Manuals > Business English > Daijob Interview Course - Lesson 4
The following 4 lesson plan is intended for use during the winter of 2014/5. It is aimed at students who are planning or hoping to interview at an overseas company.
Each class introduces some key phrases, however, these are not the focus of the lesson. The main objective is to give the student practice and experience interacting in a job interview like situation in English. Each class also offers some interview tips. These are based on western business practises, so may differ from the student’s own culture. It’s also great if teachers can bring their own experiences to the lesson. Also included is a lesson flow for each class. Every lesson follows a basic TTT cycle (Test, Teach, Test) to maximise student talking time. Each lesson has its own worksheet. You can find a copy of this in the school where you work. The teacher and student should share a copy, then the student can take it home after the lesson. The instructions on the sheet are intended to help both teacher and student.
Before the lesson you should;
Read the appropriate lesson plan below - paying close attention to the objective of the class
Prepare a copy of the worksheet to use in your class
Check the student’s profile for useful information. (If they have already taken at least one lesson)
During the lesson you should;
Focus on getting the student to speak as much as possible
Try to stick to the objective of the lesson
Give the student feedback about the language they use and the chance to demonstrate their understanding of the feedback.
Take notes, if possible, to use to update the student profile further.
After the lesson you should;
Give the student the worksheet that you used, along with their notes.
Confirm when their next class is and that they have understood their homework.
Update the student profile if necessary
If the student is very high level
Some students who register for this course may already be very comfortable communicating in English.
If this is the case, then the teacher should focus on the interview aspects of the preparation course.
Try to make the class as similar to an interview as you can, have the student standing up and sitting down as they would in a real interview.
Give advice on interview skills, rather than on English ability.
If the student is low level
Some students who register for this course may be of a low level. They may have trouble simply understanding the phrases presented and formulating answers correctly.
If this is the case, the teacher should focus on the English aspects of the course.
Rather than talking about interview skills, the teacher can help the student to make answers to common interview questions, then practise delivering them.
Give advice on language skills, rather than focussing on the interview.
Objective(s):
Review previously taught phrases and skills
Role-play the entire interview and provide feedback on performance
Lesson Flow:
0-5 min: Introduction and review
Review the student’s homework and some vocabulary from the last lesson. Introduce the learning objective of this lesson.
5-15 min: Background and experience
Review the contents of lesson 2 by role-playing this section of the interview. Ask the student questions about their background and experience. Note down any errors, give feedback, then repeat.
15-25 min: Skills and strengths, asking questions
Review the contents of lesson 3 by role-playing this section of the interview. Ask the student questions about their skills and strengths, then encourage them to ask you - as the interviewer - some questions. Note down errors as you go, then give feedback and repeat.
25-35 min: Cumulative role-play
Introduce and practise the “Ending the interview” phrases. Role-play the interview from start to finish.
- Greetings and introductions
- Talking about background and experience
- Ask about strengths and skills
- Questions from interviewee
- Wrap-up and goodbye
- Time allowing, give feedback and repeat.
35-40 min: Final wrap-up
This is a good chance for the student to ask any final questions they may have about western interview procedures. Summarise the learning outcomes of the course, and offer any final advice you can about their interview.
Copy-paste content
Feel free to copy and paste this text into your notes as appropriate
Key Phrases:
Ending the interview
Thank the interviewer
- Thank you very much for your time today.
- I know you must be very busy, so thank you for making the time to meet with me.
Offer follow-up
- Please let me know if there’s anything else I can provide.
- If you need anything else from me, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Encourage future contact
- I’m really excited about this opportunity.
- I will look forward to hearing from you.
Interview Tips:
Do your homework. Prepare for an interview by researching the company you are applying to, their activities, their needs, their industry, and their competitors.
Before the interview, try Googling yourself. You might be surprised at what you find.
Practice makes perfect. Prepare a list of likely questions, and practise answering them.
Role-Play:
There is no set role-play for this lesson
NOTE:
After the final lesson a student counsellor should be present to do a counselling session with the student / prospect. They may ask you for your feedback on student performance, strengths and weaknesses, or potential study. Please be available to pass on your thoughts.