creating survay and questionnaire in English - how to tips

D. Writing

You must have come across a number of surveys in newspapers and magazines – How often do you watch TV? Which programmes do you watch? Do you watch commercials?/ How often do you eat out? What’s your favourite dish? Which is your favourite cuisine?/ Do you drive a two-wheeler? Do you wear a helmet? etc., etc., etc. These are all, in a way, social surveys, though not strictly in the sense of the term. Social surveys generally study people’s problems, attitudes, etc. They help arrive at generalisations. In order to undertake a survey the main tool is a questionnaire.

How do you prepare a survey questionnaire?

. keep in mind the problem/topic and the target group
. discuss with as many people as possible on the topic
. read related literature (articles, similar surveys, etc., on the topic)
. try to be exhaustive
. use simple, precise language
. ensure accuracy in eliciting the answers; let there not be scope for ambiguity
. let the questions be objective without any bias
. let the questions be such that scoring would be easy
. let not the questions be too personal
. ensure confidentiality (the subjects’ names should be withheld) maintain clarity of ideas
. give clear instructions on how to fill the questionnaire

Task:As a class, complete the following questionnaire on
students’ reading, focussing on the Harry Potter series.

After framing the questionnaire, make copies and distribute to students of Std. XI and XII in your school and get their responses. With the help of your teacher, segregate the responses into girls/boys (if it is applicable in your school).Display the results of the survey in your school noticeboard.If possible, with the help of your mathematics teacher attempt a graphic representation. Those of you who are familiar with computers, could key in the data and get the graphs.

Questionnaire on J K Rowling’s Harry Potter series


Instruction: Circle Yes or No, against each question. You need not write your name. Please be honest in your answers. This questionnaire is for survey purposes alone.
1. Do you read books other than your school books? Yes/No
2. Are you a member of a local library? Yes/No
3. Have you heard of the author J K Rowling? Yes/No
4. Have you heard of Harry Potter? Yes/No
5. Have you read any Harry Potter book? Yes/No

Add a few more questions. Include titles, characters, places, etc., of Harry Potter books, how many times a particular book has been read, whether they liked that particular book, whether they like the whole series, whether they have read all the books in the series (if not how many, include another column for response here), do you own any Harry Potter book (if yes, how many),was Harry Potter gifted to you, would you like to receive it as a gift, do you think the books are too expensive, etc., etc.

I have leaves, I’m not a plant; I have a spine, I’m not human;
I’m black, I’m not the night; I’m white, I’m not daylight;
Tell me please, Who am I?

E. Vocabulary

Task: Read at least one book (fiction, biography, travelogue, etc.), a couple of magazines and a week’s supplementary sections from an English daily. Refer to the dictionary for the meanings of unfamiliar words.

F. Extensive Reading

THROWINGA TREE

The two executioners stalk over the knolls, Bearing two axes with heavy heads shining and wide,
And a long limp two-handled saw toothed for cutting great boles and so they approach the proud tree that bears the death-mark on its side.

Jackets doffed they swing axes and chop away just above ground and the chips fly about and lie white on the moss and fallen leaves;

Till a broad deep gash in the bark is hewn all the way round and one of them tries to hook upward a rope, which at last he achieves.

The saw then begins, till the top of the tall giant shivers;
The shivers are seen to grow greater each cut than before:
They edge out the saw, tug the rope: but the tree only quivers,
And kneeling and sawing again, they stop back to try pulling once more.
Then, lastly, the living mast sways, further sways; with a shout
Job and Ike rush aside. Reached the end of its long staying powers
The tree crashes downward: it shakes all its neighbours
throughout
And two hundred years’ steady growth has been ended in less
than two hours.

Ponder:
1. What does the poem talk about?
2. Who are the two executioners?
3. What is man’s relationship with Nature?
4. Should Nature be obeyed?
5. ‘And two hundred years’ steady growth has been ended in less
than two hours.’ – Explain.

Glossary:

myth : a widely held but false belief
Holy Grail : referring to the cup held by Christ at the Last Supper, especially as the object of quests by knights
archives : a collection of historical documents or records
zoophilists : lovers of animals