It is widely recognized among language instructors that effective second language teaching involves more than presenting grammar rules and vocabulary in isolation. Instead, meaningful learning develops when instructional activities connect to learners’ realities and lived experiences, enabling them to use the language to interpret, express, and negotiate meaning in contexts that matter to them. When classroom tasks reflect familiar situations—such as interacting in professional environments, navigating institutions, participating in multilingual communities, and communicating in person or through digital platforms—students engage more fully and demonstrate greater retention (Sujarwati, Iis et al.; Pérez-Núñez; Safarova). In these contexts, language functions not as an abstract object of study but as a communicative practice embedded in social life.
Building on this perspective, research in second language acquisition further shows that learning is strengthened when new linguistic knowledge is connected to prior experience (Vishnyakova et al.; Gajo; Müller; Mór). Learners interpret and retain language more effectively when forms are introduced through meaningful contexts that invite reflection, interaction, and purposeful expression. This understanding is so widely accepted in the field that the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages reinforce it, emphasizing communication in real-world contexts and the development of intercultural competence. Together, these principles have shaped curricular design across proficiency levels, encouraging instructional practices that situate language within authentic communicative environments.
Within this broader pedagogical framework, textbooks and curricula often attempt to reflect learners’ daily lives by incorporating scenarios related to routines, social interactions, and academic experiences. As proficiency increases, students develop the linguistic range necessary to describe their perspectives with greater precision and complexity, engaging with disciplinary content such as literature, cultural analysis, or professional communication. However, despite this progression toward authenticity, one context that remains underutilized across the broader curriculum is the job interview (Calvo; Louw; Zekeri).
To address this gap, this article proposes the incorporation of job interview preparation and role-play activities beginning at the Spanish high-intermediate level and continuing into advanced courses, integrating reading, writing, and speaking within a communicative task that students perceive as both immediate and consequential. As learners approach graduation, their professional goals become more defined, and the need to articulate their experiences, strengths, and aspirations in the target language becomes increasingly relevant. In response, this article presents a scaffolded job interview activity designed to foster linguistic development, cultural reflection, and professional confidence across proficiency levels, allowing students to progressively refine their communicative strategies over time.
At the initial stage, students are introduced to core interview vocabulary and conventions through short video clips that illustrate a range of communicative styles. Selected excerpts from Spanish-language media, along with dubbed scenes from familiar television series—such as Betty la Fea and The Office (including hilarious Dwight’s job interviews in Spanish dubbing)—serve as accessible entry points for discussion. These materials function as conversational catalysts, encouraging students to analyze effective responses, identify common interview questions, and reflect on their own experiences. In classrooms characterized by diverse linguistic backgrounds and professional trajectories, these discussions often generate rich exchanges about expectations, challenges, and strategies for professional self-presentation.
As the activity progresses, students are introduced to structured approaches for responding to behavioral interview questions. One example is the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), which provides a clear framework for organizing responses to prompts such as describing a professional challenge or explaining how a problem was resolved. Always in Spanish, Students analyze sample responses, examine how narrative structure contributes to clarity and persuasiveness, and begin constructing their own answers. At this stage, the focus extends beyond linguistic accuracy to rhetorical effectiveness, encouraging students to present their experiences in a coherent and compelling manner.
In addition, this stage prepares students to engage more critically and purposefully with ChatGPT in the following phase of the activity, which is completed as a guided homework assignment. In this simulation, students use artificial intelligence as both interviewer and language support tool, engaging in a structured practice interview outside the classroom. The instructions, originally written in Spanish, are provided below in translation for broader accessibility.
Guided Homework Activity: Job Interview Practice with ChatGPT
As part of this activity, the student will conduct a job interview in Spanish at home using ChatGPT. The goal is to strengthen speaking skills, expand vocabulary, and build confidence in professional communication before moving on to in-class role plays. Below are the instructions provided to the student.
Step 1: Choose a Position and Workplace
Select a job that interests you—your “dream job.” Be as specific as possible about both the position and the place where you would like to work (for example, the type of institution, organization, or company, and its location or context).
Step 2: Prepare Your Profile in Spanish
Write a short preparation note including:
- The name of the position
- A brief description of the job (2–3 sentences)
- Three skills or experiences that make you a strong candidate
- Information about the company or institution
- Your professional and educational background
Step 3: Simulated Interview with ChatGPT
Copy and paste the following prompt into ChatGPT (you may adapt it to your chosen position):
“Act as an interviewer for a position as [job title] at [company, hospital, or institution]. The interview will be conducted in Spanish. Ask me between 5 and 7 typical job interview questions for this position. After each of my responses, provide brief corrections or comments on how I can improve my expression, grammar, or vocabulary. Use a formal tone, as in a real job interview.”
During the simulation:
- Respond orally to each question (you may use the microphone feature to record your answers).
- Respond as naturally as possible, as if in a real interview.
- Carefully review the feedback provided by ChatGPT after each response.
- Use the suggestions to refine subsequent answers.
- Save useful feedback for future reference.
- At the end, save the full transcript of your interview, including both responses and feedback.
After the simulation:
- Review your responses and ChatGPT’s feedback carefully.
- Write a revised version of your answers, incorporating improvements where appropriate.
- Read your revised responses aloud to practice pronunciation and fluency.
- Be prepared to share insights and key takeaways in our in-class discussion.
Classroom Implementation and Student Impact
This is the fourth semester in which I have incorporated a ChatGPT-based component into a job interview activity that I have developed and refined over several years. Student feedback has been consistently positive, particularly regarding the value of AI-generated feedback in helping them refine their responses and develop more precise, context-appropriate vocabulary. Many students also note that practicing in a lower-anxiety, interactive environment increases their confidence, especially when they later participate in in-class role plays where they alternate roles as interviewer and candidate.
In the third segment of the activity, students first work in pairs in the classroom and then continue collaborating outside of class over the course of a week as they prepare for a final in-class simulation: a “grand finale” interview in which they apply for a position aligned with their professional aspirations. After each performance, classmates identify strengths and effective strategies demonstrated by their peers, while suggestions for improvement are offered in general terms to support collective reflection and ongoing learning at the end of all presentations.
As mentioned earlier, I typically implement this activity first in high-intermediate Spanish courses and then revisit it in advanced-level courses. This progression across semesters reveals noticeable gains in fluency, confidence, and professional discourse. In advanced courses, it is not uncommon for students to be actively applying for real positions while completing the activity. Many report feeling significantly more comfortable articulating their skills, experiences, and goals in interview settings, often noting that the transfer from Spanish to English interview contexts feels unexpectedly seamless.
Although the controlled classroom environment cannot fully replicate the unpredictability of real interviews, many of the most common questions—such as describing oneself, discussing experience, articulating strengths and weaknesses, explaining motivation, or imagining future goals—remain consistent across contexts. Because students recognize the direct relevance of these tasks, engagement increases substantially. As one student remarked, this is “useful stuff,” a comment that captures the pedagogical value of aligning language learning with authentic communicative needs. My experience in the classroom has also been echoed in the work of other instructors who have implemented similar activities in different disciplinary contexts. Calvo-Benzies (2021) in the field of tourism, notes that learners often “crave” the practical application offered by job interview simulations, as these tasks provide a tangible sense of reality while developing transferable professional skills that extend beyond the classroom. Such findings reinforce the relevance and longevity of this type of instructional design.
For this reason, repeating the job interview activity across consecutive courses creates an additional layer of development, allowing students not only to improve but also to recognize their own progress over time. This visible trajectory of growth strengthens confidence, reinforces motivation, and deepens students’ sense of agency as multilingual speakers capable of navigating real-world professional spaces in more than one language.
Ultimately, we as faculty are part of the growth and development not only of our subject of expertise but also of well-rounded human beings whom we hope to support and see succeed. Teaching language, in this sense, is teaching for life itself: it is about the joys of what students will go on to accomplish, the confidence they will carry forward, and the meaningful ways they will use their voices in the world beyond the classroom.
Angela Rodriguez Mooney, PhD, is an assistant professor of Spanish and the Texas Women’s University.
References
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