Hi, I'm Jema Perry and welcome to Mooncake.
So you've scored yourself an ESL teaching interview, well in todays video we are going
to go through the top ten most asked ESL interview questions.ESL teaching interviews can be intimidating,
especially if you're interviewing for the first time.
Most interviews are done online, over Skype which brings about added worries such as how
to look good on camera.
Make sure you check out my video on how to set up for your Skype interview.
Then without further ado, lets get into answering the top ten most asked ESL interview questions.
Could you tell me a bit about yourself please.
Sure thing, sure thing, so, yep, my name is Jema I'm 34 years old, I'm from the UK.
Um, in my spare time I like hanging out with my friends maybe having a few drinky-poos.
I love dogs, um....
I'm a pisces.
In this question the interviewer is not so interested in your answer but more you confidence,
your enthusiasm and your passion.
Talk about your education, where you grew up and your past work experience.
Well, my name is Jema, I'm 34 years old and I'm from the UK.
I started my career working in sport and leisure management where I learned lots of skills
surrounding organization and communication.
But around seven years ago I decided I wanted to make a big change and so I decided to move
to China and I started my ESL teaching career.
For the past seven years I've been working in kindergarten and I have taught ages from
three all the way up to six years old.
Could you tell me, what are some . of your strengths?
Strengths, okay well, has to be I'm a very friendly person.
When answering this question try to avoid limiting your answer to one or two sentences.
List your strengths and expand upon that with an example.
Well my biggest strength has to be my attention to detail, I really believe in planning and
execution and in my previous roles I would plan out my week and then review it as the
week went on to make sure that I was completing all task that I wanted to accomplish.
Could you tell me some of your weaknesses please?
Weaknesses, well, I don't have much patience, I do get quite angry quite quickly.
I suppose thats a bit of a weakness.
It's probably my biggest weakness.
Of course we all have weaknesses, but you want to try and highlight a weakness that
could also be perceived as a strength.
Well because I'm so detailed orientated sometimes I try to accomplish everything at the same
time and then I realize that there isn't enough time to get everything done.
So because of this I do have to pay attention to my time management and make sure that I
prioritise my tasks.
What do I know about the company?
Which company was this again?
By asking this question, the interviewer is trying to find out how seriously you're taking
the interview.
Having some basic knowledge about the company can really impress, especially in the ESL
job market.
Well I know that you follow a teaching methodology very similar to the Reggio Emilia philosophy
which actually, is something that made me want to apply.
I also know that you have several campuses across China meaning that you're a large and
well established company.
How well do you handle change?Yep, I can handle change, change is no problem.
Never had a problem with change, change is great, love change! change is brilliant it's
great, yeah, definitely, I can handle change, no problem.
Of course we are all going to want to answer this question with a big, yes, I can handle
change.
But simply saying so isn't enough.
Expand upon your answer by giving an example where you have had to deal with a big change
in either your personal or work life.
Well I think change can be challenging for everyone and its definitely your attitude
towards that change that will make the difference.
In my previous role we had a change of principal and that brought about a lot of changes as
she had some ideas of how he would like to run things and some curriculum changes she
wanted implemented into the classroom.
Now during that period, my colleagues and I had to come together and work out the most
productive way to implement those changes into the classroom without affecting our teaching.
It was definitely a challenging period but definitely something I grew from.
Why did you leave your last job?
Well to be quite honest they didn't pay me very much and I know that I can get more money
by coming here.
And my boss was a bit of a dick, he kept making me teach stuff that I didn't really want to
teach...
Maybe you had a bad experience with your previous employer or maybe you genuinely just want
a higher salary.
Both are good reasons to look for another job but are not good answers to this question.
Make sure that when talking about your previously employer you talk positively and don't talk
about any ill feeling you might have.
Well, I really enjoyed working at my previous role and I learned lots of new things there.
However, right now I'm looking for a company in which I can continue growing, building
upon those skills set and improving my teaching ability.
What teaching experience do you have?
Well, well, I don't have any experience per se, um, I've never actually taught before,
so this will be the first time that I'm teaching.
Lots of people are interviewing to be an ESL teacher for the first time.
And just because you don't have any classroom experience doesn't mean that you don't have
skills or qualities that are relevant to the role.
Be honest, but highlight the qualities that you think will carry into the role and try
to let your passion and enthusiasm for the job shine through.
Well, although I don't have much experience in the classroom I believe I have the qualities
it takes to be a good teacher.
Such as patience, dedication and a genuine love for teaching.
I've completed my TEFL certificate and I've been researching different teaching techniques
online such as TPR and chants to help get me ready for the first day in the classroom.
I'm a fast learner and I have a genuine passion for teaching so i've no doubt that I would
be a great addition to your team.
Qualities of a good teacher?
erm.... erm.... erm... be good looking?
Take some time to think about this question before the interview because if you can't
answer it means that you've not taken the time to think about what it really takes to
be a teacher.
Well teachers are role models and especially if working with younger children we can have
a huge impact on individual lives.
Because of this teachers need to be patient, compassionate, and instill confidence in their
students.
Well, yeah, if I had a student that was misbehaving I just, I'd get the assistant teacher to come
over and deal with it.
We have assistant teachers right?
Yeah, I'd get the assistant teacher to come over and deal with it.
By asking this question the interviewer wants to know that you have strategies in place
to handle misbehaviours.
Highlight that you have several different strategies in place and that you would be
willing to follow school procedure.
Well I think at first I would try and see what changes I could make to my lesson to
engage that student.
Secondly I would try and understand where the behaviour is coming from.
Are they bored because the English level is too high or too low, or are they just distracted
by the person next to them?
So depending on that I would use a variety of different strategies to try and engage
them back into the class.
Such as changing seats with someone else, having them sit next to me, or just involving
them more in the games and activities.
So why do you want to come to China?
Well, you know, I hear that that the pay is really good there and that it's easier to
get a job than somewhere like Japan.
So yeah, definitely thought China is for me.
Moving countries is a huge decision and by asking this question the interviewer wants
to be sure that you've really thought it through.
Well I think that China is a really interesting country with a fascinating history.
I think in the west we have quite a lot of misconception about China and so I'm quite
excited to come over and really find out what it's like for myself.
So thats it, thats the top ten ESL interview questions.
I hope that they have been useful and that they will help you answer questions in your
interview.
If you're not sure how to get an interview, make sure you check out my video on how to
find a teaching job in China.
That's it for this video guys, thanks so much for watching.
Let me know in the comments below.
What would you like to know about teaching and living in China.
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