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How to Get an ESL Job, Part I: Pre-Interview Questions



Hello, future teacher!


If you think teaching EFL/ESL might be for you, think about how you might answer each of these questions. These are the types of questions potential employers will ask you both in the pre-interview stage and possibly even during the interview. You'll want to be prepared with well-thought-out answers. This exercise can also help you determine your suitability for the job. It's very rewarding, but also takes a lot of emotional stability, patience, preparation and hard work, not to mention dealing with culture shock!

Part A: Personality and Attitude

1.     Why would you make a good teacher based on your personality?

I am inquisitive, scientifically-minded, academic; I like to read, write, and learn. I think these facets of my personality make teaching interesting to me. Teaching implies learning, whether it be refreshing your mind on a certain grammatical concept or learning about your students and their sociocultural and individual perspectives on the world. Patience, empathy and listening are also qualities that are very important in my opinion. I like to encourage my students with positive reinforcement rather than a disciplinarian mien. I enjoy teaching and I think the students see that.

2.             Have you lived abroad before and would you be able to live in another country for at least a year?

Living abroad can be very difficult for those not accustomed to it; however, I have lived in Peru, Japan and Thailand, so living abroad in not a problem. In Lima, I attended classes at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, completing the first year and a half of my Master’s degree in Archaeology. I also taught full-time in Japan and Thailand. The difference between working abroad and travelling is that you need to exercise a reasonable amount of restraint and responsibility. It’s just like working in your home country in that you can’t stay out all night and expect to function at work the next day. I still like to go out to restaurants, the movies and whatnot on the weekends and visit temples, museums, etc.!

3.             Please give an example of a time when you were able to engage students by demonstrating your enthusiasm for the subject.

There was a class I taught about music in which I had the students watch a short video introducing different musical genres. The students answered the question, “What kind of music do you like?” It was very interesting to hear their opinions about blues, jazz or country music based on the samples. Some of them seemed to have discovered something new that day. I enjoy introducing my students to different styles of music, art, writing and other cultural forms. I don’t really try to influence them to embrace my interests, so much as encourage them to express their own thoughts and feelings.

4.             When given professional training and feedback, how do you respond to negative reviews or criticism?

Working for Amity in Japan, all teachers attended both initial training and follow-up training sessions, as well as weekly video conference lesson demonstrations where we received feedback from trainers and other teachers. At my position in Thailand, we had monthly observations with feedback from an auditor as well as the students. I think, like most people, I respond best to critiques, evaluations and suggestions when they are administered in a professional, constructive manner that facilitates improvement. Positive reinforcement works better than negative whether in the case of co-workers, employees, students or management. 

5.             Will you be able to fit in well with our company and adapt to our corporate or teaching philosophy? What if you don't agree with company policies?

Most of the time, institutional policies and procedures have a logical and practical reason. I would try to understand the substance of a teaching methodology or corporate philosophy by thinking it over and trying it out to give it a fair chance. If I really believed that the policy in question wasn’t right for my students or myself, I would try to politely discuss with my colleagues the possibility of making some changes and updates.

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In addition to the above questions, here are a few more examples you can use to practice for your interview. If you don't know how to answer, consider doing some research to gain a better understanding of  the subject. Classroom management is a topic that always comes up in interviews for ESL and EFL positions, so if you want to impress your new boss, familiarize yourself with strategies such as positive reinforcement and have a few examples at hand. Another key theme involves knowing the difficulties that ESL students will face when learning English. For example, think about the native language of your students; does it use the Roman/Latin alphabet that English, French, and Spanish use? Or will the student be learning a completely new alphabet with new letter symbols? Are there sounds in English that do not appear in your students' base language? Which English phonemes or grammatical concepts might prove most challenging?

Part B: Teaching in China

1.    What do you think would be the most difficult aspects of learning English for Chinese students? What strategies would you use to help students overcome these difficulties?
2.     How can you make learning fun for young students while still maintaining control over the class?
3.     A. What sort of activities are appropriate for students aged 3-5?
B.  What sort of activities might be too difficult?
4.     How would you motivate high school students who aren't interested in learning English?
5.     What are the pros and cons of private lessons compared to group lessons? 


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You can also check out these articles as well if you're interested in teaching ESL in Thailand:


How to Teach in Thailand

Teaching in Thailand

The Dark Side of Teaching in Thailand

Tips for Teaching in Thailand: Esan Eccentricities

What is it Like inside an ESL/EFL Classroom in Rural Thailand?

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