The job interview in TEFL/ESL/TESOL is very crucial for so many reasons. You have to prove yourself qualified and competent in an increasingly competitive market, you have to find out what sort of establishment your possible employer is, whether or not you can negotiate pay and other circumstances, and for many more reasons. As we discover in this piece, proper planning and an astute and charismatic approach on the day does wonders. Think now you have applied for a job in a private language institute and have been invited to attend an interview like any other job. So begins the preparation step of the TEFL/ESL/TSEOL employment interview. Getting your appearance, interview responses and interview questions correct, via thorough preparation, will place you much ahead of the competition. This is when you must devote your time performing your homework. But what do you need to know?
English teaching jobs overseas by their nature create obstacles for firms when trying to attract teachers. The challenges of vast distances are represented in a range of job interview forms, which you should make yourself aware of before attendance. Let us identify the three basic types of interview and their own idiosyncrasies. Firstly, there is the typical face-to-face interview, which is most similar to any other employment kind. Such interviews can be done in your home country and are fairly common if you are seeking for teaching positions in the country where you want to teach. The majority of advice in this page is mostly concerned with passing this format.
Second, is the group interview. In this style, a group of usually five to twenty people are invited to attend, usually for several hours,an interview and seminar. This format can be hard as it will be more evident that you are in competition with other candidates. Also, you will most likely be requested to engage in some teaching or teamwork-related responsibilities. The key thing to keep in mind in such exercises is how you conduct yourself with your other interviewees, rather than how well or quickly you can do the tasks. Show yourself to be cooperative, a good communicator and conscientious - all key attributes in the classroom.
Thirdly, if you are applying for a teaching position overseas from your home country, be prepared to perform a telephone interview. Telephone interviews are rarely popular with candidates, or interviewers surprise. The lack of face to face reassurance brings out people's fears and this can result in a generally lower performance. Other annoyances like time zone variations and probable time gaps over the phone also make this format more disagreeable. In reaction to these obstacles, respond to the interviewer's ice-breakers, develop your own to establish an atmosphere of ease, and remain calm throughout.
Let's imagine now you are attending interview format one; a simple face to face encounter with the OS/ADOS of the school you wish to work for. Do not forget cultural variations while selecting what to dress when you attend the interview. If you are already in the country where you wish to teach, you can find out the social conventions simply enough. However, if you are attending an interview for a job abroad in your native nation, do your research. One of the most bizarre interviews I have ever witnessed concerned a huge Japanese corporation recruiting in the United Kingdom. Upon arriving at the group interview in London, those male candidates not dressed in a suit and tie were kindly requested to leave. Female candidates not dressed in a similar level of formality were also cut. On this occasion, as any other when I am not sure about appropriacy, always be too formal rather than too casual.
It is not an inevitability that you will be asked questions relating to English grammar, but if it is your first job or you have less than the golden two years experience, spend time before the interview brushing up on your grammar. As the TEFL/ESL/TESOL market place grows saturated with more people and qualifications like the CELTA/Trinity TESOL become the standard, not the exception, it is crucial you do not disgrace yourself in the interview by fumbling over elementary language concerns. In no way do you need to know all the complexities of English, but fundamental language awareness is vital; after all how can you teach something which you don't know yourself? As a guide, look at a Pre-Intermediate level course book; the interviewer will not ask difficult language questions, so do not worry. From my experience, prepare yourself to explain the difference between the past simple (I went) and the present perfect (I have gone), the laws of comparative or superlative adjectives (taller, the tallest), what modal verbs are (must, can) and what gerunds are (swimming, being late) and more.
The job interview is now in a few days time and it is necessary that you prepare your views to a range of open questions the interviewer will ask you. TEFL/ESL/TESOL job interviews, I believe, are easier than other interviews to pass in this respect, given there truly are only a restricted range of questions you should anticipate to be asked. It is advisable to prepare ideas, not entirely scripted answers to the following (question suggestion in brackets):
Why do you wish to work for us? (Impress them with your understanding about the firm).
Why have you become an English teacher? (Mention your passion of teaching and learning; not touring - your employer doesn't want to think you will get up and quit through your contract!)
What employment experience (in TEFL/ESL/TESOL) do you have? (If this is your first employment, describe how your previous work experience connects to teaching and learning).
What were the challenges/difficulties you faced on CELTA/Trinity TESOL/ your last teaching job? (Make sure you twist this so it appears you pondered on your teaching practice and grew as a teacher).
What English course books have you taught from/ What did you think of them? (Identify a book you loved and tell how it helped your students learn)
How long do you want to work for us/in TEFL/ESL/TESOL? (It is suggested not to use English teaching as a stop gap or merely an excuse to move out of your native country. Give the appearance you're in it for the medium to long term).
Naturally, there are quite a few additional questions that could be asked - the above is designed to serve just as a guide. Remember to always attempt and put a favorable presentation on whatever teaching practice or experience you have had. Never appear disgruntled with a past employer or ex-colleague and do not bad mouth a culture you have lived in.
Interviewers such as DOSs and ADOSs do not anticipate the interview process to be a one-way street thus neither should you. In real fact, I think TEFL/ESL/TESOL job interviews involve as much assessment of the school as the school does of you. Unfortunately, experience teaching and working within TEFL/ESL/TESOL best draws out the questions and issues you want answered. If you have never worked in teaching English, just try to think what will most impinge on/benefit your daily working life. Here are some crucial topics to know out about:
Do I have to work split shifts? (never popular with teachers)
Do I have to travel from class to class? (seldom paid)
How will the school support me If I am teaching children? (the greatest schools work very closely with parents and teachers - the worst, not at all)
How are student levels determined? (ideally, through a comprehensive test administered by a native speaker)
What are the procedures for cover and overtime? (how easy can you obtain cover if you are ill and can you get extra hours if you want to?)
What materials (books, stationery etc)/resources (photocopier, printer etc) have you got?
What are the chances for promotion/pay rises? (it is reasonable to ask) \sWhat are the prospects for professional development? (can the corporation assist make you a better teacher?)
Obviously, there are a number of topics which you may wish to mention in the interview, but try not make the meeting into you interviewing the school! Hopefully, the interviewer should ease your anxieties and provide responses that suggest the school is committed to academic quality, work satisfaction amongst instructors, and administrative expertise. Alarm bells should ring if the interviewer dodges the concerns above or delivers inadequate responses.
If you have impressed the interviewer, and have conversely been impressed by the interviewer's responses to your questions, it is time to think about acceptance. You may have been to numerous interviews at the same time and are thinking which one to accept. I would recommend weighing up the benefits and drawbacks of each job very carefully and remember that it is not always pay that impacts job satisfaction. Is $50 a month more truly worth it for a badly governed school that prioritises money over student/teacher welfare. The interviewer may ask for your acceptance on the day. If such is the case, it is not unreasonable to ask for thinking time of a day or two - you are committing yourself to a year or more overseas and the interviewer should appreciate that.
In conclusion, with extensive preparation, being nicely dressed, and having a charismatic performance on the day, you should land that ideal TEFL/ESL/TESOL job effortlessly. Schools are always seeking for teachers and it's often the case that there are too many vacancies to select from. Use the interview as an opportunity to suss out the employer. Speak to other teachers and go over the premises. On a final point, learn from every TEFL/ESL. TESOL job interview - jot down what went well and what you could work upon so you can boost your game up a notch next time. Good luck!
Reviewed by Linfinity
on
September 06, 2021
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