7 Tips For Successful TEFL Interviews
| Attending an interview for a teaching job in the TEFL | with the grammar structures you are teaching. It is | |||
| market is often a shock to graduates who have | about instilling confidence in the interviewer. | |||
| recently completed their TEFL certificate course. In | Tip 4 | |||
| many countries where the market is very buoyant, | It is very common to be asked to do a short model | |||
| you can often wonder when the interview is going to | class of about 15 minutes. You will normally be given a | |||
| start and they are already offering you hours. | short amount of time to prepare this. Given this is likely, | |||
| This was certainly the case in Madrid a couple of | think about a few classes that you could teach. Don't | |||
| years ago. There was such a need for English | just focus on the 15 minutes of the teaching. Explain to | |||
| teachers that you would often get phone calls offering | them what your warmer would be and if you are | |||
| your jobs without actually attending an interview. Whilst | following the PPP methodology (Presentation, Practice | |||
| this was great, it also meant it was hard to control the | and Production) what they stages would be, then do | |||
| quality in the market. | the 15 minutes of the class. | |||
| Since the global economic crises, this has certainly | Sometimes the interviewer will give you the topic. In | |||
| changed. For teaching English in Madrid and most other | my experience talking to my graduates, the main | |||
| European cities there is still an extremely high demand | topics tend to be the comparison between the past | |||
| for English teachers (most getting jobs within a few | simple and the present perfect, the present continuous | |||
| days of the course) but the agencies, schools and | and the conditionals. With a bit of prior preparation and | |||
| academies can be much more selective than in the | planning, this 'on the spot' lesson planning activity need | |||
| boom. | not be stressful and should be able to highlight your | |||
| Given this, it has never been more important for those | abilities. | |||
| that have newly graduated from their TEFL course to | Ensure you keep to the methods you have been | |||
| impress at interviews. The majority of the norms that | taught with elicitation, modelling, CCQ etc. The | |||
| apply to interviews apply to teaching interviews, | interviewer will be looking out for these. | |||
| dressing well; being on time; being positive and | Tip 5 | |||
| confident etc etc. However, there are other points that | Find out about the school, academy or agency before | |||
| will set you apart from the crowd. | you interview. Do they specialize in business classes, | |||
| Tip 1 | children's classes, exam preparation or is it a | |||
| On your TEFL course you will have completed a | combination of adults and children? Think about how | |||
| whole range of coursework and lesson plans. Take | your past experiences will help you teach these | |||
| your best lesson plans with you and the materials you | students. Have you done summer camp work, | |||
| have created. Show the interviewer the type of lesson | voluntary work, tutoring, have younger siblings, work | |||
| that you are capable of. Show them your needs | experiences in a bank, lawyers etc? | |||
| analysis and level test that you have designed. On | Tip 6 | |||
| most modern courses now, you will have created an | Go in looking prepared and organized, it will give the | |||
| executed a telephone class. This is a boom area in | right impression to the interviewer and will help you | |||
| teaching English so again, show them your material. | keep track of what is going on. The most important | |||
| Tip 2 | thing is a small diary. Unless you are working for a | |||
| Make sure you use the terminology that you have | school, you will generally be required to move around | |||
| been using on your TEFL course. Elicitation, modelling, | from location to location. In Madrid you would normally | |||
| CCQ, minimal teacher talk time and the many others | use the metro, buses and trains. Writing down the | |||
| that you will have become familiar with. | locations, times and details of what you are being | |||
| For example: "I find that when I teach beginner and | offered is essential. Get them to show you on the | |||
| elementary classes, it is really important that I keep my | metro map where the job is and put a circle around it. | |||
| TTT low and model. I try to back up what I am saying | Mark out the times in you diary or planner and the | |||
| with simple gestures that I keep consistent. I also keep | travel time needed to get to the class. | |||
| this in mind when trying to elicit and I use the board to | You will often get many interviews in the same day | |||
| help the students understand what I am asking for". | and may accept quite a few offers. By putting | |||
| Tip 3 | everything in your diary and checking the routes on | |||
| As with all interviews - be honest but give solutions to | your map, you won't double book yourself or leave | |||
| any problems you have had on your course. Many | yourself short of time to get to the next class. | |||
| graduates are still afraid of grammar after their course, | Tip 7 | |||
| if this is the case with you, explain that you found | Finally, NEVER be late for a teaching interview, being | |||
| grammar a struggle but you always prep and plan | punctual is a key ingredient to being a good teacher! | |||
| your classes ahead and will ensure you are up to date |
Natasha Mason Kennedy is an experienced TEFL trainer and owner Teacher Training Madrid in Spain - www.ttmadrid.com