The First Job Interview
Emma stared at herself in the mirror, adjusting her blouse for the tenth time. “Today is my first job interview,” she muttered. “I’m so nervous! I studied all week. I wrote notes. I practiced my answers. But what if I make a mistake?”
Her phone buzzed. It was Ben, calling to check on her. “Hi Emma! How are you feeling?” he asked cheerfully through the screen.
“I was scared all night!” Emma admitted, rubbing her tired eyes. “I didn’t sleep well.”
“Don’t be scared!” Ben encouraged. “You prepared a lot. Remember when you got an A on your business exam last month? You worked very hard then too!”
At the office, the receptionist smiled politely. “Mr. Davis is ready for you now.”
Emma took a deep breath as she entered the interview room. The interviewer, a kind-looking man in glasses, gestured to the chair. “Tell me about yourself.”
“Well,” Emma began, “I studied business. I worked hard in school. I… I really want this job!” Just then, her elbow knocked over a coffee cup. “Oh no! I’m so sorry!”
To her surprise, the interviewer laughed. “It’s okay! My first interview, I got lost in the building!”
Later that afternoon, Emma called Ben from a park bench. “The interview was… interesting. I made a mistake but the interviewer was nice.”
“See? It wasn’t so bad!” Ben chuckled. “Now relax – let’s meet at the baseball game tonight!”
As she hung up, her phone rang again. “Emma?” It was the interviewer. “We loved your honesty. You got the job!”
“I got it?” Emma gasped, jumping to her feet. “I’m so happy and relieved!”
That evening at the baseball stadium, Ben clinked his soda against hers. “I told you not to be scared! Congratulations!”
Emma grinned, watching the sunset. “You were right. This was a great day!
Learn English Through Stories 📖 Job Interview Conversation A1 Beginner Past Tense Practice
Join Emma as she faces her first job interview—nervous, prepared, and full of surprises! This beginner-friendly story is packed with essential past tense verbs (regular and irregular) and workplace phrases, perfect for A1 English learners.
✅ What You’ll Learn:
✔️ Past tense verbs: studied, wrote, practiced, got, made
✔️ Workplace vocabulary: interview, resume, receptionist, honesty
✔️ Feelings & reactions: nervous, scared, happy, relieved
✔️ Natural dialogue: “I was…”, “Don’t be…”, “It’s okay!”
🔹 How to Use This Video:
🎧 Listen first without subtitles (test your ears!).
📖 Read along with subtitles to catch every word.
🗣 Repeat key phrases aloud for pronunciation practice.
💬 Comment below: “Were you ever nervous for an interview? Write one sentence!”
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A1 Vocabulary from “The First Job Interview”
Nouns:
- Interview
- Mistake
- Notes
- Answers
- Exam
- Business
- School
- Coffee cup
- Office
- Job
Verbs (Past Tense):
- studied
- wrote
- practiced
- worked
- slept (didn’t sleep)
- prepared
- got (received)
- made (a mistake)
- knocked (over)
- told
Feelings/Adjectives:
- nervous
- scared
- happy
- relieved
- nice
- tired
Phrases:
- “How are you feeling?”
- “Don’t be scared!”
- “I’m so sorry!”
- “It’s okay!”
- “You got the job!”
Workplace Terms:
- receptionist
- interviewer
- prepared answers
- honesty
Teaching Notes:
- Grammar Focus: Simple past tense (studied, wrote, worked)
- Key Structures:
-
- “I was [feeling]” (I was scared)
- “I didn’t [verb]” (I didn’t sleep)
- Natural Repetition: “I studied… I wrote… I practiced” reinforces verb patterns.
Exercises Based on “The First Job Interview” Story
Exercise 1: Vocabulary Gap Fill
Instructions: Complete the sentences using words from the story.
- Emma was very ______ before her interview.
- She ______ all week for the interview.
- “Don’t be ______!” Ben told Emma.
- Emma ______ over the coffee cup by accident.
- At the end, Emma felt ______ and ______.
Exercise 2: Past Tense Practice
Instructions: Change these verbs to past tense as used in the story.
- study → ______
- write → ______
- practice → ______
- work → ______
- make → ______
(Bonus: Write one sentence using 2 past tense verbs from above.)
Exercise 3: Dialogue Sequencing
Instructions: Number the conversation in order (1-5):
___ “I’m so sorry!”
___ “Tell me about yourself.”
___ “It’s okay! My first interview, I got lost!”
___ [sound: coffee cup clatter]
___ “Well, I studied business…”
Exercise 4: True/False Comprehension
Instructions: Mark T (True) or F (False):
- Emma slept well before her interview.
- Ben mentioned Emma’s business exam.
- The interviewer shouted about the coffee spill.
- Emma got the job for being honest.
- They celebrated at a baseball game.
Exercise 5: Personal Response
Instructions: Answer in 3-5 sentences:
“Describe a time you felt nervous. Use: I was… / I felt… / I…”
Exercise 6: Synonym Match
Instructions: Match words to their similar meanings:
- nervous → a) happy
- scared → b) anxious
- relieved → c) afraid
- practiced → d) prepared
- honest → e) truthful
Answer Key
Exercise 1 Answers:
- nervous
- studied
- scared
- knocked
- happy, relieved
Exercise 2 Answers:
- studied
- wrote
- practiced
- worked
- made
Exercise 3 Answers:
- “Tell me about yourself.”
- “Well, I studied business…”
- [sound: coffee cup clatter]
- “I’m so sorry!”
- “It’s okay! My first interview, I got lost!”
Exercise 4 Answers:
- F
- T
- F
- T
- T
Exercise 6 Answers:
1-b, 2-c, 3-a, 4-d, 5-e
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