history is fun

Preparing for the Interview

Questions to Ask
Before conducting an interview, plan the questions you want to ask. Start by reviewing the research questions your group wants to answer. Then, write down the questions (you could use those you have prepared) to gather information about the research topic you are studying. Think of things people can tell you about their first-hand experiences with your research topic. Write questions that will require more than a Yes or No answer.
For example, the second question will get better results than the first:
· Did you have an enjoyable childhood?
· Tell me about your childhood.
When your list of questions is complete, role play your interview questions with your partners. Are the questions clear and easy to understand? Do the questions give you the answers you are looking for?

Finding Someone to Interview
Your teacher will explain how to contact and meet interview subjects. You must be prepared with ideas for people to interview. For example, if your research topic is a Chinese temple, you could interview either a caretaker or a devotee. It is advisable that you should interview someone who has been there for years so that she/he would be able to share more with you from those experiences.
If all efforts to locate an interviewee failed, think of grandparents, parents and neighbours. A person studying a traditional performing art can interview his parents on their encounters with those performances.

Recording the Interview
It would be better if you use a tape recorder for your interview. However, if you don’t have one, be prepared to take down everything that the interviewee says. This is more laborious.

Conducting the Interview
Interview Manners
Here are some pointers for good interview manners:
· Be on time.
· Be prepared. Have your questions ready, your notebook out, and your equipment in good working order.
· Be polite. Say please and thank you and address people formally (using Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, and so on).
· Provide time for the person to answer questions. Be patient when answers take a long time.
· Do not argue with or correct the subject. Oral histories are not always accurate. But they do provide important information about feelings and impressions.
· Be humble. Adopt a learner attitude. You are there to learn.
· Do not judge nor discriminate. Be objective and do not pass sensitive comments.
· End your interview by thanking your subject.
· After the interview, it is only polite to contact and thank the person again.

Getting Started
1. Introduce yourself. Give your name, age, the class and school you attend. Describe the research project your group has chosen.
2. Ask your interview subject if you can tape record the conversation. Begin the interview by asking where and when the interview subject was born.
3. If your subject strays from the topic, try to refocus by asking one of your prepared questions.

Asking Follow-up Questions
Listen carefully while your subject is talking. Often, what a person says may suggest a follow-up question that will produce interesting information. For example, if your subject mentions the influence of his or her high school teacher, you might follow up by asking about the teacher -- Why did the teacher have a strong influence on the interview subject? What made the person a good teacher? Did you keep in contact with the teacher? and so on.
One of you should write down follow-up questions as your interview subject speaks. That way, you can ask the follow-up questions at a pause in the interview, without interrupting your interview subject's train of thought.

After the Interview
Transcribing the Interview Tape
Listen to the tape of your interview. Transcribe (write down or type) the contents of the tape or the most important parts of the tape. You may need to listen to the tape many times as you transcribe what is said. When you are finished transcribing, think about the accuracy of what your subject said. Did you hear contradictory information or indications that the person did not remember an event well? Did the person have a clear bias that might have influenced the way events were remembered?
Remember if you don’t have a tape recorder, then you have to immediately go through your transcript so that you could add in things that are not recorded.

Analyzing the Interview
Think about your research topic. Did your oral history interview help answer those questions? Write some tentative summaries of your research results. Bear in mind the theme of change and continuity and past and present. Try to see how history of Singapore as a whole or even that of the world has had an impact on the subject you have chosen. Remember: WE ARE ALL PRODUCTS OF OUR SOCIETY! AND OUR SOCIETY IS THE PRODUCT OF OUR HISTORY!
This is what we are trying to drive into you!!!

Deadline: 15th of August for the submission of the transcripts.
Lastly, as the third part of the project requires you take photographs of your subject of study, we would advise you to do so before or after the interview. We understand you can be very busy too if other commitments. This would save you of a second trip and leave you more time for analysis.

Thank you.

Food for thought: Is Chinese street opera a dying performng art in Singapore?

TFU History Project - Finding the Past in the Present - Part 1 (10%)

You are required to complete all the writings and questions to the best of your knowledge for this project. These required writings and questions are structured to guide and keep you aligned with your objective(s). Do consult any of us if you have problem in writing or answering the work assigned below.

1. Write a brief introduction on your selected topic.
2. Write out a list of questions that will help you find out more about your selected topic.
3. What are your assumptions of your selected topic?
4. Describe your research methods.
5. What are your objectives for this project?

Note: You will type out your work in Microsoft Word and submit to your respective teachers by the 27th of July.

Warning: Do not copy and paste from the internet or any books or articles. This is cheating! We can find out very easily, trust us. You may refer to any relevant sources but learn to paraphrase and use your own words as far as possible. At the end of it, write down the list of sources you have referred to so that we know where you get them from. Lastly, if you are guilty of cheating, you will get zero (0) for this section.

To give you a rough idea, we have prepared the following example to guide you through your Part 1. (You may use some of my ideas for your project. It will not be considered as cheating.)

Hi, this is Mr Leo here. I will be researching on Chinese street opera in Singapore.

Chinese Street Opera in Singapore

1. Brief Introduction
Chinese opera is a classic form of entertainment that dates back to the beginning of Chinese history 4,000 years ago. With its cacophonous mix of Chinese musical instruments and different styles of singing, dancing, mime and acrobatics, the Chinese street opera had followed its Chinese immigrants who sojourned to this part of the world as part of their cultural baggage as early as 1842. These opera troupes were mainly from Southern China and their performances were closely linked to religious rituals. Just like the past, the professional troupes of today are profit-oriented, itinerant groups of performers and musicians who perform (at least) twice a day. Often found in car parks, open fields and temple compounds, these opera troupes would pit their stage using stilts and tarpaulin. These performers and musicians, although mostly Singaporeans, there are also some Malaysians, Indonesian Chinese and Thai Chinese. Members of professional opera troupes consist of part-time and full-time performers. Usually, these professional performers have received some form of trainings in their youth and many have had little formal education. At times, these professional opera troupes would even be engaged to perform in neighbouring countries when the businesses in Singapore are brisk.

It is fair to note that the 50 years spanning the last two decades of the 19th century up to the early 1930s marked the golden age of Chinese opera in this region. Partly, it was because of the mass immigration of the Chinese into the Straits Settlements. Secondly, it was because Chinese opera was able to attract the wealthier business class and upper crust of the Chinese community. In present day, as the consumption of entertainment is made possible by the mediation of machines, equipment, technology, science and capitalism, Chinese opera has taken a backseat and finding it hard to survive in this new age society. The rise of the English and Mandarin speaking population, the lack of new blood to be recruited into the troupe and the over-reliance on part-time performers also contributed to a dismay future for the street opera troupes. It is this poignant transformation and the change and continuity of the history and social process of these people as ‘passive victims’ that this research attempts to study.

Note: Your introduction does not have to be this long.

2. List of questions
a) What exactly is Chinese street opera?
b) What are the different types of Chinese street opera?
c) What kind of performances do they put up in the past as well as in the present?
d) Who are the performers in the past and who perform these days?
e) Who watched in the past and who do today?
f) Who employ or engage them to perform?
g) Why they only perform in the street?
h) Why did/do they become performers?
i) Why lesser and lesser people watch them these days?
j) Why they only perform on certain occasions?
k) How were the performers treated and how are they treated today?
l) Where did/do they learn their art?
m) How many Chinese opera troupes are there in Singapore today?
n) Why do they find it difficult to survive these days?

3. My assumptions
a) Chinese street opera is unpopular because nobody understands them and they do not appeal to people of my generation.
b) Chinese street opera will disappear soon.
c) People who perform and watch Chinese street opera are mostly of working class background.
d) Chinese street opera was more popular in the past because there was a lack of other forms of entertainments.
e) Chinese street opera followed the Chinese immigrants to Singapore in the 19th century.
f) Chinese street opera has always been a waste of time and I do not see how it has contributed to the history of Singapore.
g) Chinese streetopera is only performed by the Chinese.
h) Chinese street opera is performed only during Hungry Ghosts Festivals.
i) Chinese street opera has its own superstitions and unique practices which can be of interests to me.
J) Chinese street opera can only be found in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

4. Research Methods
a) First, I will rely on books, newspapers, magazines, related articles and the internet to provide me with background knowledge of what Chinese opera and its history in Singapore is all about. The library and Singapore Archives will be of great help.
b) Second, I study old photographs of Chinese opera from books, internet and maybe even old postcards of Singapore to gain a better insight on Chinese opera in the past.
c) Third, through relevant contact, I will arrange a visit to watch and interview a performer as well as the owner of a troupe.
d) Through the oral history interview, I will learn about Chinese street opera in the past and present. I will also ask my interviewee to predict the future of the art.
e) I will also observe and participate if possible.
f) I will take photographs of the troupe I visit and interpret or infer those photographs I have taken. Then, compare them to the ones of the past and see its change and continuity.
g) Lastly, I will collate all my data and photographs and write a conclusion as well as reflection on Chinese street opera in Singapore.

5. Objectives
a) I would like to learn what Chinese street opera is all about and test whether my assumptions are correct or wrong.
b) I would like to give a voice to the performers so that their stories will be heard through me.
c) I would like to see what are the changes and continuities of Chinese street opera in Singapore.
d) I would like to learn about its contribution to the people in the past and its role to the Chinese community in the present.
e) Lastly, I would like to learn something about Chinese street opera so that I can talk to my grandmother who is interested in it too. : )

The Tfu project for the year 2007 is to instill in the students an understanding and appreciation of the past and at the same time see how the past is currently linked to the present. In order to have such an appreciation students are expected to conduct interviews with persons who have had first hand experience in the particular project or know of people who have had a say in the construction or the evolution of that particular trade or activity.


Example 1
If you want to understand the contribution of the Siglap Mosque to the Malay community you should interview the people who have been visiting the mosque for many years or talk to the religious teachers who have been instrumental in the running and construction of the mosque.

Example 2
The project is not just restricted to buildings alone but it can also extend to persons, communities, clans etc. You can interview people like Wayang artistes, tricycle man, Indian fortuneteller, Malay boat builders etc to understand their contribution to their community and people.


After conducting the interview and transcribing it, you will visit the relevant site or area, use a camera to capture the subject of your study. If you are studying on a particular trade or practice, you can take pictures of the people at work. If the trade has vanished, you can take pictures of your interviewee, request for his past pictures or even take pictures of the place where she or he used to work.

After all the photo sessions, you can visit the library and national archives or even search the internet for photographs and information of your subject as in the past. Reflecting on the themes of past and present, change and continuity, you can then reflect on what you have researched on and attempt to understand and appreciate the past and see how it is linked to the present or the present to the past.

Finally, you will share your photographs, transcripts, write-ups and reflections on the history blog site and be prepared to answer questions that might be posted on the blog regarding your topic.

Excellent photographs from this project will be exhibited in the coming Humanities Week Project Exhibition.

Tfu project work for Sec 2 2007

Throughline: Finding the present in the past.

Theme: Contributions of the immigrants to Singapore’s development

Understanding Goals: To understand and appreciate the contributions of immigrants through personal involvement by oral History and recording the present using the camera.

Step 1: Identify and explain why you choose this group or person for their research.
Activity: Worksheet
(10 Marks)


Step 2: Able to conduct an oral History interview that reflects step 1.
Activity: Come out with appropriate questions and transcripts for the interview session.
(10 Marks)


Step 3: Choose a subject for photography based on theme and description.
Activity: Visiting the relevant site/subject pertaining to the project.
(10 Marks)


Step 4: Integrating the interview and photographs on the chosen subject and reflecting the following themes:
(i) Past and present
(II) Change and continuity
(III) Future

Activity: Collating their projects onto the photo blog
(10 Marks)

Optional: Ability to post answer(s) to the questions from fellow students and teachers in the blog

Here are some other possibilities that you can explore:

1. Religious buildings and its place in history

2. Areas – e.g. Katong and its relation to the Eurasian community

3. Housing Estates – e.g. Tiong Bahru – first public housing estate in Singapore

4. Clans, associations, clubs, guilds, etc. – e.g. Singapore Swimming Club and its history

5. People in the ‘vanishing’ trade and their contribution – e.g. Arab traders in Beach Road, Malay traditional masseurs, Malay funeral undertaker, Chinese street opera performers, Chinese paper-making expert, Indian astrologer, Indian spice sellers, etc.

6. Group of people and their contributions – e.g. Gurkhas’ unit in Singapore, Indian priests, a unit in the police force, postman and the history of postal services, older generation of DJs, newscasters from radio stations and the history of radio programmes

7. Public buildings, its history and contribution – e.g. National Stadium, oldest pool in Singapore, theatre, police stations, schools, reservoirs, hospital

8. Private housing and establishments - old hotels, old shopping centres, old cinemas, old folks home and its history, charity organizations

9. Many other possibilities …just remember in exploring our history, heritage and memory, it is not the places nor buildings that we are emphasizing. The emphasis should be on the people. It is people who create and give meanings to these places and buildings.

10. Now, it's all over to you guys. Let your historical instinct and imagination run wild. Prove to us that you are more creative and interesting!!!

Nil Sine Labore.