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E9 E - Compare interview performances

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E9 E - Compare interview performances

Mini-description: Compare two short simulated interviews. Focus on clarity, relevance, politeness, fluency and response to questions. Then suggest precise improvements.

Learning flow: English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again.

Level: English as a first foreign language, Grade 9, E-level, Baden-Württemberg.

Media starter

Look at the photo for 20 seconds. Do not judge clothes, accent or personality.

Notice: What shows that this is an interview?
Predict: What questions could the interviewer ask?
Focus: What makes an answer easy to follow?

Quick task: With a partner, give three observable signs of effective interview communication. Use: I noticed … / This may help because …

I can ...

I can listen: I can identify the main point and useful details in an interview answer.
I can compare: I can compare two performances using clear criteria and evidence.
I can respond: I can answer questions and react to spontaneous follow-up questions.
I can write: I can write a coherent comparison with examples and suggestions.
I can mediate: I can pass on useful interview advice for a clear purpose and audience.
I can check: I can check whether media, sources and AI feedback are trustworthy.

Before you start

Activate prior knowledge.

Think: What makes an answer clear?
Pair: What sounds polite without sounding unnatural?
Share: Which is more useful: a long answer or a relevant answer? Explain.

Useful starter: A strong answer should … because …

Listening and viewing

Watch a short part first without notes. On the second viewing, collect evidence.

Viewing mission:

First viewing: Identify two ideas for making answers clear and focused.
Second viewing: Note one useful signposting phrase or answer strategy.
Source check: Who produced the video? Is the advice explained with examples?

Now compare with another interview model.

Do not copy a model answer. Notice how the speaker reacts to questions, adds examples and keeps the conversation moving.

The comparison criteria

Criterion	Ask yourself	Useful language
Clarity	Is the main point easy to understand?	My main point is … / For example …
Relevance	Does the answer address the question?	This is relevant because …
Politeness	Is the response respectful and appropriate?	Thanks for asking. / Could you repeat that, please?
Fluency	Does the speaker keep going with useful pauses?	Let me think for a second. / What I mean is …
Response to questions	Does the speaker answer, clarify and react to follow-ups?	Yes. A good example is … / Do you mean …?

Important: Fluency does not mean accent-free speech. Clear communication matters more than sounding like a native speaker.

Context vocabulary

relevant: directly connected to the question
concise: short but complete
evidence: a detail or example that supports a point
clarify: make meaning clearer
follow-up question: an extra question based on an earlier answer
hesitate: pause because you are thinking
filler: a word such as um used while thinking
signpost: language that shows the structure of an answer

Use again: Explain one word in English without translating it.

Two simulated interviews

Situation: Greenbridge Youth Centre is fictional. Both candidates apply for a fictional school work-experience placement. No real personal data is used.

Interview A: Jamie Reed

Interviewer: Why would you like this placement?

Jamie: I enjoy organising activities, and I would like to learn how a youth centre plans events. At school, I helped organise our charity afternoon, so I already know that clear teamwork matters.

Interviewer: Tell me about a problem you solved.

Jamie: During the charity afternoon, two groups needed the same room. First, I checked the timetable. Then I spoke to both groups and suggested a new time. It worked because everyone knew the new plan.

Interviewer: What would you do if you did not understand an instruction?

Jamie: I would ask a short follow-up question. For example, I might say, “Could you explain which task I should do first?”

Interviewer: Do you have a question for us?

Jamie: Yes. What kind of task would a student usually do in the first week?

Interview B: Taylor Brooks

Interviewer: Why would you like this placement?

Taylor: It seems good. I like lots of things and I think it could be fun. My friend also said youth centres are interesting.

Interviewer: Tell me about a problem you solved.

Taylor: I had a problem in a group once. It was difficult. We talked about it and then it was okay.

Interviewer: What would you do if you did not understand an instruction?

Taylor: I don't know. Maybe just try it.

Interviewer: Could you give an example?

Taylor: Not really.

Interviewer: Do you have a question for us?

Taylor: No.

Compare the performances

Do not write A is better without evidence. Use the criteria.

Criterion	Evidence from A	Evidence from B	Improvement idea
Clarity	Jamie structures answers with a main point and example.	Taylor's answers stay general.	Add a clear point before extra detail.
Relevance	Jamie connects experience to the placement.	Taylor mentions a friend, but this does not explain personal suitability.	Link every example back to the question.
Politeness	Jamie uses an appropriate follow-up question.	Taylor is not rude, but some answers close the conversation quickly.	Use neutral phrases that keep the exchange open.
Fluency	Jamie uses complete chunks and controlled pauses.	Taylor gives very short answers with little development.	Use thinking phrases and one supporting example.
Response to questions	Jamie answers and develops the question.	Taylor does not respond to the request for an example.	Clarify, then answer with a specific example.

Challenge: Find one feature in Interview B that could still be developed into a useful answer. Rewrite it.

Reading

Read this short evaluation.

Interview A is easier to follow because Jamie gives a clear point and then adds evidence. The answers stay close to the questions. Interview B includes some relevant ideas, but they are not developed. Taylor could improve by adding one specific example and by responding more fully to follow-up questions.

Reading task:

Find: Underline one comparison.
Explain: Which sentence contains evidence?
Challenge: Rewrite one sentence so that it sounds more precise.

Pronunciation and fluency

Listen to the word interview. Then practise useful chunks, not isolated words.

Chunking: A good example is …
Thinking time: Let me think for a second.
Clarifying: Do you mean …?
Repair: What I mean is …

Fluency target: Keep the message moving. A short thinking pause is useful. Repeating um many times can make the message harder to follow.

Peer feedback: Comment on intelligibility, stress, pausing and message flow. Do not rate accent.

Functional grammar

Use grammar to make answers clearer.

Function	Form	Example
Describe a skill or habit	Present simple	I work well in small teams.
Give a past example	Past simple	I organised the timetable.
Connect experience to now	Present perfect	I have learned to ask clear questions.
Explain a possible action	would + verb	I would ask for clarification.
Give a reason or result	because / so	The room was busy, so we changed the time.

Micro-revision: Replace It was good with a sentence that names what happened and why it mattered.

Speaking

Round 1 – prepared response: Answer two questions for about 45–60 seconds each.

Why are you interested in this placement?
Tell me about a time you worked in a team.

Round 2 – spontaneous follow-up: Your partner asks one unplanned question such as What happened next? or Why was that difficult?

Round 3 – improve and use again: Repeat one answer after feedback. Keep your own ideas; improve only clarity and structure.

Private recording option: You may record yourself only if you want to. Keep recordings private unless you explicitly choose to share them. Do not upload recordings or personal data without permission.

Hint ladder

Hint 1 – light support: Point → example → link back.

Hint 2 – language support: My main point is … / For example … / This shows that …

Hint 3 – model frame: I am interested in … because … . For example, I … . This experience could help me because … .

Hint 4 – repair phrase: I’m not sure I understood the question. Could you repeat or rephrase it, please?

Use the lowest hint level that helps you continue.

Feedback

Use two strengths + one next step.

Strength sentence: Your answer was clear when you …

Evidence sentence: For example, you said …

Next-step sentence: To make it more relevant, you could …

Avoid comments about accent, personality, clothing or cultural stereotypes.

Error analysis

Improve the message, not just the grammar.

Problem	Example	Better move
Too general	It was difficult.	Add what happened and what you did.
Off-topic detail	My friend likes the place.	Return to your own reason or experience.
No answer to follow-up	Not really.	Ask for clarification or give one small example.
Overlong answer	Many details without a main point	State the point first, then choose one useful detail.
Unchecked AI rewrite	Polished text that no longer sounds like you	Check facts, keep your own draft and revise selectively.

Writing

Write a 180–220 word comparison of Interview A and Interview B.

Your text should:

compare at least three criteria,
use evidence from both interviews,
refer to one idea from a viewing source,
suggest two realistic improvements,
use linking language such as whereas, however, because, therefore,
end with one clear conclusion about effective interview communication.

Revision pass: Check content first, then organisation, then language. Keep your original draft so you can see what you changed.

Optional mediation

A German-speaking classmate will take part in a short English interview and asks for help.

Explain the most useful advice in German in four to six sentences. Do not translate every sentence. Select what fits the classmate's purpose: answering clearly, reacting to follow-up questions and staying polite.

Media and AI check

Media: Check who created a video or image and why.
Sources: Compare advice with examples instead of trusting a single claim.
AI facts: Verify factual claims before using them.
AI feedback: Treat feedback as a suggestion, not as a final judgement.
Privacy: Do not enter private application data, names, addresses, recordings or social-media details into external AI tools without permission.
Your text: Keep your own wording and your earlier draft.

Media question: Which communication problems might be stronger in a video interview than in a face-to-face interview?

Transfer

Imagine a new situation: a short interview for a school exchange project, student council role or volunteering activity.

Prepare one answer, then react to two spontaneous follow-up questions. Change your answer for the new context instead of memorising a script.

Can-do check

I can ...	Not yet	With support	Independently
identify the main point in an interview answer	☐	☐	☐
compare two performances using evidence	☐	☐	☐
respond to a spontaneous follow-up question	☐	☐	☐
give polite, specific improvement advice	☐	☐	☐
revise my own comparison text	☐	☐	☐
check media or AI feedback before using it	☐	☐	☐

Follow-up course

Continue with E9 E - Handle follow-up questions: develop longer spontaneous answers, clarification strategies and short discussion sequences.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which answer is most relevant to the question “Why do you want this placement?” (I want to learn how the centre plans events, and I already enjoy organising activities.) (!My friend says the centre is interesting.) (!The building looks quite modern.) (!I have many different hobbies.)

What does clarity mainly mean in this course? (The main point is easy to understand.) (!The speaker has no accent.) (!The answer is very long.) (!The speaker uses difficult vocabulary.)

Which phrase is useful when you need thinking time? (Let me think for a second.) (!That question is bad.) (!I have nothing to say.) (!Next question, please.)

Which response best shows reaction to a follow-up question? (Yes. A good example is when I organised our school event.) (!Not really.) (!Maybe.) (!I already answered.)

What is evidence in an interview comparison? (A specific detail from the performance that supports your point.) (!A guess about the speaker's personality.) (!A comment about clothing.) (!A statement about accent quality.)

Which grammar form is useful for a finished past example? (Past simple) (!Future with will only) (!Passive voice only) (!Present progressive only)

Which feedback is most useful? (Your answer became clear when you gave a specific example.) (!Your accent is wrong.) (!You seem like a better person.) (!You should sound more British.)

What should you do with AI feedback on your own text? (Check it, keep your draft and revise selectively.) (!Replace your text completely.) (!Trust every factual statement.) (!Upload private application data first.)

What is a good strategy if you do not understand a question? (Ask the interviewer to repeat or rephrase it.) (!Pretend that you understood.) (!Answer a different question.) (!Stop speaking completely.)

What makes a conclusion in a comparison useful? (It sums up what effective communication needs.) (!It introduces completely new evidence.) (!It repeats every sentence.) (!It judges the speaker's personality.)

Memory

Clarity	easy to understand
Relevance	directly connected to the question
Politeness	respectful communication
Fluency	steady message flow with useful pauses
Evidence	specific supporting detail
Follow-up	extra question based on an earlier answer

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Clarity	Main point is easy to follow
Relevance	Answer stays connected to the question
Politeness	Respectful and appropriate language
Fluency	Message continues with manageable pauses
Response	Speaker reacts to questions and follow-ups

...

Kreuzworträtsel

Clarity	Which criterion asks whether the main point is easy to understand?
Relevance	Which criterion checks whether an answer fits the question?
Politeness	Which criterion focuses on respectful communication?
Fluency	Which criterion focuses on message flow and useful pauses?
Evidence	What do you call a specific detail that supports a comparison?
Followup	What kind of question reacts to an earlier answer?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Spot the evidence: Mark one strong and one weak moment in each simulated interview and explain your choice in one sentence.
Phrase bank: Create a mini phrase bank with six useful interview phrases and sort them by function.
Chunk practice: Practise four response chunks with clear pausing and sentence stress.
One next step: Give Interview B one precise improvement suggestion using evidence.

Standard

Role-play: Perform a two-minute interview in pairs and include one spontaneous follow-up question.
Compare: Write a 180–220 word comparison of the two simulated interviews.
Video evidence: Select one idea from each embedded video and compare how the speakers demonstrate it.
Mediate: Give a German-speaking classmate a short purpose-based explanation of the most useful interview strategies.

Schwer

Defend a criterion: Argue which interview criterion matters most in a specific school-related interview context, using evidence and a counterargument.
Source check: Find one additional reliable interview-skills source, check author, purpose and evidence, and compare it with this course.
Performance clinic: Present a before-and-after version of one answer and explain every revision choice.
New context: Design a short fictional interview for a school exchange, volunteering role or student project and create follow-up questions that test spontaneous response.

Lernkontrolle

Evidence-based comparison: Compare the two simulated interviews using three criteria and support every point with a specific example.
Adaptation: Rewrite one answer from Interview B for a different context while keeping the core idea.
Follow-up response: React to an unfamiliar follow-up question with clarification, an answer and one supporting detail.
Revision: Improve a first draft of a comparison and explain which changes improve coherence, relevance and precision.
Source evaluation: Compare two pieces of interview advice and explain which evidence makes each source more or less useful for a Grade 9 learner.
Purpose-based mediation: Select and pass on only the advice needed by a specific audience instead of translating everything.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, show that you can:

understand the main ideas and selected details in an interview,
compare two performances with evidence,
use the five criteria accurately,
respond to spontaneous questions,
speak intelligibly with useful pauses and repair strategies,
write a coherent comparison and revise it,
mediate information for a purpose and audience,
check media and AI feedback critically,
protect fictional and personal data appropriately.

No external uploads are required for the learning record.

OERs zum Thema

Free media used in this course: Wikimedia Commons files are linked through their file pages, where author and licence information can be checked before reuse. The interview examples in this aiMOOC use only fictional names and data.

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Interview skills

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