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Paul Sparks
- Online English Lesson Plans, Lesson Material and Ideas for Oral English
(Speaking Lessons) from Hunan University of Science and Technology...
ORAL
ENGLISH: "The
World of Work"
Class
Debate: Should Students have Part-time Jobs?
Role-Play:
Job Interviews
Lessons Objectives: This
lesson is designed to identify students speaking ability and identify any
areas of weakness for future lessons. This lesson uses a combination of
individual speaking, group speaking and debates which is also useful in
improving students general speaking ability and confidence.
Lesson Activities: The
lesson will begin with guided class discussion about whether it is a good
idea for students to have part-time jobs. The class will then be split into
groups to perform a debate on the subject. The second part of the lesson is
about job interviews. After a short discussion about job interviews, the
students will work in small groups to prepare and perform a role play of a
job interview.
Class Discussion & Debate:
Should Students have
Part-Time Jobs? It very common in some
countries for students to work part-time while studying. It is not very
common in China, but recently some students have thought that it would be a
good idea to try to find a part-time job. What are the arguments for, and
against students having jobs? (list arguments and counter-arguments on the
board)
Class Discussion & Role-Play:
General Job Interview
Advice: Before a job interview it is a good
idea to find out as much as you can about the company (for example read
their annual report), read through your application form again, thinking
about the questions they might ask you. You should also prepare some
questions to ask the interviewer. To do well at the interview you will need
to convince the interviewer you are qualified to do the job. You will also
need to show that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well
and that you will fit in with the company and the team in which you will
work.
You should dress appropriately for the interview and should leave home
earlier than you need to on the day of the interview - you may be delayed by
traffic or for other reasons. Be polite to all employees of the company. At
the interview itself you must be positive about yourself and your abilities.
Questions you may want to ask an interviewer:
The interview is a two-way process. The company interviewing you will want
to find out whether you are suitable for the position and you will want to
find out if the company and position are right for you. You should therefore
ensure that you have enough information to make up your mind whether you
want the job. For example:
-
What will my
responsibilities be?
-
Who will I report
to? (who is the manager?)
-
Who will report to
me? How experienced are they? (will any people work for you?)
-
What do you expect
me to do in the first 6 months?
-
Who are the
customers?
-
What are the company
plans for the future? (Expansion plans, new markets etc.)
-
What are the chances
of promotion in this position? When?
-
What will be my
salary, benefits and bonuses?
-
Will travelling be
required in this position?
-
What training do you
provide?
Group Interviews: Group interviews are used by
an employer to see how you react in a group. They will want to see if you
help or hinder the group reach its objectives. An observer will be watching
to see how you take criticism, whether you take on leadership roles and
involve less communicative group members. If you chair the meeting the
observer will be checking on how you plan and keep control of the meeting.
If you are leading a group activity the observer will be interested in
seeing how good you are at delegating tasks and how much of the work you
keep for yourself.
Panel Interviews:
Most people dislike these sort of interviews, where there are three or more
people who interview you together. To do well you will need to identify the
important figures on the panel and which role each person has. The
chairperson is easy to identify as they will generally make the
introductions. When you are talking to the panel, remember that you are
talking to all of them and not just the person who posed a particular
question - your answer has to be the correct one for each panel member!
Job Interview Body Language:
When you are being interviewed it is very important that you give out the
right signals. You should always look interested - so do not slouch in your
chair. Never lie to anyone in an interview, your body language and tone of
voice or the words you use will probably give you away - classic body
language giveaways include scratching your nose and not looking directly at
the other person when you are speaking to them.
Factors that can stop you getting the job:
-
Being unprepared for
the interview.
-
Poor handshake.
-
Saying unfavourable
things about previous employers.
-
Not being able to
communicate clearly and effectively.
-
Being aggressive or
acting in a superior way.
-
Making excuses for
failings.
Interview questions you may be asked: Before
attending an interview you should think about your responses to the
following questions. Your answers may depend on the job or company in
question, so you should go through your responses just before each
interview.
-
Why do you want this
job? Think carefully about this question. Talk about the positive
aspects which have attracted you to applying for this position. Do not
mention the negative aspects of your current job or the job in question.
-
What qualities do
you think will be required for this job? The advertisement for the job
may help you a little bit, but you should also think of the other
qualities that may be required. These may include leadership ability,
supervisory skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem
solving, analytical skills, etc.
-
Why do you want to
work for our company? Emphasise the positive reasons why you want to
join their company, but avoid aspects such as more money or shorter
hours.
-
What do you know
about this company? This is your chance to impress the interviewer with
your knowledge of their company. Give them a run down of their products
or services, sales figures, news, company figures, customers, etc.
-
You have not done
this sort of job before, how will you cope/succeed? Say that you are the
sort of person who aims to succeed at everything you do and that you are
very determined and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.
-
Why should we employ
you? The answer to this question will be based on your previous
experience and achievements which relate to the company. At the end you
could add that you think there is a good fit between you and the job,
and do ask the interviewer for their opinion.
-
How ambitious are
you? Depending on the position you are applying for you may want to
sound fairly ambitious, but do not look as if you are after the
interviewer's position.
-
Do you prefer to
work in a small, medium or large company? If the company interviewing
you is a small to medium sized company say that you enjoy a close
atmosphere with a good team spirit. At a large company say that you
enjoy the stability of working for a large and established company.
-
How would you
describe yourself? / How would others describe you? Pick your best
attributes and achievements from your career, education etc.
-
Do you mind working
for someone older than yourself? / Younger than you? / Of the opposite
sex? Here you can say that you are prepared to work with anyone
-
What interests do
you have outside work? Your hobbies and interests can tell an employer a
lot about you, including whether you are sociable, and whether you can
take on 'leadership' roles. So you should think about which interests
will paint the right picture of you given the position you are
discussing.
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