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Secondary School Interviews
by Mike Zee
School interviews in Hong Kong have long been an integral part of the school admissions process. As much as written assignments and exam results are emphasized at school, the fact is that verbal and interpersonal skills have always been a factor in a student’s chances of admission. However, in the last ten years, admissions committees have been allowing student interviews to carry an increasing amount of weight in the entrance applications they receive. The reason for this revolves around the belief that solid verbal communication skills among students help reinforce a strong, positive learning environment in their classrooms. Today in fact, presentations and group discussions have become an important part of the curricula in most secondary school programs in Hong Kong. With local public exams and international university admissions exams placing unprecedented emphasis on speaking and listening skills, it is only natural that secondary school programs follow suit.
Preparing for secondary school admissions interviews can be a daunting task for any student, let alone those who are not yet comfortable expressing themselves fully in English. To make matters worse, these interviews can carry a weight of up to 40-60% of a student’s application. If that’s not pressure on a primary school student, I don’t know what is! As a parent myself, I do find the idea of a 10-minute “make or break” school interview a bit hard to swallow, particularly if a student has worked diligently to achieve good, solid results on paper. However, the system is how it is, and we—as parents, tutors, and students—have little choice but to face the unenviable task of tackling the interview process head-on. With that, I thought it might be helpful to offer a few pointers for students to keep in mind as they practice and prepare.
Listen up, students!
Nervousness is natural. Hiding it takes practice; eliminating it takes a ton of practice. If you want to begin and end your interview confidently, you have to familiarize yourself with the types of questions that you can be asked. Without the possibility of surprises, you can be sure that you’re headed for a smooth interview from start to finish.
Be heard. Being soft-spoken can be an attribute at times, but certainly not in an interview! Be sure that you speak clearly and loud enough to be heard. If you don’t, it won’t matter how great your responses are; they won’t hear or understand what you’re saying.
Smile. If you’re having a bad day, don’t let it show during the interview. Interviewers are looking for signs of interest and enthusiasm and the willingness to express as much. In this respect, an interview is like role playing, and it may help to think of it this way. Your role is that of an enthusiastic student with a pleasant personality. If you fit this description the morning of your interview, then you’ll be one step ahead of the rest!
Don’t slouch. Posture is very important in expressing confidence and enthusiasm. If you slouch, you’re telling the interviewer that you’re not interested, even if you really are. Try sitting up straight with your shoulders slightly pulled back. Practice this over and over until it becomes natural to you.
Be polite. You would be surprised how many students forget simple things like correctly greeting interviewers and saying “thank you” after interviews are completed. The last thing you want is to be remembered as an impolite student!
Maintain eye contact. This lets everyone know that they have your full attention when they’re speaking. It also lets them know how sincere you are when you’re speaking.
Types of interviews and interview activities that may be used include:
· Traditional 1-on-1 interviews
· Group discussions
· Picture description
· Listening comprehension
· Picture A/Picture B – Find the differences
Students should practice doing each of these activities as well as rehearse the most common questions asked in private interviews. In my opinion, there are about 50 standard questions that students need to be ready to answer. Specific responses don’t need to be memorized, but ideas and content do.
I often advise students to create “Top 3” lists for common questions like…
· What are your favorite English books?
· Why do you want to attend our school?
· Why would you be a good fit for our school?
· What are your main strengths?
· What are your weaknesses?
The list goes on and on, and the time to brainstorm ideas for these questions is before the interview, not during the interview.
I hope these tips are useful. I know how important (and stressful) these interviews can be. The key point to remember is that solid preparation will reduce uncertainty and give students the confidence they need to perform well.
All the best!
[ 本帖最後由 Pris 於 10-3-4 00:23 編輯 ] |
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發表於 10-3-4 00:20
