Conducting job interviews as an interviewer

Summary

This downloadable PDF lesson plan is designed for B2-level ESL students to develop the skills and language necessary for conducting professional job interviews. This English class material provides practical guidance for students who are, or will be, in a position to hire others, focusing on how to lead an effective and fair interview process.

This lesson helps intermediate students master the communication skills required of an interviewer. Activities include a warm-up discussion, a listening exercise on best practices, and key vocabulary matching. Students will practice using modals for giving advice and forming polite indirect questions. The lesson culminates in a role-play activity, allowing students to apply what they've learned in a simulated interview setting, building both confidence and competence.

Activities

• A warm-up discussion where students share their experiences with job interviews and brainstorm the qualities of a good interviewer.
• A listening comprehension exercise focused on essential tips for conducting interviews, reinforcing key vocabulary like "non-verbal cues" and "assess."
• Grammar practice on using modal verbs (should, must not) for advice and obligation, and transforming direct questions into more polite indirect forms.
• A structured role-play where students take turns being the interviewer and the candidate for a specific job, putting all the learned vocabulary and grammar into practice.

Tips for interviewers

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Vocabulary focus

The vocabulary section introduces essential terms for the interview context. Key phrases include "non-verbal cues," "at ease," "leading question," "assess," and "rapport." Students will learn these terms to better understand, structure, and analyze the dynamics of a professional interview.

Grammar focus

This lesson concentrates on two key grammar points. First, it covers modals of advice and obligation like "should" and "must not" to discuss rules and best practices for interviewers. Second, it focuses on forming and using "indirect questions" to ask for information in a more polite and professional manner.