Once you have completed your TEFL certification and are looking for jobs around the globe, it is time to prepare for the interviews. While the prospect of getting interviewed can be nail-biting for many, there is no way around it. Consequently, you must be well-prepared for these meetings so you can leave lasting impressions on the interviewee.

Having a confident and calming presence accompanied by a warm smile is often noted as a great start. However, there are endless questions emerging in your head before interviews that can make you restless. This is why, well-thought-out preparation is key to performing outstandingly during your interviews.

We scoured endless resources and hand-picked various ESL interview questions that are frequently asked so you are positively prepared for them.

General TEFL Interview Questions

• Tell us about yourself
• Why do you want to be a teacher?
• What is your teaching experience?
• Describe your teaching style/pedagogy
• Why do you want to live in this country?
• Why do you want to work at this school?
• What are your strengths as a teacher?
• What is your favorite age to teach and why?
• Describe yourself with three words
• Who is your mentor and why?
• What is your weakness as a teacher?
• How do you structure your lesson plan?
• Questions from the information mentioned on your resume
• Basic grammatical questions – defining nouns, verbs, adjectives, identifying an adverb in a sentence, etc.

While these questions are commonly asked, you need to be actively prepared for interviews when planning to teach English abroad. Many TEFL teachers have concluded that high schools and cram schools are more likely to ask questions with a much more technical language. Therefore, if you are interviewing for a teaching position that is focused on teenagers or adults, it is best advised to review grammar points and language levels prior to the interview.

Interview Questions for Kindergarten English Teaching Jobs:

Excellent preparation is expected for interviews when applying for kindergarten or elementary teaching positions. Why? It is because you are not only tested on your knowledge but also on your teaching methods and activities for helping these young souls. Following are some common questions you can expect during your interview:

• What reward system do you use for your class?
• If a student is far behind or ahead of others, how do you deal with it?
• Do you have experience communicating with the parents?
• How do you deal with a misbehaving student?

It is to be noted that most kindergartens or elementary schools are more focused on good classroom behavior than lesson planning. However, we still advise you to come prepared with good strategies for lesson planning and other effective teaching methods.

When dealing with students of a very young age, your capabilities to keep them engaged with the help of fun activities and exercises will come in handy. However, no matter what age group you are teaching, it is always a good idea to have some creative tools and tricks in your teaching arsenal. We have mentioned some of these tools that can help new teachers in our blog “Useful TEFL Websites and Resources for Teachers”.