EFL Interview Preparation and Questions

Any job interview can be pretty nerve wracking. However, the tension seems to double when you're applying for a English as a Foreign Language or "EFL" teaching job post, and more so, when you're planning to teach students who come from a different cultural background from yours. Below are common interview questions, why they're asked and how you can best answer them.

What are your strengths as a teacher?
You should say that you're able to adjust your speaking level to the class's level of speaking in English. This is very important because a lot of teachers are good at their mother tongue but fail to reach out to the class. You should also say that you're sensitive to the needs of your students, and you can adjust your teaching style to suit a classroom of children with different teaching needs, provided that they're not too diverse.

What do you think about corrections?
This is a tricky question but one which you can only answer honestly. There is one answer that seems to impress a lot of interviewers though. You can say that corrections are necessary in any class, and that there are some situations when you should correct the student on-the-spot and then move on. There are also circumstances when you need to guide the student so that s/he may realize the mistake on his/her own and attempt to correct this mistake.

What annoys you?
In a classroom full of children, a lot of things can annoy a teacher. This question is asked to assess how you deal with stress, and how well you can cope with cultural differences. Before the interview, try to come up with at least two non-trivial annoyances you can site as examples because this question will be asked. Make sure you're able to back it up, though, by explaining how you can cope with "annoyances". Telling your future employer how you can cope with these annoyances means that you won't just disappear once the going gets tough in your new job.

What kind of classes do you like to teach?
Would you like to teach children, teenagers, or adults? Would you like to teach small groups or a classroom of about 50 students? You should be very honest with your answer here unless you want to be stuck in a teaching job you can't handle. While money is a big factor in the game, you should still make sure you're in a teaching job you can grow to love if you don't already love the idea of it. This way, you won't have to leave too early.

What do you think about corrections?
This is a tricky question but one which you can only answer honestly. There is one answer that seems to impress a lot of interviewers though. You can say that corrections are necessary in any class, and that there are some situations when you should correct the student on-the-spot and then move on. There are also circumstances when you need to guide the student so that s/he may realize the mistake on his/her own and attempt to correct this mistake.

Article Source: ezinearticles.com