Job Discussion Forums

gogolucky26 · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 16

Okay so I had my Interview for ECC in CANADA a few weeks ago. It was not as bad as I thought It was going to be. As a matter of fact it was the most easy going interview process I ever went through. All the other canidates were nice and I felt like I was in school rather than an interview. So the best thing is to relax and be cheerful and be PREPARED! So this is how the interview went

1. General Info and Q & A - Interviewer gave us ECC general info which he let us read for 1/2 hour than we asked questions. This took all morning, so look interested (try not to fall asleep Smile

and ask questions!

2. Demostration- Was actually the part of the interview I was dreading but it turned out to be the most fun part. The interviewer did a demostration first. Then we took a break. So you have time to prepare and you have a general idea of what to do. He gave us props that we could use. Each canidate was given a topic ( food, animals, feelings..).
My advice be energetic, use props, show your energy and smile...smile smile. If you get stuck...do not show it and get fustrated. Work through it and stay positive. Don't go too fast.. go slow, The demo was for seven minutes. You get points for going first. I went second. If you do not want to go first, thats fine, I would try not to go last. The sooner to get it over with. One thing that made me a little nervous, was the interviewer, taking notes and looking at us with a blank face. and your thinking to yourself ..Did I do okay?, but at the end the interviewer tells you how it went and what you can work on.

THE DREADED GRAMMER TEST- Okay people do not be fooled this test is designed to trick you up...the interviewer even said it. Trust your gut! This was the only part i hated, there is no way to really study for it. Its a 100 ques, multiple choice..so you have room to make errors. I know you thinking multiple choice is not so bad. Okay if the test was mainly for example a sentence...and you had to identify the verbs, and they gave you words in the sentence to pick from than it would have been fine. Instead it was long senteces, with words underlined and you had to pick which word or phrase that should be corrected. Some I knew right away. Some I had to read out loud to myself, to see what did not sound right. Just go with your instinct. Then you had multiple choice of mispelled words, this part is fine, and I am a bad speller, but if I see two words on the paper, like the test ..I know which is spelled wrong. Then you had a paragraph of underlined words and you had to identify the grammer term (noun, past progressive, and so on) This part I knew I had all of them right. Study for this part. The first few chapters of English Grammer for Dummies helped me ace this part. Then came definitions of education terms that I knew nothing about. Take your time on this part, I used a piece of scrap paper, so I did a process of elimination. In the end I only had two that I was unsure of.

One to One Interview - This was easygoing as well. It was basically going over a form that you get earlier. Like what is your preference of location, housing. try to be as flexible as possible. Just stress anything important that you would like ECC to know. This is when I knew I had possibly got the job because I did really well with the Demo and the interviewer was impressed. As long as I did not bomb the grammer test, I was fine.

So that was the interview It took about a week and 1/2 to know I got the Job( the longest week and 1/2 of my life, I was worried about the grammer test). I was so excited, SO GOOD LUCK EVERYONE Cool

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

Congratulations!!

I've got a job through ECC too though my interview was in Melbourne, Australia. I agree with what you said of the interview though. The Grammar Test is the hardest to do and to prepare for. As the interview said to me afterwards, it can really only be passed by people who know the language, not just those who can speak it. And that made sense to me!

Did you list a preference as to where you want to go? I didn't. I just want to go!! I currently live in a city of 200 000 people so any of the 3 cities is a big improvement for me!

gogolucky26 · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 16

I chose Chubu district, because i have friends in that area. I have not gotten my exact start date yet. some where between january and march 2006. but it looks more like end of febuary. Other than that I was flexible with everything else. I just want to go too. I am so excited, now I have to prepare and work like crazy Surprised

medi · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 10

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

medi · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 10

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

Good to see those of us who travelled far were rewarded!

I'm exactly the same with all the paperwork stuff. Sent off all the docs a few weeks ago and now the waiting begins. I didn't specify a preference or anything which makes me think Nagoya could be the place seeing as Osaka and Tokyo seem like the more popular options.

I just want to leave!!

Mamasita516 · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Kansas City, MO

gogolucky26 · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 16

[quote="Mamasita516"]

Mamasita516 · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Kansas City, MO

Wow! Thanks for the warning!

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

'Introducing dialogue' I think was another one. With the terms, it's not a matter of linking the terms to their definition, the definition is like a quote that a teacher would say.

e.g. "Bobby, you be Mr Man and Stacey, you be Miss Woman"

Then you have to link what best suits that example with the term. Obviously process of elimination is the best way to go.

medi · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 10

I can remember "realia", "chaining", "role play", "introducing a dialogue". Sorry that's it.
I think most would agree it's tough, so be prepared but don't stress out!

kdynamic · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 562 Location: Japan

Mamasita516 · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Kansas City, MO

I will be prepared, but I thank you all for the warnings though! I guess the thing I am most worried about is the demo lesson. I'm worried about that more than anything else.

Birdog3344 · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 126 Location: Osaka, Japan

Don't sweat it! You'll do fine. Just remember, they're not looking for any teaching talent per se (in fact, it's possible to be overqualified). They just want to make sure you have an acceptable command of the English language and possess a reasonalbe set of social and interpersonal skills. Its more a personality test than a teaching test. Anything short of a personality disorder will give you the green light. Really, its nothing to stress over.