TEFL / TESL Teacher Interview Questions & Answers

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Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) involves helping language classes to get to grips with English in a country where it is not a main language. In English-speaking countries it is known as Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). There are a lot of acronyms in this industry. These include: EAL, EAP, EFL, EIL, ELF, ELT, ESL, ESOL, ESP, TEFL, TESL and TESOL.

Teachers in this sector may work in schools, higher education institutions, and commercial language schools or work as free lance teachers visiting student´s homes. Their students may be of all ages and have different English levels.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of TEFL / TESL Teacher or an employer preparing to interview candidates for TEFL / TESL Teacher position, these TEFL / TESL Teacher interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

TEFL / TESL Teacher Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based TEFL / TESL Teacher interview questions.

1. Why do you want to teach English?
2. What are some of the qualifications you have that make you a good TEFL teacher?
3. Are you fluent in any other languages aside from English?
4. What is your teaching philosophy?
5. Can you describe your teaching style?
6. Tell me about some of your experiences as an English teacher.
7. How long have you worked as an TESL teacher?
8. Can you describe your biggest success in working with ESL students?
9. What strategies do you implement to help support English language learners?
10. How well do you know the culture of the country or region where you will be teaching?
11. We want to improve our teacher’s ability to use technology in the classroom. How do you use technology to enhance english language learning?
12. How do you plan for, modify lessons for and accommodate ESL students who do not speak English?
13. How do you implement progress monitoring for assessing ESL students?
14. Why do you want to teach English in another country?
15. How would you deal with a disobedient student?
16. How would you go about establishing the needs and objectives of a student?
17. What would you want to know about a group if I told you I needed you to teach it in 30 minutes?
18. How would your approach with a one-to-one student differ to that with a group?
19. How would you deal with a class of students of mixed abilities?
20. There is a holiday approaching that will impact your students’ ability to learn. How do you adjust your lesson plans to account for this?
21. How would you deal with a very dominant student in a class?
22. Tell me about a time when you felt rewarded or satisfied by something you did in a classroom.
23. Can you think of a time when you’ve successfully dealt with a difficult student or class?
24. Imagine you have a group of 8 year olds who you’re seeing for the first time. It’s a 45 minute lesson and they know just a few basics in English. Describe what you would do in the lesson, step by step.
25. How do you see your education experience contributing to our school culture?
26. What components are essential in an effective TEFL lesson plan?
27. What would you do if a parent contacted you to complain about their child’s English progress?
28. Can you describe your classroom management techniques?
29. How do you support TESL students who may be struggling to grasp new concepts?
30. How would you approach working with TESL students with learning disabilities?
31. When teaching pronunciation, what methods do you use to help students understand how sounds work together?
32. What TEFL curriculum pedagogies do you implement in the classroom?
33. How would you explain the word “Fantastic” to a student?
34. Pronounce the word "Healthy"
35. Spell "Indict"
36. Have you lived or travelled abroad before? What cultural differences did you find difficult to get used to?
37. What makes you stand out from other TEFL teachers?

TEFL / TESL Teacher Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during TEFL / TESL Teacher interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
2. What is Your Greatest Strength?
3. Tell Me About Yourself
4. Why Do You Want This Job?
5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
6. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
7. What is Your Salary Expectation?
8. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
9. Why Should We Hire You?
10. What is Your Greatest Weakness?

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