TEFL Interview Questions And How to Answer Them

But first let’s look at what the TEFL job application process entails.

These days the majority of jobs teaching English as a foreign language are found online. This is not to say they are online jobs but job postings have, on the whole, moved online.

There are loads of different jobs boards, such as The TEFL Academy jobs board, that you can look on to find jobs. Then you simply send a good cover letter along with your CV to the email supplied and wait to be contacted. 

If you make it through the first round, you’ll be contacted for an interview over Zoom or Skype. If you’re successful in the interview then it’s likely that you’ll be offered the job.

If, however, you are already in the country where you want to teach then you don’t need to look online. Instead, you can pound the pavements and drop off your CV at any schools you know are looking for teachers, or even prospectively at schools you want to work at. 

The same interview process will apply though: if they like your CV and cover letter they will contact you for an interview

The next question is how to ace that interview! 

The first step to being prepared for a TEFL interview (besides applying fresh deodorant to your sweaty armpits) is to consider what questions they are likely to ask. Here are 13 common interview questions you might be asked in a TEFL interview. 

Why do you want to teach English?

This is not the time to explain how teaching English is your ticket to travelling the world! Focus on the reasons you want to teach English that relate more to interacting with people on a daily basis, and your passion for the English language (and other languages). If it’s a job interview for Young Learners, then you could throw in something about your love for kids too. Save your wanderlust stories for your mom!

Why do you want to teach abroad?

We all have our reasons for wanting to leave our 9-to-5 lives and embark on a crazy TEFL adventure, but it’s probably not appropriate to tell your future employer about your crazy colleagues or why you need to move away from your ex! 

Rather think about what aspects of teaching appeal to you that are not related to running away, travelling or re-inventing yourself. They don’t have to be specific reasons – I love the idea of teaching Spanish kindergarten students – but can be more general – I’m looking for a job that will challenge me and allow me to grow and develop new skills.

Why do you want to work in Thailand/Germany/Mexico?

This is your chance to show that you’ve done your research. Doing your research into your employer shows that you’re serious about the job opportunity, and for TEFL this means the location. 

The location of your teaching position is part and parcel of the job so it’s a necessary aspect to consider. Of course, you don’t want to make it seem like you are taking the job for the free flights but understanding the country and the culture you are moving to will help the employers believe that you are ready for the position and will be able to cope with any issues arising from relocation.

What previous teaching experience do you have? 

Obviously if you have no experience teaching, you cannot reference your experience in the classroom. However, whatever career you are currently in or whatever you do have experience in should have transferrable skills which you can highlight. 

For example, if you work in customer service, this will have taught you how to deal with different kinds of people and probably how to have oodles of patience too, which are very good skills and traits you can use when dealing with students.

Also, if you did any practical teaching on your TEFL course – teaching EFL students or your fellow TEFL trainees or online – that counts as teaching experience. And any experience tutoring, au pairing, sports coaching, or anything which involves taking care of children counts too.

What do you enjoy most about teaching English? 

The key here is not to focus entirely on the travel aspect of teaching abroad or else you risk being considered a flight risk. 

Of course it’s a big part of why we do what we do but the important part of teaching English abroad or online is the teaching part. Consider how you are changing your students’ circumstances.

Then think about how teaching English abroad will add value to your life through the acquisition of skills and the gaining of experience.

What type of learners do you most enjoy teaching?

While it’s ok to prefer to teach a certain age group, you shouldn’t be adamant about which students you would or wouldn’t want to teach. Employers like to know that you are flexible and open to teaching all ages, if necessary. Of course everyone has a preference but make it known that you would welcome the challenge of teaching other ages too.

What do you think makes a good TEFL teacher?

This is similar to What are your strengths and weaknesses? When you answer this question, the interviewer will be able to understand your theories around teaching and learning, as well as the characteristics of your own teaching style. 

When you answer this question, make sure you consider the different responsibilities of a TEFL teacher besides teaching, such as classroom management, discipline style, rapport and communication.

How would you deal with discipline in the classroom?

Discipline is a controversial issue and how you deal with it depends on the students you’re teaching and the situation you’re teaching in. For this question, it’s better to be open-minded than to be set in your ways as to what works and what doesn’t. 

Instead, consider how different approaches may benefit different learners and also ways in which you might approach the classroom in order to try to prevent discipline issues from developing in the first place.

How would you teach phrasal verbs/the present perfect/listening skills?

Unfortunately, there’s no shortcut for this and you’ll need to rely on your TEFL training for a good answer. Whichever language point or structure they ask about you will need to have a few ideas up your sleeve as to how you could teach it. 

A good way to prepare for this is to come up a few activities for grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Then, to answer the question all you have to do is choose which activities would suit the language point.

If you find you are not familiar with the language point and have no ideas, simply say that you would need to do your homework before the lesson to make sure you knew what you were teaching and to have some ideas about how to teach it. We’re not expected to know everything all the time but we are expected to be proactive and take steps to deal with any shortcomings in our knowledge.

Take me through an activity that has worked well with a class.

Obviously if you haven’t taught a class, this can be difficult. But you may have had some classroom training on your TEFL course with classmates or students and this is just as valid. 

Think of an activity or game which is relatively easy to explain and go through the procedure step by step. What the employer is looking for here is evidence that you understand the purpose of an activity – to present/practice/revise adjectives of personality/the present perfect/compound nouns – and know how to execute it.

Take me through an activity that hasn’t worked well with a class.

Again, if you haven’t had any classroom experience you may need to be a bit creative. Consider an activity that you came across during your TEFL course and think about how it might not work with a particular class. 

For example, a very interactive game may not work with a class that is very shy or low-energy, or a certain activity may not work because the abilities and knowledge of the class were over/underestimated. 

Be honest about the fact that this is a hypothetical situation and your employer will appreciate the fact that you can predict tricky situations and come up with solutions to anticipated problems.

Do you have any questions for us?

Finally, there is one more question you are likely to be asked, and that is: Do you have any questions for us? While it might be tempting to answer a quick No so you can finish the interview, this is a chance for you to show off. Show that you are serious about the position by asking questions about the job specifications. 

Good questions to ask are:

• How many hours will I teach in a week?
• How big are the classes?
• Do I have an assistant?
• Is there suitable accommodation near the school?
• How many other foreign teachers are in the school?

Remember, no matter what they may throw at you, remaining cool, calm and collected is your best bet for acing a job interview. 

And, of course, having a TEFL qualification from an accredited and internationally recognised TEFL provider is helpful too. Sign up with The TEFL Academy today to put your best foot forward in your TEFL interview.