aiMOOC

E8 E - Job interview mini role-play

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E8 E - Job interview mini role-play

Mini-description: You take part in a short fictional English internship interview. You introduce yourself, talk about interests and skills, react to follow-up questions and ask one question of your own.

Target group: English as a first foreign language, Class 8, Baden-Württemberg, E level.

Speaking frame: 2 speakers, about 3–4 minutes, natural but clear English. Short preparation, then increasingly spontaneous speaking.

Einleitung

English first. Look, listen and try before you use help.

Learning path: context → try → ask → hint → short German help if needed.

This aiMOOC trains a realistic but fictional job interview for a school internship. The focus is on clear communication, not on sounding like a native speaker.

Media start – watch selectively: Watch about one minute of the British Council interview. Do not copy the adult language word for word. Notice three things instead:

How does the candidate greet the interviewers?
How does she give more than a one-word answer?
What makes an answer sound prepared but still natural?

Think: Which behaviour would also work in a short Class 8 internship interview? Which parts are too formal or too advanced for your situation?

I can ...

After this aiMOOC, you can:

introduce yourself in about 4–6 clear sentences.
explain two interests and two useful skills with short examples.
answer common follow-up questions without reading a full script.
ask one relevant question about a fictional internship.
use simple repair strategies when you need time or do not understand.
report parts of an interview using passive forms and reported speech at E level.
give specific peer feedback and improve your own answer.

Before you start: what do you already know?

With a partner, answer in English first:

What could an interviewer ask a student who wants a one-week internship?

Write five possible questions. Then compare them with the course questions later.

Help ladder

Try: Use words you already know.
Ask: Ask your partner for one useful word.
Hint: Start with Tell me about..., Why are you interested in..., What are you good at...?
Deutsch nur wenn nötig: Denke an Vorstellung, Interessen, Stärken, Erfahrungen und eine Rückfrage.

Context: your fictional internship

You are applying for a fictional one-week school internship at GreenByte Community Lab. The organisation runs small environmental and digital projects for young people.

Important: All profiles in this course are fictional. Do not use private addresses, phone numbers, passwords, social-media handles or other personal data.

Candidate profile – Sam

14 years old
interested in technology, drawing and environmental projects
enjoys working in a team
has helped to organise a school project day
can explain ideas clearly
wants to learn how a small project team works

Interviewer profile – Jordan

project coordinator
friendly but asks follow-up questions
wants concrete examples
gives Sam time to think

Listening and Viewing

Viewing challenge: spot the problem. This British Council clip shows an intentionally weak interview.

While watching a short section, note:

one answer that is too vague, exaggerated or inappropriate.
one moment when the candidate could have given a better example.
one question the candidate should have asked at the end.

Media literacy: A teaching video can exaggerate mistakes to make them visible. Do not assume that every real interview follows the same style.

Listening strategy

Do not try to understand every word.

Listen for:

the question type.
key words about interests, experience or skills.
examples.
signals such as because, for example, so and I learned.

If you miss something:

First listen again.
Then use the visual context.
Then compare with a partner.
Only then use subtitles or a short German hint if available.

Reading: a short model interview

Interviewer: Hi Sam. Thanks for coming. Could you introduce yourself?

Sam: Hi, I’m Sam. I’m in Year 8 and I’m interested in technology and environmental projects. I also like drawing and working with other people.

Interviewer: Why are you interested in this internship?

Sam: I’d like to see how a project team works. At school, I helped organise a project day, and I enjoyed planning things with others.

Interviewer: What is one skill you could bring to the team?

Sam: I’m quite good at explaining ideas. For example, I made a simple poster and presentation for our project group.

Interviewer: What would you like to improve?

Sam: I’d like to become more confident when I speak to new people.

Interviewer: Do you have a question for me?

Sam: Yes. What kind of tasks could a student do during the internship?

Reading task: Find one sentence for each function: self-introduction, interest, skill, example, development goal and follow-up question.

Context vocabulary

English	Use in an interview
interest	I’m interested in ...
skill	One skill I can bring is ...
experience	I have some experience with ...
teamwork	I enjoy working in a team because ...
responsible	I was responsible for ...
improve	I’d like to improve ...
task	What kind of tasks would I do?
strength	One of my strengths is ...

Precision challenge: Avoid empty words such as good when you can be more exact. Compare:

I’m good at teamwork.
I listen to other people and share ideas in group projects.

The second answer gives evidence.

Pronunciation and intelligibility

Goal: be easy to understand. Accent-free English is not the goal.

Practise these chunks:

I’m interested in ...
One of my strengths is ...
For example, ...
Could you repeat the question, please?
Let me think for a moment.

Focus on:

stressing important content words.
not rushing.
using a short pause before an example.
raising your voice slightly when you genuinely ask a question.

Repair language

Sorry, could you repeat that?
Do you mean ...?
Let me think for a moment.
I’m not sure how to say it, but ...

Speaking: mini role-play

Round 1 – supported practice, about 2 minutes

Interviewer asks:

Could you introduce yourself?
Why are you interested in this internship?
What are two of your interests?
What is one useful skill you have?
Can you give me an example?
What would you like to learn?

Candidate answers in short, complete ideas. Notes are allowed, but no full script.

Round 2 – E-level challenge, about 3–4 minutes

Use the same opening, but the interviewer chooses two spontaneous follow-up questions from this bank:

What makes you say that?
Can you give another example?
What was difficult about that?
What did you learn from it?
How would that skill help our team?
What would you do if you did not understand a task?

At the end, the candidate asks one relevant question.

Perspective switch: Change roles. As interviewer, listen for evidence, not just confident delivery.

Speaking help ladder

Level 1 – keywords only self → interest → skill → example → learning goal → own question

Level 2 – sentence starters

I’m interested in ... because ...
One skill I can bring is ...
For example, I ...
I learned that ...
I’d like to improve ...
Could you tell me ...?

Level 3 – interaction support

That’s an interesting question.
Let me think for a moment.
If I understand you correctly, ...
Could you explain what you mean by ...?

Kurze deutsche Hilfe, nur wenn nötig: Antworte nicht nur mit Eigenschaften. Nenne möglichst ein kurzes Beispiel, das deine Aussage belegt.

Functional grammar for the interview

Grammar serves communication. Keep it useful and short.

Passive: productive at M/E level

Use the passive when the action or result is more important than the person who did it.

Useful examples

Our project day was organised by students and teachers.
I was asked to design a poster.
The tasks were explained at the start.

Mini-transfer: After your role-play, say two passive sentences about what happened.

Reported speech: E-level follow-up

Use reported speech to summarise the interview afterwards.

Statements with backshift Direct: Sam says, “I enjoy teamwork.” Reported later: Sam said that they enjoyed teamwork.

Reported questions Direct: “Why are you interested in the internship?” Reported: The interviewer asked Sam why they were interested in the internship.

Direct: “Can you work in a team?” Reported: The interviewer asked Sam whether they could work in a team.

Reported commands or requests Direct: “Please give me an example.” Reported: The interviewer asked Sam to give an example.

E challenge: Report one statement, one question and one request from your role-play.

Receptive grammar: recognise, do not overproduce

At G level, past perfect and passive can be understood receptively; reported speech may be used without backshift. At M/E level, passive forms and reported speech with backshift, questions and commands become productive.

For E-level receptive extension, recognise the past perfect progressive:

She had been preparing for the interview for several days before it started.

You only need to understand the time relationship here. You do not need to force this form into your interview.

Writing: build a flexible answer bank

Do not write a complete speech to memorise.

Create a small answer bank with six boxes:

self-introduction
one interest
one skill
one example
one learning goal
one question for the interviewer

Each box: maximum two short sentences.

Then revise one answer with this structure:

Point → example → link

Example pattern: I’m organised. For example, I helped plan our class project day. That could help me when a team has several small tasks.

Mediation mini-task

A German classmate says:

„Ich möchte erklären, dass ich noch nicht viel Arbeitserfahrung habe, aber bei Schulprojekten zuverlässig Aufgaben übernehme.“

Do not translate word for word. Give the meaning naturally in simple interview English.

Possible strategy: Start with I don’t have much work experience yet, but ...

Media comparison and critical viewing

The BBC Learning English clip focuses on introductions in a workplace.

Compare:

Which phrases sound natural for meeting someone?
Which phrases fit a job interview?
Which phrases would sound too adult, too formal or unrelated in a Class 8 internship interview?

Then watch selected parts of this longer lesson only if you want more challenge:

E-level media task: Choose one tip that helps you structure an answer. Explain why it is useful and where the video may be designed for adult job applicants rather than school students.

Direct feedback

After each role-play, the listener gives:

One success: “Your example was clear because ...”
One question: “Could you explain ... a little more?”
One next step: “Next time, try to ...”

Use these feedback codes:

C = content: Is the answer relevant?
E = evidence: Is there an example?
I = interaction: Does the speaker react to follow-up questions?
L = language: Is the wording clear and precise?
P = pronunciation: Is the speaker easy to understand?

Rule: Feedback should improve communication, not judge personality, accent or identity.

Fehleranalyse

Read the four answers. Improve each one.

A: I am teamwork.

B: I am interested on computers.

C: My strength is responsible.

D: The interviewer asked me what do I like.

Possible focus

word form
preposition
adjective versus noun
word order in reported questions

Self-correction routine: Find → explain → improve → use the corrected form in a new sentence.

Safe and responsible media use

Use fictional profiles in classroom role-plays.
Do not add private social-media accounts, contact details or other unnecessary personal data.
Audio or video recordings are voluntary and should stay private unless everyone involved has clearly agreed to another use.
Do not upload recordings or texts to external AI services without permission.
If you use AI for practice, check its language level, factual claims and feedback.
AI may support revision, but it should not replace your own speaking or writing.
Treat accents and varieties of English respectfully; intelligibility is more important than accent imitation.
Avoid cultural stereotypes about employers, applicants or workplaces.

Transfer

Choose one new fictional setting:

sports club internship
local library internship
bicycle repair workshop
environmental project
media workshop

Adapt only four parts:

your interests
your skills
your example
your question to the interviewer

Keep the interview structure. Change the content.

Can-do check

I can ...	Not yet	With help	Independently
introduce myself clearly	□	□	□
give a reason for my interest	□	□	□
support a skill with an example	□	□	□
react to an unexpected follow-up question	□	□	□
ask a useful question at the end	□	□	□
report one interview question afterwards	□	□	□
use feedback to improve one answer	□	□	□

Next course: E8 E - Internship follow-up email

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which opening is suitable for a short internship interview? (Hi, I’m Sam. Thanks for inviting me.) (!Yo, what’s up?) (!Give me the internship.) (!I have nothing to say.)

Which answer gives useful evidence for a skill? (I’m organised. For example, I helped plan our class project day.) (!I’m organised because I’m organised.) (!Organisation is a word.) (!I have many skills and they are all perfect.)

Which phrase helps you gain thinking time naturally? (Let me think for a moment.) (!Stop asking questions.) (!I will not answer.) (!That question is wrong.)

Which is a suitable follow-up question from an interviewer? (Can you give me an example?) (!What is your private password?) (!What is your social-media login?) (!Why is your accent different?)

Which question could a student ask at the end? (What kind of tasks could a student do during the internship?) (!Can I avoid every task?) (!Will I become the boss immediately?) (!Can you give me your private account details?)

Which sentence uses the passive correctly? (I was asked to design a poster.) (!I asked was to design a poster.) (!I was ask design a poster.) (!I asking by a poster.)

Which sentence correctly reports a question? (The interviewer asked why I was interested in the internship.) (!The interviewer asked why was I interested in the internship.) (!The interviewer asked why am interested I.) (!The interviewer asked why interested the internship.)

What is the main pronunciation goal in this course? (To be easy to understand.) (!To remove every trace of an accent.) (!To speak as fast as possible.) (!To copy one single English accent exactly.)

What should you do with a classroom interview recording? (Keep it private unless everyone clearly agrees to another use.) (!Upload it automatically.) (!Post it with full names and contact details.) (!Send it to external services without permission.)

What makes an E-level role-play more demanding? (Spontaneous follow-up questions and flexible answers.) (!Reading every answer from a full script.) (!Using only one-word answers.) (!Avoiding interaction.)

Memory

self-introduction	short opening about who you are
interest	something you enjoy or want to learn more about
skill	an ability you can use in a task
evidence	a concrete example that supports a statement
follow-up	an extra question based on an earlier answer
repair phrase	language that helps when communication becomes difficult

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Self-introduction	Say who you are and give brief context.
Interest	Explain why the internship appeals to you.
Skill example	Give evidence from school, hobbies or projects.
Follow-up response	React to an extra question without reading a script.
Own question	Ask about suitable internship tasks or learning opportunities.

Kreuzworträtsel

Internship	What English word describes a short period of practical work experience?
Teamwork	What skill means working effectively with other people?
Confident	Which adjective can describe someone who speaks with growing self-assurance?
Interviewer	What do you call the person who asks the interview questions?
Feedback	What do you call information that helps someone improve?
Volunteer	What word can describe a person who helps without being forced to do so?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

30-second introduction: Prepare and deliver a 30-second self-introduction using only five keywords as notes.
Skill example: Choose one skill and write one concrete school, hobby or project example that proves it.
Chunk practice: Practise three interview chunks slowly, then repeat them at natural speed while keeping important words clear.
Question upgrade: Turn three yes-no interview questions into open questions that could lead to fuller answers.

Standard

Two-minute interview: Perform a short interview with one spontaneous follow-up question and one candidate question at the end.
Meaning not word-for-word: Explain a short German statement about school-project experience in natural English without translating every word directly.
Peer coaching: Use the C-E-I-L-P feedback codes to give one success and one precise next step to a partner.
Flexible answer bank: Create six short answer boxes and revise one answer using point → example → link.

Schwer

Follow-up challenge: Complete a 3–4 minute interview in which the interviewer selects two follow-up questions you have not prepared.
Interview report: Report one statement, one question and one request from the interview using suitable E-level reported speech.
Media comparison: Compare two embedded interview videos and explain which advice transfers well to a Class 8 internship interview and which does not.
New setting: Move the role-play to a new fictional workplace and adapt the interests, skills, examples and questions without changing the interaction structure.

Lernkontrolle

Evidence test: You hear the answer “I’m creative.” Explain what information is still missing and add a suitable fictional example.
Unexpected follow-up: Respond spontaneously to “What did you learn from that experience?” and connect your answer to a possible internship task.
Mediation decision: A classmate gives you a long German explanation of a school project. Decide which two ideas matter most in the English interview and reformulate them concisely.
Functional grammar: After a role-play, produce one passive sentence and one reported question that accurately describe what happened.
Revision: Use peer feedback to improve one interview answer. Explain which change makes the answer clearer or more convincing.
Transfer from media: Select one piece of advice from an embedded video and explain both its value and one limitation for a 14-year-old school internship context.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, show that you can:

take part in a 3–4 minute fictional internship interview with two speakers.
introduce yourself, name interests and explain useful skills.
support at least one skill with a concrete example.
react to at least two follow-up questions with limited preparation.
ask one relevant question at the end.
use repair language when necessary.
use at least one productive passive form appropriately.
report one statement, one question and one request after the interview.
give and use specific peer feedback.
reflect briefly on how your second version improved.
protect personal data and keep any optional recording private unless clear consent for another use exists.

OERs zum Thema

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The images used above come from Wikimedia Commons and are integrated as learning prompts. Check the individual Commons file page for author, exact licence and attribution details.