Sounding Confident and Polite in Interview Conversations.

By the middle of the course, you already have many useful answers. This lesson helps you deliver them with a confident, friendly and professional tone. You look at short clips or transcripts to notice how successful candidates use intonation, pausing and polite phrases to sound calm and engaged. You build a bank of useful expressions for checking understanding, buying time, agreeing and showing interest. You also learn repair phrases to correct yourself naturally without panicking. Role plays bring together language from earlier lessons – your introduction, STAR stories and answers to common questions – while you focus on voice, pace and body language. If possible, you record yourself and self-assess using a simple checklist. By the end, you can keep eye contact, use small backchannel responses and speak with a tone that sounds positive and professional, even when you feel nervous inside.

1. Noticing confident and polite tone.

In this lesson, we are right in the middle of an English job interview. You have already introduced yourself, and now the conversation is moving forward. In this first part, I want you to notice how a confident and polite candidate sounds, not just what they say. You will hear a short extract from an online interview for a project coordinator role. Listen carefully to the candidate’s voice in your imagination. What words do they use when they first answer the question? How do they show interest in the role and in the interviewer? Do they jump straight into a long answer, or do they pause for a moment? As you listen, focus especially on polite phrases such as thanking the interviewer, buying a second to think, and showing that they understand the question. These small details create a professional impression. After the listening, you will see a transcript on the screen with some key phrases highlighted. Then I will ask you to answer a few questions in writing about what you noticed. This will help you build your own bank of confident, polite expressions for your next interview.

Stepping into the middle of an interview.

Imagine you are in an online interview for a Project Coordinator position. The interviewer has just asked:

> “So, why are you interested in this role with our company?”

Here is a short interview extract. Read it after you have listened to the audio.

Interviewer: Thank you, Maria. So, why are you interested in this role with BrightWave?

Candidate: That is a very good question, thank you. So, if I understand correctly, you are asking about my motivation for this position. Let me think for a moment.

First, I am very interested in coordinating projects across different teams, and from the job description I see that is a key part of this role. Secondly, I really like that BrightWave focuses on sustainable solutions. That matches my values and my previous experience.

Interviewer: I see, that is helpful to know.

Candidate: Thank you. I am really pleased to have the chance to explain this.

What makes the candidate sound confident and polite?.

Notice these things:

• They thank the interviewer: “That is a very good question, thank you.”
• They check understanding: “So, if I understand correctly, you are asking about…”
• They buy time naturally: “Let me think for a moment.”
• They use positive, calm language.

These phrases are short, but they change the tone of the whole answer. You will now answer a few questions to check what you understood.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to the interview extract in the audio carefully at least once, and twice if you can. Try to follow the natural rhythm and tone of the candidate. Then, read the transcript on the screen again.

Now answer the three questions below in complete sentences in one text box. Number your answers 1, 2 and 3.

1. Which phrases did the candidate use to sound polite and appreciative?
2. How did the candidate buy time before answering?
3. In your opinion, why does the candidate sound confident but not arrogant?

Write 3–6 sentences in total. Use examples from the transcript and the audio. Do not worry about being perfect; focus on explaining your ideas clearly.

2. Showing interest, agreement and appreciation.

You have just seen how a small polite phrase at the beginning or end of an answer can change the whole feeling of the interview. In this part, we will focus more closely on three types of reaction language: showing interest, showing agreement, and showing appreciation. Interviewers do not only listen to your long answers. They also notice how you react to what they say. Short expressions such as "I see" or "That sounds great" are sometimes called backchannel responses. They show that you are listening and engaged, and they help the conversation flow naturally. We will build a simple toolkit of polite phrases you can use in almost any interview, whatever your job. First you will read some examples on the screen. Then you will look at a short dialogue and write your own one-sentence reactions in four different places. Try to choose phrases that fit your personality but still sound professional and polite. Over time, you will start to use these phrases automatically when you speak.

Your polite reaction toolkit.

In a real interview, you do not only speak in long paragraphs. You also react with short phrases that show you are listening, interested and respectful.

Here are three useful groups.

1. Showing interest.

Use these when the interviewer tells you something about the role, the team or the company:

• That sounds very interesting.
• I see, that makes sense.
• Oh, that is good to know.
• I would be very interested in that.

2. Showing agreement.

Use these when you agree with a point or want to support an idea:

• I completely agree with that.
• Yes, I feel the same.
• Absolutely, I think that is very important.
• I agree, especially in this type of role.

3. Showing appreciation.

Use these when you want to thank the interviewer for information, feedback or an opportunity:

• Thank you, that is helpful to know.
• I really appreciate you explaining that.
• Thank you for sharing that.
• I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss this role.

You do not need to memorise every phrase. Choose two or three favourites from each group that feel natural for you.

In the activity below, you will complete a short dialogue by writing your own polite reactions.

Practice & Feedback

Read the short dialogue in the box carefully. Imagine you are the candidate in this situation. The interviewer gives you information about the role and the company. Your job is to react politely.

Write four separate sentences as if you were speaking in the interview. Each sentence should:

• fit naturally after the interviewer’s line,
• use at least one of the reaction types from above: interest, agreement or appreciation,
• sound polite and professional.

Number your sentences 1, 2, 3 and 4. Try to mix the different types of reaction. For example, you might show interest in sentence 1, appreciation in sentence 2, and agreement in sentences 3 and 4. Aim for around 6–12 words per sentence.

3. Checking understanding politely in interviews.

Even very strong candidates sometimes do not fully understand a question in an interview. The difference is that confident candidates ask for clarification in a calm and professional way. They do not panic, and they do not pretend to understand. In this part, we will practise language to check that you understood the question correctly, or to ask the interviewer to repeat or explain. The key idea is to sound curious and cooperative, not insecure. You will see some useful phrases on the screen. Then you will read three slightly confusing interview questions. Your task is to write polite clarification questions or paraphrases for each one, using the language we practise. Remember, it is perfectly acceptable to say something like, "So, if I understand correctly, you are asking about…" before you answer. In fact, many interviewers like this because it shows that you are careful and thoughtful.

Clarifying questions without sounding insecure.

Sometimes interview questions are long, unclear or use vocabulary that is new for you. Instead of guessing, use a short clarification phrase.

Useful clarification phrases.

• So, if I understand correctly, you are asking about…
• Just to check, do you mean…?
• Could you please repeat the last part?
• Sorry, I am not sure I understood that. Could you say it in a different way?
• When you say X, are you referring to…?

These phrases sound professional, not weak. They show that you are listening carefully.

Example.

Interviewer: "Can you tell us about a time you had to influence a key stakeholder without formal authority?"

Candidate: "That is a great question, thank you. Just to check, do you mean an example where I had to convince someone senior in another team?"

This candidate checks the meaning politely, then waits for the interviewer to confirm before answering.

In the activity, you will practise this skill with three questions that could easily confuse someone in real life.

Practice & Feedback

Read the three interview questions in the box slowly. Imagine you are in a real interview and you are not 100% sure what the interviewer wants. Instead of answering immediately, you decide to clarify.

For each question, write one sentence that checks understanding or asks the interviewer to repeat or explain. Use the clarification phrases from the screen, or adapt them. For example, you might begin with "So, if I understand correctly…" or "Just to check, do you mean…?".

Number your sentences 1, 2 and 3 so it is clear which question you are answering. Try to keep each clarification sentence between 10 and 20 words.

4. Buying time and repairing your answer.

Now let us work with two powerful skills that help you when you feel under pressure: buying time and repairing your answer. In many interviews, you will hear a question and think, oh no, I need a moment. That is normal. The important thing is what you do next. Instead of sitting in silence, you can use a short, polite phrase to give yourself a few seconds to think. For example, "Let me think for a moment," or "That is a really interesting question." This sounds natural and confident. Sometimes you start speaking and then realise that your sentence was not quite right. You can repair your answer politely with phrases such as, "Sorry, what I meant to say is…" or "Let me rephrase that." In this block, you will see some examples and then write a short answer to a tough question using both a time-buying phrase and a repair phrase. This will make your speaking sound much more controlled and professional, even if you are nervous.

Buying time without awkward silence.

Silence can feel uncomfortable, especially in another language. Instead of saying nothing, use a short phrase to buy time:

• That is a really interesting question.
• Let me think for a moment.
• Give me a second to consider the best example.
• I would like to think about that for a moment.

These phrases show respect for the question and give you a few seconds to organise your ideas.

Repairing your answer politely.

If you notice a mistake or you want to change your answer, you can repair it:

• Sorry, what I meant to say is…
• Let me rephrase that.
• Actually, I should explain that a bit more clearly.
• To put it another way…

Before and after.

Weak version:

> "I never have problems with deadlines… I mean, sometimes I do, but it is OK."

Improved version with repair:

> "That is a really interesting question. Let me think for a moment.

>

> Actually, what I meant to say is that I usually manage deadlines well, but of course there are occasionally challenges. In those situations, I try to communicate early and renegotiate priorities."

Notice how the improved version uses a time-buying phrase and then repairs the first sentence in a calm, confident way.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you are in an interview and you hear this question:

> "Can you tell us about a time you failed to deliver something important?"

You feel a bit nervous and you need a few seconds to think. You also start your answer, but halfway through you want to change or improve what you said.

Write a short answer of 3–5 sentences as the candidate. Your answer should:

• start with a time-buying phrase,
• include one repair phrase such as "What I meant to say is…" or "Let me rephrase that.",
• give a brief, honest but positive explanation.

Write it as if you are speaking in the interview. Aim for 60–100 words.

5. Mini role play with confident, polite reactions.

You now have several tools: polite reactions, clarification phrases, time-buying expressions and repair language. In this part, we will bring them together in a short, written role play. Imagine you are in the same interview for the project coordinator role. The interviewer asks you a question about teamwork. You want to sound confident and polite, not like you are reading a script. On the screen you will see a short example of how a candidate and an interviewer might speak to each other. Notice the backchannel responses, the short polite phrases and the clear structure. Then you will write your own mini conversation. You will write only your lines as the candidate, but you should imagine the interviewer’s questions and comments. Treat it like a chat: short turns, natural tone, but professional. This is excellent preparation for real video or face-to-face interviews.

Example: a confident, polite mini conversation.

Interviewer: Could you give me an example of working in a team under pressure?

Candidate: That is a very good question, thank you. Let me think for a moment. One example is from last year, when we had to deliver a client project in half the usual time.

Interviewer: I see. What was your role in that situation?

Candidate: I see, that makes sense. I was responsible for coordinating the designers and developers. To give you a short summary, I created a clear timeline and checked in with everyone every morning.

Interviewer: And how did the team react to that?

Candidate: Yes, absolutely, I agree that communication is key. At first, some colleagues were stressed, but I tried to stay calm and positive. Let me rephrase that: I focused on solutions, not on the problem.

Interviewer: Thank you, that is helpful.

Candidate: Thank you, I really appreciate the chance to share this example.

Notice how the candidate:

• uses time-buying: "Let me think for a moment."
• shows agreement: "Yes, absolutely, I agree…"
• uses a repair phrase: "Let me rephrase that."
• shows appreciation: "I really appreciate the chance…"

You will now create your own candidate lines for a similar situation.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine the interviewer asks you:

> "Could you tell me about a time you helped a colleague who was struggling?"

They then ask two or three short follow-up questions.

Your task is to write only your side of this mini conversation, as if it were a chat. Write 6–8 lines starting with "Candidate:" each time. For example:

> Candidate: That is a very good question, thank you.

In your lines, try to include:

• at least one time-buying phrase,
• at least one clarification or backchannel phrase such as "I see" or "That makes sense",
• at least one repair phrase.

Keep each line short and natural, as if you are speaking in the interview.

6. Putting it all together and self-assessing.

You have reached the final part of this lesson. Now it is time to put everything together in one integrated performance. Imagine you are in the middle of a real interview. You want to sound confident and polite, even if you feel a little nervous. In a moment, you will see a simple checklist on the screen. It includes the key skills we have practised: polite reactions, clarification questions, time-buying phrases, repair language and a positive tone. Your task is to write a longer interview segment that shows these skills in action. You will imagine an interviewer asking you two or three questions about your experience. You will write the whole exchange as if it were a transcript, including both the interviewer and your answers. Afterwards, you will quickly check your own work using the checklist. This kind of self-assessment helps you build awareness and confidence, so you can transfer these skills to your next real interview.

Final integrated practice.

You are now in a full mock interview for the Project Coordinator role. The interviewer has already heard your introduction. Now they ask some questions about your experience and how you work with others.

Your goal is to show a confident, polite tone using the language from this lesson.

Checklist of skills to include.

Try to include at least one example of each of these:

Polite reaction

• e.g. "That is a very good question, thank you."

Clarification or checking understanding

• e.g. "So, if I understand correctly, you are asking about…"

Time-buying phrase

• e.g. "Let me think for a moment."

Repair phrase

• e.g. "Sorry, what I meant to say is…"

Appreciation or positive closing

• e.g. "Thank you, that is helpful to know."

Your task.

You will write a short interview script of 8–10 lines. Include both speakers:

• start some lines with "Interviewer:"
• start your answers with "Candidate:"

Focus on sounding calm, polite and professional. Imagine your body language: open posture, eye contact, relaxed shoulders. This will also influence your word choice.

After you write, quickly check your script against the checklist above. Did you include each element at least once?

Practice & Feedback

Write a short interview script of 8–10 lines showing a realistic part of an interview. Use this structure:

• Write the interviewer’s questions starting with "Interviewer:".
• Write your answers starting with "Candidate:".

Include two or three different questions about your experience, teamwork or motivation. In your candidate lines, try to use:

• at least one polite reaction,
• at least one clarification phrase,
• at least one time-buying phrase,
• at least one repair phrase, and
• one appreciation or positive closing at the end.

Aim for 120–180 words in total. Do not worry if it is not perfect; this is a safe place to experiment with your new confident, polite interview voice.