Performing in a Full Mock English Interview.

The final lesson brings everything together in realistic practice. You take part in one or more full mock interviews that include an opening, small talk, your self-introduction, common and behavioural questions, explanations of your work, a difficult question and your own questions for the interviewer. Before the role play, you quickly review your key phrases, STAR stories and favourite examples using checklists from earlier lessons. During the mock interview, you focus on speaking clearly, using signposting language and applying the tone and body language strategies you have practised. After each interview, you reflect using a simple rubric: what went well, what felt difficult and which answers you want to improve. If possible, you record the interview and watch it back to notice details. By the end, you have concrete experience of a complete English job interview and a clear action plan for your next real one.

1. Setting up your full mock interview.

Here we are in your final lesson. In this lesson, you are going to bring everything together in one complete mock interview. Do not worry, we will still move step by step. In this first block, I want you to picture a real situation: you have a 40‑minute video interview tomorrow with an HR manager called Alex Chen at a company named NovaTech Solutions. The role is similar to the kind of job you really want. Your goal is to move through all the key stages of the interview in a confident, organised way, not to be perfect. I will show you a simple structure for the interview and a checklist, so you can see the whole journey from opening to closing. Then you will think about which parts you already feel comfortable with and which parts you want to focus on today. Be honest with yourself; this is your chance to choose priorities. At the end of this block, I will ask you to write about your strong and weak areas, and I will give you some suggestions for what to practise most in the rest of the lesson.

The final interview: one clear journey.

In this last lesson, imagine you are getting ready for a real online interview with Alex Chen from NovaTech Solutions. The role is similar to your real target job. Today you are not just practising one answer. You are practising the whole journey from hello to goodbye.

A simple structure for a 40‑minute interview might look like this:

Opening and connection check

Greeting, thanking, checking sound or connection.

Small talk

One or two friendly questions to relax.

Your self-introduction

A 60–90 second summary of who you are and what you do now.

Common questions

For example: strengths, weaknesses, motivation, reasons for leaving.

STAR story

A behavioural question about teamwork, problem-solving or pressure.

Explaining your work

A technical or role-specific question where you explain a project or tool in simple English.

A difficult question

A question about a failure, a gap, or limited experience.

Your questions

You ask about the team, role or next steps.

Closing

Thanking, showing interest and ending politely.

Your personal focus for today.

You do not need to be perfect in every stage. Instead, choose where to invest your energy.

Think about:

• Which parts usually feel natural or easy for you in your own language?
• Which parts feel stressful or confusing in English?
• Where can you make the biggest improvement in a short time?

In the listening and practice activities later, we will touch each stage. But if you are clear about your priorities now, your learning will be stronger.

Use the short description in the box below to help you imagine the situation clearly, then answer the questions in the task.

Practice & Feedback

Read the short description of the interview with Alex Chen in the box below. Then write one short paragraph of 5–8 sentences.

In your paragraph:

• Say which three parts of the interview structure above you feel most confident about and why.
• Say which two parts you find most difficult or stressful in English and why.
• Mention one concrete goal for this lesson. For example: "Today I want to improve my answer about weaknesses" or "I want to practise closing the interview more confidently".

Write honestly and imagine this is really your interview tomorrow. This will help me give you targeted feedback and recommend which blocks you should pay special attention to.

2. Listening to a strong interview opening.

Now let us zoom in on the first minutes of your mock interview with Alex from NovaTech. Those first minutes are powerful. If you can open the conversation smoothly, you will feel more relaxed for the rest of the interview. In this block you will listen to a short example of an interview opening. You will hear Alex, the interviewer, and Maria Gomez, a candidate for the same Project Coordinator role. While you listen, notice what Maria does, not just the exact words she uses. Does she thank the interviewer? Does she check the connection? How does she move from small talk into her self-introduction? After listening, you will see some notes on the screen about what makes her opening effective. Then I will ask you to write a few sentences explaining what she did well and one thing she could improve. This will help you prepare your own opening later, using simple but professional language.

What makes a strong opening?.

In the short audio at the top of this block, you hear Alex, the HR manager, and Maria, the candidate. They are on a video call for a first interview.

Listen again in your head and ask yourself:

• How do they greet each other?
• How do they check the sound and connection?
• What small talk do they use before the serious questions start?
• How does Maria move into her self-introduction?

Here is a summary of Maria's opening strategy:

She thanks Alex for the opportunity.

This shows appreciation and sets a positive tone.

She checks the connection briefly.

She does this politely and naturally, without sounding nervous.

She answers small talk with short, friendly sentences.

She does not speak too long, but she sounds warm and relaxed.

She offers to introduce herself.

This helps the interviewer and gives her control of the next minute.

Some useful phrases Maria uses or could use:

• "Thank you for inviting me today."
• "Yes, I can hear you clearly, thank you."
• "My day has been good so far, thanks. How about you?"
• "If it is okay, I can briefly introduce myself."

Your task.

You will now listen to the opening again in the box below and then write about it.

Focus on actions and strategies, not only on exact words. This will help you adapt these ideas to your own style and culture. Later, in another block, you will write or speak your own version of this opening for the NovaTech interview.

Practice & Feedback

Listen carefully to the short interview opening between Alex and Maria in the audio box below at least twice.

Then write 5–7 sentences in one short paragraph.

In your paragraph:

• Describe three things Maria does well in her opening. For example, does she thank Alex, check the sound, smile in her voice, or move smoothly into her introduction?
• Mention one thing you think she could improve slightly. For example, maybe she could speak a bit more slowly, or give a clearer sign that she is ready to introduce herself.
• Quote one phrase from the audio that you would like to copy in your own interviews.

Write as if you are giving feedback to Maria as a friendly colleague. This will help you notice good interview habits before you practise your own.

3. Combining STAR stories and explaining your work.

Let us move into the middle of the interview, where many candidates start to lose structure. Here, Alex from NovaTech asks Maria a typical behavioural question and then a more technical question about her work. This is where you can really show your value, if you organise your answer well. In this block, we will focus on combining two key skills: telling a clear STAR story and explaining your work simply. On the screen you will see a model answer from Maria. First she answers a STAR question about working under pressure. Then she explains a project in simple language for a non‑technical interviewer. Your job is to notice how she uses signposting phrases such as "In this situation" or "As a result" and also phrases like "In simple terms" when she explains her project. After that, you will write your own short answer to a similar question about your experience. Try to copy the structure and use a few of the phrases that you like.

A STAR story plus a clear explanation.

During the NovaTech interview, Alex asks Maria:

> "Can you tell me about a time you had to solve a difficult problem under pressure?"

Here is Maria's answer. Notice the STAR structure and then how she explains her work.

> Situation: In this situation, we were preparing a software update for an important client, and we were just two days before the deadline.

> Task: My main task was to coordinate the testing and make sure all teams finished their checks on time.

> Action: The key challenge was that one developer was ill, so I decided to reorganise the schedule. I spoke with the team leads, moved some tasks to another developer and created a simple checklist for the client‑facing team. I also sent a short update email to the client to manage expectations.

> Result: As a result, we managed to deliver the update on time with no critical issues, and the client thanked us for the clear communication.

Then Alex asks a follow‑up question:

> "I am not technical. Could you explain that project in simple terms?"

Maria continues:

> In simple terms, it was like checking a car before a long trip. We had to test all the main parts of the software to make sure there were no serious problems. My role was to organise who checked which part, and to make sure everyone finished before the deadline.

Useful signposting and explanation phrases.

From Maria's answers, here are some phrases you can reuse:

• "In this situation, we were..."
• "My main task was to..."
• "The key challenge was..."
• "I decided to..." / "The first step I took was..."
• "As a result, we managed to..."
• "In simple terms, it was like..."
• "You can think of it as..."

When you answer a STAR question in your real interview, you often need to add a short explanation for a non‑technical interviewer. If you plan this connection now, your answers will sound more complete and professional.

Practice & Feedback

Look again at Maria's STAR answer and her simple explanation of the project.

Now imagine Alex asks you in the NovaTech interview:

> "Can you tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem at work? I am not technical, so please explain it in simple terms."

Write a short answer of about 7–9 sentences.

• First, write 4–6 sentences using the STAR structure: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
• Then add 2–3 sentences explaining the situation in simple language for a non‑specialist.
• Use at least 3 phrases from the list above (for example, "In this situation", "The key challenge was", "As a result", "In simple terms").

You can write about any real job or role you have had. Keep your language clear and not too technical. Imagine Alex does not know your field at all.

4. Chat-style practice with common and tough questions.

In a real interview, the questions will not come in a tidy list. They arrive like a conversation. In this block, we will simulate a short chat-style interview with Alex from NovaTech. Imagine you are in an online platform where the interviewer sends you written questions one by one, and you type your answers. This is similar to some modern recorded or text-based interview systems. The questions you will see are a mix of common and slightly difficult ones: a question about your strengths, a question about a weakness or development area, and a question about why you want this job at NovaTech. You will also see one tougher question about a challenge or gap. On the screen, I will remind you of some useful phrases to buy time, to clarify a question and to sound confident and polite in writing. Then you will write your replies as short chat messages. This is a good chance to integrate polite tone, STAR ideas and positive framing in a more informal format.

Turning interview questions into a written chat.

Sometimes interviews are live conversations. Sometimes they are video or text-based chats. The language is similar, but in writing you have a little more time to think.

Imagine the NovaTech interview is happening in a chat window. Alex sends you questions like short messages. You reply in short paragraphs, not single words.

Here are four typical questions Alex might send you:

1. "Hi, thanks for joining. To start, what would you say is one of your key strengths for this Project Coordinator role?"
2. "Thanks. And what is one development area or weakness you are currently working on?"
3. "Why are you interested in working for NovaTech specifically?"
4. "I can see a short gap / change in your CV. Could you tell me a bit more about that in a positive way?"

Helpful phrases for written interview chats.

To sound confident and polite, it helps to:

• Appreciate the question:
• "That is a very good question."
• "Thank you for asking about that."

• Buy a little thinking time (but not too much):
• "Let me think for a moment."
• "There are a few things I could mention, but I will focus on..."

• Structure your answer:
• "First of all..." / "The main reason is that..."
• "To give you an example..."

• Talk about a weakness positively:
• "A development area for me is..."
• "I am actively working to improve this by..."

• Explain a gap calmly:
• "During that period, I took time to..."
• "That was a challenging time, but it helped me to..."

In the task below, you will write your answers as if you are typing in the chat with Alex. Keep your tone friendly, professional and medium-length: not one sentence, but not a full page.

Practice & Feedback

Read the four chat-style questions from Alex in the text above.

Now imagine you are in a chat interview window with Alex (Interviewer) on the left and You (Candidate) on the right. Alex has already sent you Questions 1–3.

Write three separate short answers, one for each of these questions:

• Start each answer on a new line and label it clearly, for example: A1: ..., A2: ..., A3: ....
• For each answer, write 3–5 sentences.
• Use polite phrases from earlier lessons, such as "That is a very good question", "One of my key strengths is...", "A development area for me is...", "The main reason is that...".

You do not need to answer Question 4 yet. Focus on sounding positive, honest and specific. Imagine Alex is really reading your messages and deciding if he wants to invite you to the next stage.

5. Planning your own full mock interview script.

You have now looked at several key parts of the interview: the opening, a STAR story, a clear explanation and some common and difficult questions. Before you perform a full mock interview, it really helps to create a simple plan. This is not a word‑for‑word script. It is more like a map with short notes. In this block, I will show you a planning table that follows the NovaTech interview structure from the first block. For each stage, you will choose one or two key ideas and useful phrases. The goal is to connect your **real experience** with the **language tools** from this course. When you later speak out loud, these notes will support you, but you will still sound natural. After reading the template on the screen, you will write your own plan in a paragraph or in bullet points. Try to be specific: write job titles, project names and concrete examples, not only general words like "teamwork" or "communication".

Your personal mock interview map.

A good mock interview plan helps you feel prepared without sounding memorised. Think of it as a map, not a full script.

Here is a simple planning template for your NovaTech interview with Alex:

Opening and small talk

• Greeting and thanks:
• "Thank you for inviting me today."
• "It is great to meet you."
• Connection check:
• "Yes, I can hear you clearly."

Self-introduction (60–90 seconds)

• Current role and company:
• "I currently work as a... at..."
• Main responsibilities:
• "In my current role, I..."
• One or two key achievements.

Common questions

• Strength:
• "One of my key strengths is..." + short example.
• Weakness:
• "A development area for me is..." + how you are improving it.
• Motivation:
• "I am particularly interested in this role because..."

STAR story

• Situation / Task / Action / Result for one strong example.

Explaining your work

• One project you can explain in simple terms.
• A phrase like: "In simple terms, it was like..."

Difficult question

• A gap, failure or limited experience you can explain positively.
• Phrase: "What I learned from this experience was..."

Your questions and closing

• 2–3 questions for Alex about the team, role or next steps.
• Closing phrase: "Thank you very much for your time today. I am very interested in this opportunity."

Your task.

Use this template as a guide. You do not need full sentences for every box, but your notes should be clear enough that you could speak from them later without confusion.

Practice & Feedback

Using the template above, write a short mock interview plan for your own situation.

You can write in bullet points or in a connected paragraph, but please include notes for at least these stages:

• self-introduction,
• one strength,
• one weakness or development area,
• one STAR story example,
• one project or task you can explain in simple terms,
• one difficult question you could answer positively,
• one question you want to ask the interviewer.

Write at least 80–120 words. Use concrete details: job titles, company types, real tasks, numbers or results. Try to include 3–4 useful phrases from this course, such as "In my current role, I...", "As a result, we managed to..." or "The main reason is that...".

Imagine this plan is on a piece of paper next to your computer on the day of the real interview.

6. Reflecting and planning your next real interview.

You now have a clear plan for your mock interview, and you have practised important parts in writing. The final step in this lesson is to reflect and look forward. Reflection is not just thinking, "That was good" or "That was bad". It means noticing **what exactly** worked well, **what felt difficult**, and **what you will do next time**. In real life, you might record your interview and watch it back. Here, we will simulate that reflection in writing. On the screen, you will see a short example of how Maria reflects on her interview with Alex at NovaTech. You will also see some useful phrases to talk about your performance and your next steps. Then I will ask you to write two short paragraphs: one about what you already do well in interviews, and one about what you will improve before your next real English interview. This is your chance to finish the course with a clear, positive action plan.

Looking back to move forward.

After her interview with Alex at NovaTech, Maria takes ten minutes to write some notes. Here is part of her reflection:

> One thing that went well was my opening. I thanked Alex for the opportunity and checked the connection calmly, so I started to feel relaxed. I also think my STAR story about working under pressure was clear and had a strong result.

>

> One thing I found difficult was explaining my weakness. I was honest, but I think I spoke too quickly and did not give a clear example of how I am improving. Next time, I want to slow down and use the phrase "A development area for me is...".

>

> In my next interview, I plan to prepare two different STAR stories in advance, so I can choose the best one for each question. I also plan to practise my closing sentence, so I can finish with more confidence.

Useful reflection and action-plan phrases.

When you reflect on your own performance, these phrases can help:

• "One thing that went well was..."
• "Another positive point was..."
• "One thing I found difficult was..."
• "I was not happy with..."
• "Next time, I would like to..."
• "In my next interview, I plan to..."
• "My main priority for improvement is..."
• "To work on this, I will..."

Reflection is strongest when it ends with concrete actions, not only feelings. Try to connect your notes to this course. Which tools or phrases will you continue to use? Which answers do you want to rewrite or rehearse?

In the final task, you will write your own reflection and action plan.

Practice & Feedback

Using Maria's reflection as a model, write two short paragraphs about your interview skills.

In Paragraph 1 (5–7 sentences), describe:

• Two things that already go well for you in interviews in English or in your own language.
• Why they go well. For example, maybe you prepare, or you have good eye contact, or your STAR stories are strong.

In Paragraph 2 (5–7 sentences), describe:

• Two things you want to improve before your next real English interview.
• Two concrete actions you will take in the next month. For example, "I will record myself answering three common questions" or "I will rewrite my weakness answer using softer language".

Use at least three phrases from the list on the screen, such as "One thing that went well was...", "Next time, I would like to..." or "In my next interview, I plan to...".

Write honestly and realistically. This is your personal action plan.