{"id":276835,"date":"2026-01-21T09:37:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:37:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/locallearningnetwork.org\/?post_type=resource&p=276835"},"modified":"2026-01-21T09:44:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:44:28","slug":"two-minute-interviews","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/locallearningnetwork.org\/resource\/two-minute-interviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-Minute Interviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Procedure<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Divide the class into pairs.
\n\u2022 Ask each pair to decide who will go first and second.
\n\u2022 Tell students they’re going to listen to each other talk for two minutes about a particular
\ntopic. Select a topic that relates to a lesson theme or a cultural tradition. Examples include
\ndescribing a special place, a favorite game, holiday foods, a celebration.
\n\u2022 Tell students that while one partner talks, the other only listens, without taking notes or
\nasking questions. When two minutes are up, ask the pairs to reverse roles.
\n\u2022 Invite each pair to stand or come to the front of the class, one pair at a time. Ask one partner
\nto introduce the other and describe what their partner talked about. When finished, ask
\nthe partner if there is anything they would like to add or correct. Then reverse roles.
\n\u2022 Discuss<\/strong>. What did it feel like to listen and not ask questions? Was it easier to listen or to
\ntalk? Did anything surprise you? What did you learn? What more would you like to know?
\nWhat skills did you use in this activity? (for example, close listening and remembering;
\ndemonstrating listening through eye contact, nodding, facial expressions; retelling someone\u2019s
\nstory in your own words; telling your own story; checking for accuracy)<\/p>\n

EXTENSION<\/strong>: Follow this activity by asking pairs to return to their partners and ask three
\nquestions based on what their partner shared\u2013a close-ended question, an open-ended question,
\nand a follow-up question based on something they said.
\nDiscuss. What more did you learn by asking questions? What was the main idea of the story your
\npartner told? Give your story and your partner\u2019s story a title. Share why you choose your title
\nwith your partner. How are your titles similar or different? What do the differences tell you about
\nhow you each interpreted the other\u2019s story?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A key skill in interviewing, one of the most challenging for inexperienced interviewers, is
\nlearning to listen carefully and make the interview feel like a conversation, even though the
\nnarrator is doing most of the talking. The activity below\u2014the first one to use with students\u2014
\nhelps develop those skills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_subject":[30,29,118],"resource_type":[35],"ll_theme":[54,82,51,83],"reading_topic":[55,77,72,109],"class_list":["post-276835","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry","class_subject-english-and-language-arts","class_subject-social-studies","class_subject-teaching-artist-residency","resource_type-learning-activity-and-lesson-plans","ll_theme-community","ll_theme-history","ll_theme-identity","ll_theme-narrative","reading_topic-folk-arts-in-the-classroom","reading_topic-interviews-and-inquiry","reading_topic-teacher-training-and-pedagogy","reading_topic-and-the-classroom-series-by-teachers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTwo-Minute Interviews - Local Learning<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A key skill in interviewing, one of the most challenging for inexperienced interviewers, is learning to listen carefully and make the interview feel like a conversation, even though the narrator is doing most of the talking.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/locallearningnetwork.org\/resource\/two-minute-interviews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Two-Minute Interviews - 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