

cheap; not expensive to make or buy

rural

relating to the countryside or villages, not the city

to test

to try something out to see if it works

patient

able to wait calmly without getting frustrated

a real need

a genuine problem that people actually have

Reading technique: In an interview text, the answer is almost always inside the guest's reply to the matching question. Find the question that matches what is being asked, then read the answer underneath it.

The task: Your school magazine features inspiring young people. Write an interview with a young person you admire: introduce them, ask two or three questions, and close by thanking them.

Use a semi-formal, polite register. Write 250–400 words.

Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:

How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words. Interviews are common — you hear an interviewer and a guest. Read the questions first, listen for the key idea, then answer.

Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the guest's words.

Transcript — interview with a young chef: Interviewer: "Today we are speaking to Nora Haddad, who at nineteen has just opened her own bakery. Nora, how did your love of baking begin?"

Nora: "It began with my grandmother. As a child I spent every weekend baking bread with her, and I never stopped."

Interviewer: "What has been the biggest challenge?"

Nora: "Without a doubt, the early mornings. I get up at four o'clock every day. However, seeing happy customers makes it worth it."

Interviewer: "To finish, what advice would you give to other young people?"

Nora: "Follow what you love, and be patient — success takes time."

Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one guest reply — listen for the answer that follows the matching question, not the whole recording.