The job of an English teacher requires individuals to have certain skills which recruiters evaluate during the interviews. There are certain common questions that recruiters may ask to know more about the candidate. By understanding the types of questions you may expect in an English teaching job, you can draft your responses in an effective way. In this article, Pritish Kumar Halder discusses the various interview questions for English teachers, along with sample answers to help you prepare better for the interview.

Interview questions for English teachers with answers

Here are some common interview questions for English teachers with sample answers from which you can take ideas and create your answers:

1. Why are you interested in an English teaching job?

Many interviewers ask this question to know why you choose to teach for your career. While answering this question, make sure you are honest with the interviewer. This question can reflect self-awareness and how passionate a candidate is towards the job.

Example: “I was in the fourth standard, there was a teacher who helped me a lot. Even when moving on to higher classes, I still went to the teacher for advice whenever I required one. The sense of acceptance and the learnings the teacher gave to me inspired me to become a teacher.

I was a slow learner, but my English teacher helped me in every possible way. By the end of the year, I was fluent in English. The reason behind my preference for English is this teacher who inspired me as I went on to pursue a degree in English, eventually. “

2. What is your teaching philosophy?

An interviewer can ask this question to understand the plans and the style of teaching you use to help students. Aside from focusing on your own administrative goals, try adding information about helping students to get better at English. While answering, be specific about one training style and try to blend it with the school’s teaching philosophy. Doing research about the school’s principles and motives prior to the interview can be helpful.

Example: *”**I believe in giving challenges to students and helping them to achieve them. This allows them to learn how to deal with new situations so that they can use the teachings in the future and deal with situations on their own. As a responsible teacher, I help my students to reach their educational goals and also in other things they face in school. My ultimate focus is to make my students feel happy and motivated in the classroom.”*

3. How do you handle a difficult student?

There can be some students who are difficult to handle and teach. Interviewers ask this question to understand your approach with difficult students and your ability to work with such students in the future. Answer in such a way that shows you are more interested in finding the cause, as it is the first step when handling a difficult student.

Example: “I prefer talking to such students in private rather than in front of the whole classroom. My primary focus is finding the root cause of such behaviours. To do so, I can ask questions to understand the emotional mindset of the student.

At my previous job, there was a student who kept moving from his seat throughout the class. I once sat down with him and talked about his behaviour and how he is affecting the rest of the classroom. I told him to raise his hand when feeling anxious during the class so that I can allow him a brief break.”

4. How do you keep your students motivated?

This question can help you discuss the strategies you implement to motivate your students. While giving answers, make sure you include relevant points that actually motivate students and allow you to guide them in doing what you want them to do. Develop your answer in such a way that it shows you are interested in knowing every student personally.

Example: “In my opinion, praising and rewarding students every time they perform well can keep their motivation level high. During my last job, the one thing I always did was to give students who performed well with pens and chocolates. I always praised students in front of the classroom. This motivates other students to perform well. I think these little things play a very big role in keeping the students motivated and excited to learn more and perform better. “

5. How do you communicate with the parents of students?

A teacher’s primary job is to teach students, but it also includes communicating with their parents. Parents are also responsible for influencing the performance of students in the classroom to a great extent. Interviewers ask this question to understand how you approach parents and collaborate with them to improve a student’s performance.

Example: “I think every student has someone whom they are very close to. It is very important to meet and communicate with such family members, as they are the ones students listen to the most. When the session begins, I always invite parents to my classroom and talk to them separately about how we can work together to bring the best out of their children.

Throughout the year, I always try to keep myself in touch with parents so that I can discuss the progress of the students accordingly. This allows us to understand the mental and physical behaviour of students from different perspectives.”

6. What are the qualities of an effective English teacher?

By asking this question, the interviewer can analyze your preferences about the skills and qualities that are important to becoming an effective English teacher. While answering this, keep in mind that what you say reflects all the unique and the best qualities of being an effective English teacher. Build your answer in such a way that it shows you are familiar with the job role and possess all these qualities.

Example: “In my opinion, individuals who want to become good English teachers require focusing on grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. Becoming great at these things can help in becoming a great teacher. It is important to know the strengths and weaknesses as it allows an English teacher to focus on the areas they require working on.

Teaching is a job that requires leadership qualities. During my previous job, I learned so many things that helped me to improve myself and develop a unique approach to teaching. Some of the things that helped me to become more efficient include working on my energy, confidence, patience level, and my ability to listen to the students.”

7. Tell me about your daily routine as an English teacher.

By asking this question, the interviewer can know how you organize different tasks and manage time. They want to understand how you approach the students and how much you value your profession. When answering this question, mention the steps you follow to make your day productive. Avoid discussing the activities that are irrelevant to the job role.

Example: “I try to follow the pre-scheduled routine that I have built over the years based on my experience as an English teacher. I start my day by making sure that my classroom is clean because starting my day with a positive mindset is very important for me. The next step is to teach the lessons that I have already prepared the last day so that I can provide students with every necessary detail related to the topic. During the class, I focus on as many students as possible by asking them simple and basic questions related to the topic.

Reference: https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-questions-for-english-teacher