Job Discussion Forums

[thaitom]

Today I had two phone interviews one for a high school the other a private institute teaching adults. They both asked me to prepare a Demo lesson, is this a normal procedure ??

[Shroob]

Not for China. I don't think it's anything to be worried about, given the reputation/professionalism most Chinese employers have they are probably checking to see if you match the picture you sent them or that you can speak English. At least with the public institutions.

[thaitom]

Can someone here help me to interpret what they mean by this;

I hope another talk with you on Skype if you find a better Internet environment, then you may show me your class for several minutes and I will have a better understanding of you

Seriously I'm at a lose as to what they would expect from me.

Thanks for any help with this.

[Denim-Maniac]

If you have already spoken on Skype to them, I think Shroobs advice wouldnt apply in this case. Its quite true that lots of employers may just want to use Skype to hear you speak English and see your face, but if they've done that already, the request for a demo lesson is just that. A request to see how you teach.

I recently had a Skype interview (not for a China job) and I was asked to show the interviewer how I would teach the word 'convenient'. I was then asked to show how I would correct and address the problem of a student talking about his job saying 'I am answering the phone, I am serving the customers, I am making the sales'.

In your example, they are perhaps giving you the floor, and asking you to prepare something that you can 'pretend teach' to your interviewer. It probably doesnt need to be a long lesson demo, but perhaps a activity or two for the employer to assess how you may handle things such as error correction, grading of speech, and the balance between talk time.

Its probably not a big issue, but best to over-prepare for such things rather than rely on / or hope for the scenario Shroob described. If that is all they want thats fine, but if they do want more at least you are prepared.

[johntpartee]

This must be Meten. Even if it ain't, places that get this anal about the hiring process are worth a pass. Doesn't portend well for the workplace environment. I suppose one could say they are diligent in their screening of teachers, but anybody could fake all this stuff; especially considering that the person conducting the screening doesn't speak very well English.

[Denim-Maniac]

I dont think thats a fair comment to honest john. Neither of us know how poor or good the interviewers English is. My Chinese teaching manager would be very capable of such an interview and it is quite fair to ask for some kind of demo. Its not especially diligent, but just a practice that reeks of common sense really.

I would agree that in this example, more instuctions are needed. If the interviewee doesnt quite understand whats expected of him something has gone wrong in this process but overall I think its quite fair.

I dont interview or recruit or have anything to do with that process in the places I work, but if I did I would probably ask for the same thing. If anyone refused that, Id be very happy to pass on them.

Ill just add I totally bombed in that recent Skype interview I had where I was asked to show how Id handle two scenarios. I didnt get offered the job either, but that was my failing, not that of the employer.

[johntpartee]

Fair enough, Denim, I was going by the message that the OP got from the place; the person that wrote that was not exactly a fluent WRITER of English......

[doogsville]

Could it be that the market is changing, albeit slowly? I had to do a demo for my current uni job. It was weird because there were no students, just a panel of six teachers and admin staff. I had to say things like 'at this point I would ask the students to ...' Both of my colleagues had to do Skype interviews and a demo too.

Perhaps employers are just becoming more professional and demanding, at least at the interview stage.

Then again, this could just be a blip, an employer who read about Skype interviews somewhere and thinks it makes them look good.

[Javelin of Radiance]

A Skype demo seems a bit weird to me. You're just sitting in front of a computer reading from a lesson plan, aren't you? There's no motion or activity, no use of body language, no blackboard or other tools, no students. It all looks too phony and scripted to me and I can't see how it's an accurate measure of someone's ability. Someone can enlighten me though.

[GreatApe]

I work for an I.S. and have to interview and evaluate demonstration lessons all the time. We've never done a Skype interview or asked a teacher to do a demo on Skype either, but I know it's not uncommon. I've been asked to do both --not for the job I'm currently in-- on a couple of occasions.

We always try to put teachers we are thinking of hiring in front of actual students and see how they perform. Giving a demonstration lesson to administrators without actual students present is a pretty tough job, particularly if the administrators' English skills are questionable.

I do think that the market is changing slowly. In the last year, we've turned down several white, foreign teachers for jobs either because of a lack of experience or --in the case of one Italian guy-- because his personality didn't seem to mesh very well. We even turned down two native English speakers, despite the fact that our school is growing rapidly and we have a shortage of native English speaking teachers.

--GA

[thaitom]

So I passed on this interview. I accepted a job in Jiangjin.

I just found it odd to do a solo demo. I do have ten years experience in South Korea I'm sure the system is basically the same when it comes to teaching children.

[Denim-Maniac]

haha, all this debate and you pass on the job anyway! Congrats on accepting the new job all the same.

Id certainly agree a face to face demo with real students would be the best scenario, but the Skype interview does have some merit. I should say I have taught English online through Skype so the medium of instruction isnt totally foreign to me, and as 'fake' as it may feel it is the teaching platform for some.

[thaitom]

Thanks! I appreciate every ones input on this.

Now I'm off to fill out all these forms.

[ecubyrd]

[Denim-Maniac]