English Literature Interview Questions: If you are going to get interviewed for the position of English Literature teacher then, this blog is for you. Interview preparations can be overwhelming at times. In that case, getting your hands on the important questions that are often asked in the interview can ease the stress. In this blog, we will provide you with the important English Literature interview questions that are asked often by the interviewers. We will also suggest the right approach to answering such questions along with some sample answers to each.
This Blog Includes:
- Important English Literature Interview Questions
- Top 5 Interview Questions for English Literature Teachers with Sample Answers and Tips to Answer
- Q.1 Why did you choose to be an English Literature teacher?
- Q.2 What are the different types of Literary genres in English?
- Q.3 Give an example of a Sonnet that you like the most.
- Q.4 Who is your favourite author?
- Q.5 Which two poems are termed as “Epics”?
- Bonus Question: The book “The Young Visitors” was written by a girl at the age of nine. Name the author of the book.
- FAQs
Important English Literature Interview Questions
Below are the top queries that are asked in the English Literature Interview. Make sure to read and prepare an answer to all the below-given and similar queries to ace your interview. Mostly, questions are asked from your answer to the previous question asked by the interviewer. Hence, make sure, you prepare some topics in depth.
- Why did you choose to be an English Literature teacher?
- What are the different types of Literary genres in English?
- What is Literature?
- What is flash fiction?
- How is drama different from other fictional forms?
- What is a Sonnet?
- Give an example of a Sonnet that you like the most.
- Who is your favourite author?
- Describe a few verses of your favourite poem.
- Mention a famous quote by Shakespeare.
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Top 5 Interview Questions for English Literature Teachers with Sample Answers and Tips to Answer
Below we have provided the right approach and sample answers for a few important queries asked in an Engish Literature interview.
Q.1 Why did you choose to be an English Literature teacher?
The trick to answering this question is to be as specific as possible. Make use of different words to articulate your genuine interest in the subject. Be sure to define your interest in the teaching profession. You may answer this question like:
“I like English literature because it helps me to think critically about different complex topics with a different perspective. It broadens my horizons and enables me to develop transferable skills. I find this subject extremely useful which is why I want to impart my knowledge to the young generation.” |
Q.2 What are the different types of Literary genres in English?
To answer this question, boast your knowledge of the subject. Make sure to use examples and begin your answer by speaking the definition of the concept first. You may as well choose to describe how each of these genres is used in literature.
“A literary genre is a way of describing the tone of writing and the primary content, often used by the authors. There are typically three types of literary genres namely, fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The fictional genre includes writing short stories, plays and novels while the non-fictional genre includes writing memoirs, essays and biographies. Poetry is considered to be one of the literary genres as it involves the use of language in expressing emotions.” |
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Q.3 Give an example of a Sonnet that you like the most.
Again, start with defining what a Sonnet is. You may as well choose to name a few before mentioning which is your favourite one.
“A Sonnet is a 14-lined poem created by using any of the formal rhyming schemes in a thematic organisation. I like Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 29” a lot as it beautifully describes the speaker’s state of depression. In the first half of the Sonnet, the speaker talks about how he is different from men with fortune. While, in the second part, the speaker describes his elevated state which he achieves when he thinks of his love. The speaker describes further that thinking of this one person he loves elevates him higher than a king. It’s a beautifully written sonnet with a beautiful story.” |
“My favourite author is Oscar Wilde. He depicted his works with impressive paradox, contradiction and comedic style. His book “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is my all-time favourite for how beautifully the author describes that there is a price that we all have to pay ultimately in response to our actions.” |
Q.5 Which two poems are termed as “Epics”?
This is a deal-maker or breaker question as it directly assesses your knowledge of the subject. The question is highly specific and therefore it is required that you prepare a good answer for this or similar questions for your interview.
“An Epic is a long narrative poem. The two quite well-known epics are the “Iliad” and the “Mahabharatha”. Both epics take a dig at concepts like war, revenge, love, friendship, will and honour.” |
“The Young Visitors” was written by Daisy Ashford. The book was written by Daisy Ashford at the age of nine in her exercise book.” |
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FAQs
Ans: You may answer this question like – “I like English literature because it helps me to think critically about different complex topics with a different perspective. It broadens my horizons and enables me to develop transferable skills. I find this subject extremely useful which is why I want to impart my knowledge to the young generation.”.
Ans: On average, your interviewer may ask you 15-20 questions in an hour.
Ans: The questions in English Literature may be conceptual. The interviewer may ask you to define a few concepts used in English writing such as the tone, styles and forms of writing. You need to be well-prepared on such concepts before appearing for an English literature interview.
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This was all about the English Literature interview questions and answers. Preparing for the above-given ones or similar English Literature interview questions may help you ace your interview. For more such informative blogs, visit the career counselling page of Leverage Edu.