Interview language, HELP!

[floridadave 195]

It is getting closer to interview. My fiancee is nervous because her English is not good. I told her to relax, that she can request the interview be done in her native Chinese. She won't relax as she insists her English ability will somehow be tested and that it is a pass/fail issue.

So some background. How we communicated: When in chat with video/sound we speak to each other in broken English. Kind of like talking to a first grader. When on the phone, again, simple English words. She types in chat in English. She uses a translator for some words as do I. Of 500 words I say to her I may have to translate 1 word. Email is all English and she sometimes uses a translator to write. For our meeting: we planned and executed our meeting in China, Hong Kong and Macau using only simple English, simple words. In China we traveled by train, bus, taxi, ferry, ate at restaurants, and shopped, all while communicating with simple sometimes broken English. It was just me and her, nobody else helped us. The meeting went very well. I can't remember using a translator in China but she says she used one once in a while.

To be honest about this, I am very confident that when we live together that we will not have a problem to communicate and understand each other. Heck, we've emailed each other almost 700 times, and had countless chats, etc. I am comfortable with my fiancee's ability to communicate with me even it is broken, simple English. I do feel she CAN NOT do a complex interview in English.

So my question is, should we be worried? If so, what to do at this point?

SIDE NOTE: Yesterday she asked me to help her prep 100 questions/answers for the interview, slowly, syllable by syllable, word by word. This is killing me. Since day 1 we have gotten along extremely well using simple, sometimes broken English. Now all of a sudden she wants a higher level of English to pass the interview. As paradoxical as it sounds, if she never learns more English I'll be happy.

Edited August 29, 2010 by FloridaDave

[floridadave 195]

Sorry,

Second SIDE NOTE FROM OP: I do not speak any Chinese. The brain lobe that controls second language just does not work for me. I am Hispanic and I only got a D in Spanish class in high school. I just can not pick up a second language.

[Darnell 8,479]

Dave - are you covering 'communication ability' in the Evolution of Relationship letter? You should, you know.

[floridadave 195]

Dave - are you covering 'communication ability' in the Evolution of Relationship letter? You should, you know.

Yes I covered this, pretty much the God's honest truth, similar to my original post, re: How we communicated. She only worries about GUZ. I am intending to Express mail her a refreshed 134, pension statement of annuity, new letter of intent, EOR, etc. I plan to send all on the 30th or 31st. August.

Really, we are fine with each other. We love each other much and communicate well with each other. We're ready to "do it." It's just this psychosis we're going through with this pending GUZ interview. The stress....

[Hell0W0rld 10]

if she only understands basic English, then there really isn't a point in having the interview in English, do you plan to be there during the interview? if so you can attend American Citizen Hour and let them know your concern and let the staff know to conduct the interview in Chinese, people have passed the interview in Chinese so it is possible... From your timeline it looks like her interview will be at the end of next months, to be honest, I don't think she has enough time to learn the questions in English and be able to remember the answers, its better to be safe then sorry, take the interview in Chinese.

this is my $0.02...

[dan_ling 6]

At the interview they will check your wife's English but only to the point to verify that you two do communicate with each other and to see if your marriage is legitimate or fraud. My wife asked to have her interview in Chinese but the lady said to see how she would do in English first. We studied the many different questions that they might have asked at the interview but they only asked about dates, when we first met, when I came to China and what my position at my company was and if she was CCP.

I take it you are not going to be at the interview, if not I would include the reason 1st thing in the letter and apologize for not being there. My wife said she thinks this helped with her interview.

[floridadave 195]

Thank you for your answers. No, I will not be going to the interview. I'll have to see about including that in a letter. I am writing a cover letter to the I-134 and an EOR. I'll put an excuse in the cover letter. I would hate to see this journey come to a tragic end because someone subjectively believes she could be a fraud. We've done so well on our own communicating with each other. No reason to stop on Sept. 27th., no reason at all.

Thanks again.

[floridadave 195]

At the interview they will check your wife's English but only to the point to verify that you two do communicate with each other and to see if your marriage is legitimate or fraud. My wife asked to have her interview in Chinese but the lady said to see how she would do in English first. We studied the many different questions that they might have asked at the interview but they only asked about dates, when we first met, when I came to China and what my position at my company was and if she was CCP.

I take it you are not going to be at the interview, if not I would include the reason 1st thing in the letter and apologize for not being there. My wife said she thinks this helped with her interview.

Actually she is my fiance. But I understand your point. No, I will not be there for the interview. I just read some poor lady got blue and the guy visited her 10 times, so what's the use. If they got it our for you, no way to duck.

[Shenzhen 34]

Actually she is my fiance. But I understand your point. No, I will not be there for the interview. I just read some poor lady got blue and the guy visited her 10 times, so what's the use. If they got it our for you, no way to duck.

I don't know if they have to fail so many and if your number comes up it comes up! He should not have failed after being there 10x. What a joke. The guy knew he was going to fail them before he even met her. From what Darnel said it is a blue slip is not a total failure you will have to get what they ask for. For now on I making all my phone calls with out the calling card. I bought that to save money if she doesn't pass that will cost me even more money and time. Good luck I think she will do fine. My wife told me she does not expect me to come to the interview for a lousy 2-10 minutes. Plane tickets are not free.

[Cortr 3]

She can probably do the interview in English, but with Chinese as a "fail safe" if she doesn't understand a question or is unable to answer in English sufficiently. But it would probably be easier for everyone if she did it in Chinese, you'll just have to demonstrate that you two are able to communicate.

[floridadave 195]

Thanks Cortr and Shenzhen for your reply's.

My goodness, what a difference a day makes. Me an Xin were in chat last night and she was totally different. She must have taken a happy pill or something. Brimming with confidence. She was happy she will get the medical out of the way in a couple of days. Don't know why, but now she insists with boldness that her English is good enough for the interview and she is now confident. O.K., works for me. Hope it works for GUZ IV. No, I won't be there for her. I have medical issues so I can't do another 24 hour flight right now. We will do the best we can. Really deep inside I feel pretty good about this. I just sometimes worry about her.

[rogerj 0]

Last year I went for citizens hour in Guangzhou, and asked the lady there if my fiancee could be interviewed in Chinese instead of English. She simply replied "we are in China"... There was no issue with language, at least for us (plenty of other issues before then, and after then, but none were language related).

[ellenChina 0]

i will interview at 27 Sep too ..