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As we’ve discussed, interviewing is crucial for evaluating international students. But for this same reason, it’s essential to make sure that you have a good game plan for conducting the interview.
Most students will have been prepared and rehearsed for their interview. This is natural and normal and may help to make the student feel more confident, but canned answers won’t help with your evaluation.
For that reason, it’s best to begin the interview with common questions the student is expecting. This will help the student relax and open up, allowing you to get to more in-depth, conversational questions shortly after that.
Even students who have prepared, however, may be lacking the English skills necessary to thrive in your school. In that case, we recommend letting the student try to answer the questions, but wrapping up the interview by giving information about the school programs and telling positive stories about other international students’ experiences. That way, even if the student is rejected, he or she will have had a good experience, and may spread the word about your school to other potential students.
One of the best tactics for ensuring that the interview is productive and useful is to come in with a set of questions, but also to naturally allow the interview to progress as a conversation.
After the international student answers a question, try asking “how” or “why” questions to probe a bit deeper into the topic. This will naturally let the conversation evolve in complexity and give you an idea for the student’s ability to sustain a conversation without getting confused.
For example, if a student tells you that he likes to cook, you can ask him which is his favorite dish to prepare. Then, you could follow that by asking, “Can you tell me the process of making that dish?”
Beginning with a simple yes or no question, and then progressing to more in-depth how or why questions will help ensure that you get past the easily-memorized formulaic answers.
At the same time, you should be vigilant to avoid cheating. You should, of course, begin by making sure that the student’s passport picture matches the person you are interviewing. But beyond that, look for signs that there are other people in the room during the interview or signs that a student is reading an answer off of his or her screen. (A natural cue of this is when a student has a long pause and then looks intently at the screen before answering each question.)
It’s your choice whether to address this behavior or not. You are welcome to say something like, “Having someone else in the room can be distracting. Can you please find a room where you can be alone?”
Sometimes, it may be the student’s parents in the room who are just looking to see how their child is faring. If that’s the case, you’re welcome to briefly invite the parent into the interview to say hello and chat for a moment, and then politely ask them to leave.
Positive reinforcement is essential to make students stop reading their notes. After encouraging them to stop by saying something like, “It seems as if you are reading your answers. I understand that you are nervous, and people can rely on notes when they are nervous. I will ask a few simpler questions, and you and I can talk like we are two friends,” be sure to smile and nod. Of course, do not provide positive reinforcement for reading answers.
In general, too, it’s critical to maintain positive energy. The interview process can be tiring for a student, and your positive energy will help them stay energized, too. Remember that the interview is the first interaction this student will have of your school, so it’s important to leave them with a good impression. You may also find including an ESL teacher or a current student in the interview can help your student stay positive and open.
As for determining English proficiency, we suggest using the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines, provided here.
Need some pointers on how to ensure your international and exchange students are understanding you? Check out the next post “9 Tips for Speaking with International and Exchange Students“.
