Perkongsian Pengalaman Temuduga Asasi TESL UiTM Edisi 2017

Assalamua'laikum and a good day to everyone.

For this second entry of mine, I would like to share my experience on the interview for Foundation in TESL UiTM 2017.

1st Part: Online Application Process

This program is offered to SPM leavers which can be applied through Unit Pengurusan Universiti (UPU) every year around March until April. However, it requires an interview to get the course.

Before choosing TESL as your first, second, third and fourth option in UPU, you need to check the minimum requirement especially concerning English. I put it as my first option so I was called for the interview. It was a few days before I knew about it. To check if you were called for interview, you have to refer to respective public universities' websites. In this case, I need to check at UiTM website.

For my batch, only two of us were called.

2nd Part: Preparation for Interview

Again, preparation is the key to success.

I quickly printed out the letter and instructions etc. Then, I photocopied some documents and co-curricular certificates to be verified. Any government officers of Grade 41 will be sufficient to verify your photocopies.

Here, I encountered my first problem. How to arrange the documents in the file?

The first part was easy because the arrangement was stated in the letter which included identity card, birth certificate, SPM result slip etc.The hard part was to arrange the certificates. My friend and I were baffled about this and received various opinions from our friends about it. However, I did some research on the Internet and concluded:

1) Academics (Third language eg. Arabic, French Delf / School Exam Result Certificate)
2) Leadership (Position at School eg. Prefect, Naqibah / Leadership Camp)
3) Certificates (Competition / Program / Volunteer / Quiz )

We arranged it from the latest to earliest. For example, from 2016 to 2015.

The other preparations were similar to what I mentioned in my first entry, so do check it out!

Perkongsian Pengalaman Temuduga Penajaan Program JPA ke Jepun, Korea, Perancis dan Jerman Edisi 2017

However, do not forget to bring along your stationeries because there would be a writing test! That's right, you heard read me. 2 mechanical pencils, a rubber, and 2 pen. That was what I brought.

3rd Part: Before Interview

Again, this interview was held at UiTM Samarahan Campus I so I departed around 6 in the morning. I decided to go a bit late because it was Saturday and I went with my friend who also had an interview on the same day but for Diploma in Sains Sukan. Please make sure you arrive at the place 30-45 minutes because you might get lost like I did.

I was quite early but other applicants arrived not long after that. They were quite quiet and looked nervous and intimidated. On the other hand, I was not nervous and looking forward to writing essay instead. God knows how much I love to write especially factual and argumentative.

There are two parts - first is writing test and second is interview.

I did some last minute revision on past year questions for the writing test yeay procrastination. As a result, I knew what level of difficulty I would be facing but I was thankful it was not as hard as ICAS questions. The writing test had two parts: objectives (comprehension) and essay for one hour total. First thing you need to do is to set how long would you spend for each part.

The article was about Digital Divide. Google it. To be honest, the article was quite heavy for me to digest and answer in 15 minutes. There were statistics and unfamiliar terms. The objective was the part that I was least confident about.

The topic for our essay was The Benefits of Studying Locally. At first, I thought the scope was too wide so I tried to narrow it down to public and private universities in Malaysia. I got a few solid points as the essay was related to past year essay topics. Here is the problem to people who love to write - you should write an essay based on topic given approximately 250 words. I wrote 300, after I cancelled a few phrases and sentences. I included official statements, statistics and sayings.

Let us move on to the next part - interview.

After an hour of mind torture, we were assigned to a few panels. I was Panel 3 and number 14. My panel started late and I did not know why but I waited patiently because patience is virtue. I made a few friends. We shared our preparation and prepping ourselves with each other before our turn.

Before I knew it, my name was called.

Give the interview panel a greeting, your file and photocopies to them. Do not sit unless you were asked.

• Introduce yourself.

          My name is (full name). I am 18 years old. I am from (hometown). Before this, I was a student at (school name). My favourite pastime is to read.

          #I really kept it simple because I did not want to be seen bragging off. Remember, your answer determines your next question.

• I see. Who is your favourite author?

          Well, my favourite author is Dr Khairul Hafidz. Yes, he is a medical doctor but at the same time, he writes books too. I like his books with his team that is DIAgnosis book series. I even followed them on Twitter. They really like to share knowledge and information about health with the public. For example, Dr Khairul shared his tips to lose weight the right way and his progress every week which inspired a lot of people to follow.

          #The interview panel did not have further question about this. I assumed because they actually did not know who he is. It's just my assumption. To be frank, I was preparing for what is my favourite book question and my answer would be Pena dan Picagari which was written by Dr Khairul. It's a good read.

• Well then, do you have any favourite movie?

          Yes, I do. I like to watch Harry Potter. I watched all of them a few times already since primary school.

• How about the books? Which one do you prefer: movies or books?

          I have read them in both English and Malay version. I borrowed the books from public library. I would say I prefer the books because it has more details. I could imagine a lot of amazing things more than the movies could show.

• Alright. Can you tell us any current issue?

         Well, I've heard about the murder of Kim Jong Name. It happened at Klia2. There were more details I mentioned but I couldn't remember. Actually, I was very impressed at how this turned out, that our government and leaders solved this in a very short time - 28 days if I'm not mistaken. Because, you know, they take a wrong step, it would cause a war. Our diplomatic ties would be affected negatively.

          #You should know this is a most compulsory question. It depends on your luck. Sometimes, the panel could ask specifically like "Can you tell us any current educational issues?" Begin your answer with a topic and include details then move on with your opinion. Read my answer again.

• 1st panelist"Are you active in co-curricular?" 2nd panelist, "Yes, very." and glanced at my certificates on the table.

         Yes, I do. In fact, the achievement that I liked the most was when I participated in Johor. ...

         #This is where you get to exaggerate. Show off. Use every advantage you get. Mention your achievement. I could not tell mine as I would be seen as exaggerating here haha. 

• Congratulations. So, you are from a science school, right? Was it very rigid?

         To be honest, it is rigid and the schedule are packed but it is a common thing for fully residential school. But our school is different. The teachers are very dedicated and our school really focus on academic excellence but at the same time active in co-curricular.

• I heard about it. Your school was awarded High Performing School. Is it true?

          Yes, it is this year actually and I am very proud of it.

• Do you take Arabic?

          Yes, I do as my third language. But actually, fourth language. I learned Mandarin during my primary school.

         #Starting from this question, I had an interesting conversation with the panelist. There were a lot of questions in between that I could not remember but I took that hint as an interest from them.

• Can you speak in Mandarin then?

          Yes but the basics only like greetings and simple sentences. I really did not like Mandarin that much but I managed to pass.

• Which school did you learn it?

          SK (A) Datuk Haji Abdul Kadir Hassan. It's a religious school. We learned four languages - Bahasa Melayu, English, Arabic and Mandarin. *explains more that I could not remember*

• How about Arabic?

         Well, I've been learning Arabic since kindergarten. During high school, we took third language and I chose Arabic. There were other languages which are Japanese and French. But I took Arabic since I had the basics. But, the Arabic I learned is not the same as those at religious schools. They learned High Arabic language. It was more intense and deeper. We learned Communication for Arabic Language so that we can speak Arabic in our daily life. The same thing goes to what I learned about Mandarin. I learned Communication for Mandarin Language during primary school.

• So, what language do you use at home?

          Sarawak dialect, English and Arabic. (They were surprised at my third answer so I quickly explained why). Both of my parents studied at religious schools and took Arabic. Plus, my mother teaches Islamic Education so she actually priorities languages especially Arabic. My siblings studies at religious schools too so yeah, that's why.

• You learned all these languages so mind telling us which language are you most comfortable?

          Honestly, English. I found myself think naturally in English. I speak in English a lot with my friends and on social media. I did not know why but I think I express my thoughts and feelings easier in English.

• Hmm I guess that was our last question. Do you have anything to ask about?

          Well, I was thinking if you can tell me what aspects I should improve so that I can do better for my next interview?

• Wow that's a tough question.

          I heard other applicants asked the same question the whole day - the when will I know result thing. I don't want to ask that question because I already know the answer. It was around second or third week of May.

• How did you know about it?

          Well, I knew it from UPU page on facebook and twitter. They always update us.

• Good, that means you do your research. Well, first thing first, we like your confidence. You elaborate things that you know what you are talking about. We are impressed by your co-curricular records and the fact that you are multilingual. Being multilingual is a bonus to this kind of program, a language program. So, we hope you keep it up and maybe we'll see you soon.

          Oh, alright. Thank you.

          #At the moment, I couldn't hold back my smile because of the compliment. But at the same time, I thought my question was not actually get the answer.

After the interview, take your file and say thank you and have a nice day. As soon as I stepped out of the room, I was swarmed by other applicants. I only managed to give a few tips and left the building. I waited for my friend to finish his and while doing that, I wrote a brief reflection on a piece of paper. It was a draft for this entry.

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My answers in this entry are improvised as close as to the actual answer due to not so strong memory.

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In a nutshell, I hope this entry provides help as many as it could to aid you on your interview. Drop your comment and question below and I'll try to answer asap. I wish all the best to those who will be having their interview next time.

Wallahua'lam.

[Update: 15/5/2017]

Alhamdulillah I was offered to do Foundation in TESL UiTM, Dengkil. Unfortunately, I had to reject it since I was going for JPA.

If you have any question, feel free to ask!

[Update: 4/6/2018]

Hello everyone! I'm terribly sorry for all the late replies. To be honest, I didn't open up my blog that often and I was very occupied with studies lately. So, congratulations for those who passed the interview and got the offer. Good job for those who didn't, you've tried and you did your best.

FAQs

1. Confidence in Talking

- Surround yourself with confident people. Observe the way they talk, their habits. You are most likely to mimic them and in the end, you'll gain more confidence by yourself.
- Practise. Talk to families and friends. Go in front of the mirror.
- Watch TED talks or any famous speakers.
- Using basic phrases is a great start. Don't try to use complex sentences. It would mess your head up and demotivate you.

2. Multilingual

Multilingual is not an obligation, fellas! Like I mentioned before, it's just a bonus. Focus on your strengths. If English is not your forté, try sharing how you constantly trying to improve it on a daily basis like watch movies, read books or having a mentor. The interview committees will see your efforts.

3. Fear

I was scared too but feeding into it won't help. Identify what causes your fear and determine the solutions. Ask for help.

4. Interview

Here's another tip: before you enter the room, visualise yourself as the best speaker in the world and you're about to give the best speech anyone would have heard. It's like wiring your brain. Psst it helps me a lot.

Best wishes!