Interview: Trinity CertTESOL - English for Asia

[LeChatNoir]

Hello,

I am just wondering what questions they ask during the interview process? Have applied for the course and just received a phone call for the interview... so I thought I'd see if I can get some insight.

My native language is not English (even though I have lived in Canada for over 20 years and probably speak more English than Chinese in my life so far...) - would that be a hindrance to be admitted into the course?

Thanks!

[drmer]

I have this same question. Does anyone have some tips? Anything would be helpful!

Thanks!

[M Khan]

If you have completed your set task then your interviewer will go through your answers with you, asking you why you chose this answer and not some other, or whether you could expand on an answer or explain your thinking.

Essentially they are trying to get an impression of your overall level of language proficiency, in a 'rule of thumb' assessment as to whether or not you are likely to succeed in the course. For most native speakers this is fairly straight forward. No previous knowledge of teaching is necessary, nor of grammar, to be honest. As long as you can conduct a conversation in English and explain your thinking clearly and articulately, then everything else can be taught.

[Adam Giles]

Hi - I work at English for Asia, so I hope you don’t mind me adding a comment here:

As M Khan points out, the pre-interview task and interview are designed to help us decide whether or not a person can succeed on the course. After all, it’s an expensive, demanding and time-consuming course, with rigorous standards set by Trinity College London.

During the interview, many of the questions will revolve around your written answers to your pre-interview task. By asking you to reflect on your answers, we try to determine your level of Language Awareness (how much you understand about the language). Those who have learned English as a second language have the advantage of having studied English grammar and can sometimes possess a better awareness of the English language than a native speaker. Good preparation for these questions would be to read over your answers and check them against grammar reference books.

You will also be given a speaking and a writing task, to ascertain your Language Proficiency (how well you speak and write).

You may also be asked simple questions about classroom/teaching scenarios.

In addition to the above, we will try to determine how well you are likely to cope with the pressures of the course and how well you could work in a team (both are essential skills to ensure you cope on the course).

Good luck!
Adam