ESL job interview question: Describe yourself as a teacher in three negative adjectives

Recommended answer:


The adjectives should not be so much negative that you would not get the job. 

Examples: 

perfectionist (see the negative side of it? And also – positive?), 

fast (it is not always good to be too fast but in many cases it is OK to be fast) and 

workaholic (not enough time for leisure, although it is good for an employer if you work much); or 

emotional (you can elaborate: being too much emotional makes my life more complicated), 

straightforward (i.e. perhaps too open too simple for some people) and 

indecisive (if a very important action has to be taken I usually tell a superior before I take an action).  

You can think of more suitable ‘negative’ adjectives which describe you as an ESL teacher. Write them down. Prepare to explain them and give examples with each of them. 

Also, prepare a few ‘negative’ adjectives that describe you as a person. 

The secret of successful answer: you have to be able to elaborate on each adjective, i.e. explain why you are indecisive, emotional, slow, etc.

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