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  • Learning And Communicative Strategies August 23, 2012
    Communicative strategies are systematic techniques employed by a speaker to express his meaning when faced with some difficulty and the difficulty here refers to the speaker’s inadequate command of the language used in the interaction (Faerch & Kasper, 1983:16). On the other hand, the term learning strategies has been defined as “the higher-order skills […]
  • Review: Teaching Unplugged by Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury August 13, 2012
    by Hall Houston About 8 years ago, I read an article titled “Teaching Unplugged” by Scott Thornbury in It’s for Teachers magazine. The article described a new approach to teaching languages that de-emphasized coursebooks and other teaching materials, and stressed real communication between students. This approach was loosely based on a Danish film […]
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    Japan is a stable, highly developed parliamentary democracy with a modern economy. Tourist facilities are widely available, except in coastal areas of Northeast Japan still recovering from the aftermath of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Below is a comprehensive list of all the information you should read before visiting or relocating to […]
  • Experience a New Culture When you Teach English in China May 21, 2012
    The human desire to help others is an innate one. This is why, despite the negative aspects, people are still very attracted to the profession of teaching, notes Thomas Galvin. It has been regarded for centuries as a very noble job, and no doubt this will continue for centuries to come. Many teachers these […]
  • The Importance of Vocabulary Roots in AP English April 16, 2012
    The Advanced placement exams are very important for students, suggests Joseph Paul, as they look very good on the students’ report cards and also help them to get credit in certain universities which helps them to save a major portion of the tuition money demanded from students who have not cleared the exam. The […]
  • Business Translation: A Useful TEFL Sideline? April 8, 2012
    The use of translation in business is heavily underestimated and misunderstood. However translation has a big part to play in business and is rapidly becoming one of the most useful things an organisation can use to get ahead in the business world. Whether it be using in-house translators to transcribe documents, official papers […]
  • How to Judge the Quality of Language Learning Software March 21, 2012
    We all know that learning a language is a great way to enhance the look of your resume! Fortunately, there are lots of different options available to you to help you make that a reality. Out of the vast number of options available to you, the option that provides you with the most […]
  • The worst ELT interview questions… and how to answer them March 12, 2012
    Some friends of Naturegirl123 were talking about interview questions that they got. Here are some difficult ones to answer and suggested answers. What religion are you?/ Are you X religion? This could be a legit question if you’re applying to a religious school. If you have the same religion as the school, simply say […]
  • Invoice factoring as a way of financing your language school March 12, 2012
    You’re looking into alternative ways to keep the finances in order in your burgeoning language school. Why not consider invoice factoring? Please don’t think of invoice factoring as a loan because it’s actually something quite different to that: it is more correctly defined as the acquisition of a financial asset. What does that mean? […]
  • Language Classes… Heat Up Careers! March 9, 2012
    Whether you love the snow or can’t wait until the warmer days of spring, this is a time of year when we all start to get a little stir-crazy, suggests Charlotte Evans. Winter was fun back in December but now the cold temperatures and extra layers of clothing are starting to feel a bit […]

The worst ELT interview questions… and how to answer them

Some friends of Naturegirl123 were talking about interview questions that they got. Here are some difficult ones to answer and suggested answers.

What religion are you?/ Are you X religion?

This could be a legit question if you’re applying to a religious school. If you have the same religion as the school, simply say so. They might then ask you if you attend church.

If you don’t practise the same religion, say that while you are not X religion, you will respect their practises during class time.

If the school isn’t religious, simply say that you believe in keeping your personal beliefs personal and out of the classroom.

DO you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

This could also be legit if the school is very religious or if you are being placed by a recruiter. Often they try to place partners in the same school or city.

If the school is relgious, tell the truth, but you might want to be careful. If you’re living together, you might have to live apart while working for the school. Some places are very strict. I wasn’t allowed to live with my husband because we were only married civilly and not in the church.

If the school isn’t religious, or you’re not dealing with a recruiter, then tell the interviewer that you believe in keeping your personal life separate from your work life.

How much are you earning now?

Bad question. Even worse if you answer it. There are a couple reasons why you could be asked this. First, the school wants to know what competitors are paying. Second, they want to gauge what they will pay you to what you’re currently getting. Third, you can’t really compare. Let’s say that your current school is only paying you 500 usd, but gives you free housing, lunch, medical insurance, contribute to your pension, and transport. Total per month is about 600 usd in benefits. They also paid for your visa, your flight and will give you an end of contract bonus. Total is 2100 usd per year. And this school gives you 900 usd, but nothing else. You may simply assume that you get the extras, but they don’t give them to you. Result? Although you would get 900 usd a month, your current job is probably better due to the benefits.

When asked this question, it’s probably best to tell a white lie. If you don’t have a fixed salary, maybe you teach privates or do consultating, simply say that it varies. If you are on a contract, simply tell them that your employer has forbidden you to discuss your salary and your contract also states this. After all, they have to respect the fact that you promised not to discuss your salary.

If they keep pushing, it’s probably best to pass this one by. A professional institute will have fixed salaries.

How much is your expected salary?

This is even worse than the one above. Basically, you’re being asked, “What do you think you’re worth?” Let’s say you make 500 usd, and they were going to offer 1000, but when they find out that you only make 500, they might simply offer you 750. OR, let’s say you make 1000 usd, but they only offer 700. If you accept, you’ll look desperate, or they might think that you lied about your salary.

So what do you do? Put the ball back into their court. There are a couple of things you could say. It would depend on the English level of the interviewer and your experience/qualifications.

First, you could say, “I would expect to be paid what you’re paying your current teachers.”

If you’re just starting out “I would expect to be paid what you’re paying your teachers who have similary qualifications/experience as I do.”

Or, if you have lots of experience/qualifications, “I would expect to be paid in the upper salary range because I have X”

Or, “I know that (your institute) is a professional one, and as such, you much have a salary scale, what could I expect to earn with X experience and X qualifications?”

Why did you leave X job after only 3/6 months?

There are two reasons for a short term job. First, it was a short contract. If that’s the case, you have nothing to worry about. Second, either you or your employer ended it early. If that’s the case, you’ve got some explaining to do.

If you pulled a runner, I would suggest you take that job off your CV. If they ask about the gap on your CV, there are tons of things that you could say you were doing, like volunteer work, travelling, visiting family, studying, taking a hiatus, etc.

If you quit, and remain on decent terms with your employer, you might want to leave it on your CV. Let’s say you quit because you were paid hourly, but due to the recession, you only had 3 hours a week. That’s a legit reason.

If you were fired, you might want to take it off. Unless the person who fired you has left and someone else at the institute would give you a good reference. If you were fired for stealing, dating students, lying, etc, I would take it off your CV. And if you got fired for something along those lines, I certainly hope that you have changed.

Why do you want to leave your current job?

A legit question. It could cause problems if you just started your job a couple of months ago. If that’s the case, see above. But, if you’re simply finishing your contract, be honest. BUT, never ever speak badly about an employer. EVER. You could say something like “Although I’ve enjoyed my time at X teaching primary students, I’m looking for a position teaching secondary students.” Or, “Although I’ve enjoyed my time at X, I’m looking for new opportunies in the education sector.”

 

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