Interview

[tcrocks38]

I am just getting started gathering info on the k-1 visa, My SO and I have already met in Beijing, I am very concerned about the interview

My SO is currently takeing english classed 2 times a week so i think she will be ok as far as communication but we didnt make a video And i am not sure i will beable to make it for her interview. My main question is should she do the interview in english or chinese??

Please help

Thank you so much

Sincerly

Todd

[Guest pushbrk]

I am just getting started gathering info on the k-1 visa, My SO and I have already met in Beijing, I am very concerned about the interview

My SO is currently takeing english classed 2 times a week so i think she will be ok as far as communication but we didnt make a video And i am not sure i will beable to make it for her interview. My main question is should she do the interview in english or chinese??

Please help

Thank you so much

Sincerly

Todd

201802[/snapback]

You can make that decision closer to interview time. Interviews are often conducted in Mandarin but there are fewer Consulate personell who speak Cantonese. Obviously if your SO's English skill improves enough to do the interview in English that's a good thing.

[ameriken]

Jie and I discussed this, and our personal opinion is it would be better if you do it in English. Again, this is our opinion.

 

We found out it was possible to do it in Chinese with a translator, but since all our communication was english, all our discussion about the visa was english, and all our practice for the interview was english, she decided that she will just do the interview in English.

 

Again, just our opinion.

[frank1538]

Conducting the interview in English may be a double edged sword. If done correctly, it certainly obviates the need to prove an ability to communicate. But, if your SO is not proficient enough in English, he/she may misunderstand a question and provide a wrong answer.

 

Although Jingwen and I communicated well in Mandarin, her English was not good enough for her to conduct the interview in English. She did the interview in her native dialect (Cantonese).

 

I think it's a judgement call and like the others have said, should be discussed with your SO. Sometimes, a confident middle ground is best..."I speak English, but I might not understand your question. May we conduct the interview in Chinese?"

[Guest pushbrk]

Conducting the interview in English may be a double edged sword.  If done correctly, it certainly obviates the need to prove an ability to communicate.  But, if your SO is not proficient enough in English, he/she may misunderstand a question and provide a wrong answer.

 

Although Jingwen and I communicated well in Mandarin, her English was not good enough for her to conduct the interview in English.  She did the interview in her native dialect (Cantonese).

 

I think it's a judgement call and like the others have said, should be discussed with your SO.  Sometimes, a confident middle ground is best..."I speak English, but I might not understand your question.  May we conduct the interview in Chinese?"

201820[/snapback]

My wife and I are preparing for her to do the interview in English. We have several questions we practice and add one every few days. Since we are months away from the interview, I am hoping she will be confident enough to do the interview in English. This will mean she's made significant progress.

 

However, she knows she has the option and it is her final decision. We start our practice session by me asking her (in Mandarin) if she speaks English. Her answer is (in English) "I speak some English. Understand better, Mandarin." followed by questions and answers in English.

 

I also expect to do a 5 minute video before I return from my next visit. I arrive in 95 hours. If only I could pack and leave right now.

[Randy W]

I've said here before, Jiaying knew enough English to say "English, no good! Please, Mandarin", and did quite well.

[david_dawei]

My SO did not speak any english when we first meet.. and did some tutoring for a while in preparation for the interview, but as it drew near, I was convinced that she would not understand the questions enough.. so we took the 'middle way' as Frank put it.

 

Prepared her for all the most frequent questions and and a few ways to slip in some english (ie: at the greeting, but request it in chinese; answer an easy question in english)... they didnt' ask for any pictures or evidence and it was quickly over and approved.

 

The part you cannot prepare for is which VO you will get and if they will have an issue with her doing the interview in chinese.. this appears less and less an issue, particularly since a year ago (although someone reported in Feb to a visa denial and video request--they gave this as overcome and passed which is normal, meaning the overcome rate is very high)...

 

Try to practice questions together (see the FAQs).. get a feel for her understanding of them. You should see how strongly she feels about it.. let her gut guide for a while; if she is uncertain or clearly struggling, then I think you should present what you think should be done...

[jim_julian]

Todd ... the key is to create no doubt in the VO's mind that you and yours can communicate.

 

She's taking classes now ... same as my Lao Po. You have time. As others have said, give her a list of English sentences to learn with greta confidence. Go through all the interview questions posted here. Set up a procedure where, if she doesn't understand, ask the VO to repeat in English and if she still doesn't understand repeat in potungwah. If at all possible she should answer in English.

 

If the results are not good don't forget about Window 30.

[tcrocks38]

Todd ... the key is to create no doubt in the VO's mind that you and yours can communicate. 

 

She's taking classes now ... same as my Lao Po. You have time.  As others have said, give her a list of English sentences to learn with greta confidence.  Go through all the interview questions posted here.  Set up a procedure where, if she doesn't understand, ask the VO to repeat in English and if she still doesn't understand repeat in potungwah.  If at all possible she should answer in English.

 

If the results are not good don't forget about Window 30.

201911[/snapback]

You folks are the best, I promise we will practice practice practice,

I also promise that there will be more questions to come

Like this one.

what if i dont make it to the interview and they request a tape what then ?? Get on a fast canoe and paddle my way to china

[david_dawei]

My advice is: Don't spare the language to spite the visa... if she's struggling, there's no shame in doing it in chinese, if it gets the answers out quickly and without doubts being raises.

 

One good piece of advice I recall was that if she is doing it in chinese and knows the answer in chinese but cannot articulate it in english, she might want to answer it in chinese to show she understands the question..

 

Anyway, don't sweat it too much... have confidence in her in any outcome... And yes.. keep asking questions... you're bound to find out that hiring a few guys to row is faster than rowing yourself

[tcrocks38]

Todd ... the key is to create no doubt in the VO's mind that you and yours can communicate. 

 

She's taking classes now ... same as my Lao Po. You have time.  As others have said, give her a list of English sentences to learn with greta confidence.  Go through all the interview questions posted here.  Set up a procedure where, if she doesn't understand, ask the VO to repeat in English and if she still doesn't understand repeat in potungwah.  If at all possible she should answer in English.

 

If the results are not good don't forget about Window 30.

201911[/snapback]

You folks are the best, I promise we will practice practice practice,

I also promise that there will be more questions to come

Like this one.

what if i dont make it to the interview and they request a tape what then ?? Get on a fast canoe and paddle my way to china

201930[/snapback]

Oh I forgot I found a great semi free web site for learning chinese here is the link http://www.chinesepod.com/ I'm going to cover all areas if possible

thanks again for all your help i shall sleep tonight

Todd

Edited March 26, 2006 by tcrocks38 (see edit history)

[tcrocks38]

I've said here before, Jiaying knew enough English to say "English, no good! Please, Mandarin", and did quite well.

201850[/snapback]

you didnt need a 5min video tape to prove comunication abiltiy??

[warpedbored]

It's the luck of the draw. When my wife had her interview she went to GZ with 4 other women from Nanning. Of the 5 she spoke English the best. They all passed and she got blue slipped wanting a video. If you can't be there for the interview and you don't have a video already you should be prepared to make an emergency trip to China to make one.

[Feathers268]

I asked a similar question almost a year ago right before Jen had her interview.

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...topic=10797&hl=

As for the interview, in and out no problems speaking Chinese.

[Guest Paul]

It's the luck of the draw.  When my wife had her interview she went to GZ with 4 other women from Nanning.  Of the 5 she spoke English the best.  They all passed and she got blue slipped wanting a video.  If you can't be there for the interview and you don't have a video already you should be prepared to make an emergency trip to China to make one.

205405[/snapback]

Soooooooooooooooooooo, the moral of the story is - you never really, really know for sure what the heck is coming down, right?

 

Wheel Man