how to speak english in interview

Slow down before reaching for better vocabulary. Short sentences with one idea each, a linking phrase at the start of each move, and asking for a repeat beat a rare word. If a sentence collapses, finish with Let me put that another way and say it in simpler words.

Treat pace as the first repair, not vocabulary. A sentence you would finish easily in your first language often collapses at its third clause in English, and dropping to roughly 130 words a minute buys the time to reach the verb without sounding slow. Build answers from short sentences carrying one idea each, and keep one linking phrase ready per move of the answer so the structure is audible rather than implied. When a question arrives too fast, Could you say that again a little more slowly? is a stronger move than guessing: interviewers expect the request, and a wrong guess costs more than a repeat.

Answering 'What Have You Been Doing Since...?' in an English Interview →