TEFL interviews – whether online or in person are notoriously difficult. This is because unlike other interviews when they are mainly trying to find out about you as a person and your suitability for the post, with an EFL interview there is also a focus on your knowledge and this is directly tested.
To help you through the maze of questions this article aims to outline the main areas an interviewer will be focusing on and the best ways to provide a consistent and coherent answer.
In general, at an EFL interview there are three main areas that the interviewer wants to know about:
1/. You as a person – your adaptability to living aboard and your ability to fit into the culture.
2/. Your language awareness – do you have the knowledge to be able to teach others English?
3/. Your teaching ability – how you interact with the students, your understanding of curriculums and your ability to transfer your knowledge to others.
TEFL Interview questions relating to you as a person
1. What made you apply for a job with XXXX?
– This is the opportunity to explain how much you know about the company and how the company offers all that you are looking for. An answer that explains aspects such as how you have heard about the company reputation for X Y Z / how you see your role in the company are the areas that the interviewer is looking for
2. Why do you want to leave your current job?
– This is NOT an opportunity to run through all the terrible things that have happened to you at your current job. Remember that the interviewer is looking for someone who is reliable and loyal – if you are seen as disloyal to your current company (no matter how terrible it is) then there is the underlying worry that in a few years that you could be sitting at another interview saying the same thing about this current company.
Instead, focus on the things that you achieved within the company and some things you want to develop and extend – for example, I have been at my current job for two years. I have learnt X Y Z whilst there, especially X Y Z. After gaining these skills, I now feel ready to extend my knowledge and broaden my knowledge further and I really feel that (the name of the company you are interviewing at ) will enable me to do this.
3. What made you choose teaching?
– the interviewer is trying to find out whether you are passionate about teaching or whether it is simply a stop gap that will bring in a bit of money for going out at night times. Even if you are only planning on being a TEFL teacher for a year or six month, it is important to make sure that the interviewer is convinced of your dedication. It is important to mention:
- Your people skills e.g. I love meeting people and learning new things – teaching is a way of developing my knowledge and understanding of both people and their skills as well as learning about new countries.
- Your love of sharing knowledge with others – e.g. I believe that education is the way forward – everyone has a right to an education and English is the way forward. Through working as a TEFL teacher, I am able to work with people who are actively working to learn more and develop thereby giving them the opportunity to move onto the next level.
- Your dedication and commitment – e.g. although I have only just qualified as a TEFL teacher, I have been a dedicated student throughout my time at University and through the training course itself. This has shown me that I have the strength to battle through difficulties and am capable of working hard with very pleasing results.
TEFL Interview questions relating to your language awareness
This is often the most dreaded part of the interview as it can often feel as it is an exam. The only real way to prepare for this section is to revise your grammar before the interview to make sure that you are fully aware of at least the basics.
When answering a grammar question it is good to make sure that you are aware of the different stages of how you would present the point rather than simply giving the theory. In this way, you are demonstrating that not only can you recite the answer directly from the textbook but also that you have an in-depth understanding and would be able to teach these aspects to students.
In a similar, way if the interviewer asks a question relating to vocabulary, answer the question and add how you could teach this in the class e.g. through sentence structure / real items / games etc.
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TEFL Interview questions relating to your teaching ability
As with the language ability section, it is important not only to answer the technical question but also to broaden the question and offer concrete examples of times that you have done this within your language classroom.
For example, if asked “ how do you work within a team ? “ it is not enough to answer “ well “ – instead reflect upon examples of when you worked well as part of a team within a TEFL environment e.g. I believe that I work very well as part of a team. In my last job, I was one of a small team of three and the only expat in the group. This meant that sometimes there were language difficulties when working with the others and there were cultural differences at times that I had to learn more about. For example, one time a parent wanted to see me at the end of class and had not made an appointment. I wanted to ask them to come back at a set appointment time, however my colleagues explained that it is impolite to do this and that I should accommodate them and explained the expectations of Vietnamese parents.
What is your best / worst quality?
– We all know that it is essential not to simply answer “ I am not good at classroom management / I find it hard to get to school on time “ etc. but instead to turn a negative into a positive – e.g. I am a bit of a perfectionist and sometimes my expectations of others is a little high etc.
Which age group do you like working with most? – Why?
– This question is there to gauge how much you know about the different age ranges. As a result, it is good to offer a brief overview of each of the age ranges you have worked with and then explain exactly why you prefer working with that age range.
For example, I have worked with a wide range of students. I started my work experience with adults in a University setting and I found them very interested to learn, forever asking questions and researching additional aspects on their own. I next moved onto teenagers whom I found very different. This age group needed a lot of careful thought about which topics and activities would be of interest, since they were very vocal at expressing disinterest in aspects they did not like. I have only worked with Kindergarten as a supply teacher when other people were absent so don’t have much experience of this age range however when working with them I realised that there was a need to be extra high energy and carry out a lot of practical activities to maintain attention. So, to conclude the ***** are my favourite age range as *******
The end of the interview
It is inevitable that at the end of the interview the interviewer will turn and ask you “do you have any questions for me? “ – it is natural to feel that you don’t want to ask anything as you have exhausted yourself in already answering the questions and just want to leave. However, it is important to push yourself and ask a minimal of two questions to show your interest, level of depth and that you have really thought about this position.
Although your real questions are relating to overtime, holiday pay, number of sick days etc. these are not the questions that you need to ask at this time. Instead, your questions need to relate to finding out more about the company so examples of good questions include:
- Can you run me through a typical teaching day?
- Can you tell about what you feel is the best thing about the company?
- Can you tell me what your disciplinary protocols are?
- What is your relationship with parents?
Through questions such as these, you are showing that you are a perfect fit to the company that you care about the regulations and the daily running and will slip right into the post.
Overall, interviews are not fun, however enter your interview well dressed, confident and with a smile on your face and well prepared and fingers crossed all should go well.
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