Ask HN: How to deal with interviews when English isn't my native language? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How to deal with interviews when English isn't my native language?

7 pointsvommina8 comments

I'm from a non-english speaking country. Although I have a fairly good command over written English, my vocabulary isn't good enough when it comes to spontaneously speaking English. I'm working on this, but haven't gotten there yet.

That said, I want to work with global companies - likely companies outside the country I live in. During interviews, I find myself mind-blocked often because of my poor vocabulary. And this builds up, affecting my interview performance too.

Is there any concrete way to get around this problem? I tried casually conversing in English more often, but during interviews, the spontaneity with which the person in the other end talks, makes me feel inferior about my command over the language.

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Stuff I've tried and it worked for me:

1. Watch English movies with English subtitles (no dubbing) or Japanese Anime with English subtitles (or dubbing)

2. Sing English songs

3. Play English RPGs (I think I've learned +50% of my total English vocabulary thanks to Final Fantasy series in my teen times)

4. Take English lessons (I did it before exams in school).

Stuff I haven't tried but it might be worth:

5. Practice discussion with someone (e.g. via public video chat services with strangers or something)

6. Try audio-blogging (say something about topic you're interested in, best if it's related to your work), record yourself, listen, review yourself (what was good, what not), repeat.

Side notes from me:

- it takes time and practice (so also patience) to get really better in such stuff (like weeks/months, not days)

- practice using simple sentences/words while talking. If you're talking with someone remotely (e.g. via videochat) have a google translate opened so you can search quickly for the words you're trying to say but forget

- prepare before each meeting, write down some sentences/words that you think you often forget and keep it nearby to feel less stressed

While I'm not the kind of person who usually heeds their own advice but here I go:

1. Keep practicing speaking frequently, ideally with native speakers. I bet your writing skills are so good because you've unknowingly perfected them over the years of reading and writing comments, posts, etc on the Internet. Therefore, the same goes with speaking, you gotta tough it out and give it time until yours can improve.

2. Try dubber ducking to yourself out loud new concepts/things (in English) you've learned, even better if you could find someone to listen to/explain to.

3. Have mock interviews, ideally with somebody who's in the industry so they could come up with interesting questions on the spot, which would force you to have to learn to come up with suitable answers.

4. (I don't see myself ever doing this but worth suggesting nevertheless) Start a podcast or vlog discussing technical topics (without scripts.)

> Try dubber ducking to yourself out loud new concepts/things (in English) you've learned, even better if you could find someone to listen to/explain to.

This is something I occasionally do. I'll better do it a bit more often.

> (I don't see myself ever doing this but worth suggesting nevertheless) Start a podcast or vlog discussing technical topics (without scripts.)

This could be something that wouldn't need another person to perfect my language. I'll see if this helps. Thanks a lot!

Are there any global companies that use the language you speak natively? Ideally where English is a bonus not a requirement?

Myself I used to get flustered on interviews until I found a book of questions in my field. Now I never memorized answers, as that is bad. But having read them I had a good feel for what types of questions to expect, and I could think about the answer long before the interview.

Can you try:

find some foreign guys who speak English in your country?

Show your code! Take a portfolio project that that youve written from scratch, other programmers can read your code and evaluate you that way

Listen to English audiobooks on your way to work.

Be straight about it.

Focus on listening as much as speaking.

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