ESL job interview question: What four key components do you believe you must include in your plan?

Recommended answers:

(1) introducing the new concept
(2) relating the concept to prior knowledge
(3) modelling and guiding
(4) independent work time for students

Or: 

(1) student friendly objectives
(2) background knowledge
(3) words that may be in the lesson that they will need to know
(4) ways for me to check for understanding

ESL job interview question: How to increase English language teaching standards in our country?

Recommended answer:

To increase English language teaching standards, it is important to arrange training courses for teachers, reduce class sizes, improve school infrastructure, and produce culturally appropriate learning materials for students. I believe that this would create positive learning environment and enable to increase English teaching standards.

ESL job interview question: Why is the communicative language teaching method not used by many ESL teachers worldwide?

Recommended answer:

There are four basic reasons why communicative language teaching method is not implemented in many schools :

1. Teachers were not trained to use communicative language teaching  method
2. Student numbers in classes are too big, therefore it is difficult to implement this method effectively
3. There is a lack of teaching and learning materials
4. There are no suitable libraries and well equipped language labs for using this method effectively.

ESL job interview question: Tell us about the communicative language teaching method

Recommended answer:

The Communicative Language Teaching Method can be used successfully at various levels because it motivates students and enhances the development of the four basic language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing - in real-life situations. In addition to language skills, students develop their life skills. This method also develops critical thinking skills.

Practical experience of most teachers showed that the Communicative Language Teaching Method is a very effective method of teaching foreign languages worldwide. 

ESL job interview question: Tell us about the Community Language Learning Method

Recommended answer:

Community Language Learning (CLL) method was developed by Charles A. Curran. It applies psychological counseling techniques to learning. Learners in a classroom were not regarded as a class but as a group in need of certain therapy and counseling. Basic procedures of Community Language Learning derives from counselor-client relationship open interpersonal communication and the role of supportive community was emphasized. Community Language Learning was designed to ease the anxiety of foreign language learners in educational contexts and promote group dynamics. 

In Community Language Learning, the aim is to involve the learner's whole personality. The teacher understands the fears of the learner and vulnerabilities as they struggle to master another language by being sensitive to the learner’s fear. The teacher can turn the negative energy of those fears into positive energy and enthusiasm for learning. This methodology is not based on the usual methods by which languages are taught rather the approach is patterned upon counseling techniques and adapted to the peculiar anxiety and threat as well as the personal and language problems a person encounters in the learning of foreign languages. Consequently, the learner is not thought of as a student but as a client. The language-counseling relationship begins with the client's linguistic confusion and conflict. Then slowly the teacher-counselor strives to enable him to arrive at his own increasingly independent language adequacy (Nagaraj 2009).

You will find more ESL job interview questions-answers here:

http://www.esldrive.com/findajob/jobinterview.html

ESL job interview question: What do you need to know in order to begin your lesson planning for a class?

Recommended answer:

In order to begin my lesson planning for a class I would need to know what my students already know about the subject so I know where to begin in my lesson.

Lesson planning is very important. A well prepared lesson plan can help the teacher to increase quality of teaching. To learn more, click HERE...

ESL job interview question: What three things do you most want to know about your students? What do they already know, what are they are interested in, and how do they learn best?

Recommended answer:

I want to know the following three things:

1. My students' level of English, 
2. Any medical information about them (allergies, inhaler they take, etc.), 
3. Their interests, so I could incorporate them into my lessons.

More questions with provided answers...

ESL job interview question: Tell us about structural-situational language teaching method

Recommended answer:

Structural-situational language teaching method was developed by British applied linguists in the 1930s to the 1960s. 

Language presentation and practice was situational. All techniques of audio lingual method and situation considered as use of concrete objects, pictures with gestures and actions. Speaking and listening were most important.  It gave rise to the idea of PPP (presentation, practice, production) in which target item presented as semi-controlled practice and free practice role-playing. 

Focus was primarily given to speech which was regarded as the basis of language and structure was viewed as being the heart of speaking ability. This led to less importance to other abilities such as writing.

This method had been criticized for being time-consuming, insistence on giving the meaning of words and structures through dramatization, demonstration and association without resorting to the mother tongue had led to the using of roundabout technique which was time wasting. The learner was expected to deduce the meaning of a particular structure or vocabulary item from the situation in which it was presented which might lead to confusion on the part of the learner and misunderstanding. The learner was expected to apply the language learned in the classroom to situations outside the classroom. The problem was  not guaranteed that learners would apply what they have learned, and even if they were willing to do so it was not guaranteed that they would be able to do it especially in countries where the language learned is not used frequently. Errors were not tolerated. This could cause stress which may hinder the learning process. Accuracy in both pronunciation and grammar were regarded as crucial. Eventually, there was no mention of communication ability in this method (Al Humidi 1989).

More interview questions - answers...