Interview in English: preparing when you are not fluent
· 7 min read
An interview in English is not a language test: it is a check that you can work with English-speaking colleagues or clients. Imperfect but clear English lands well — hesitant, evasive English does not.
Most of the vocabulary you will need is predictable: it revolves around your background, your job and your motivation. That is a scope you can prepare in a few hours.
Prepare the vocabulary of YOUR job
There is no need to revise English in general. List the twenty to thirty terms you use daily at work and find their real equivalent — not the literal translation. Add the action verbs that describe your achievements: led, built, improved, reduced, launched, coordinated.
Write and rehearse your introduction
"Tell me about yourself" almost always comes first. Write it in English, simplify until every sentence is short, then rehearse aloud until you no longer need the script. Once that first minute goes well, confidence carries the rest of the interview.
Rescue phrases worth memorising
- "Could you repeat that, please?" — asking for a repeat is perfectly normal.
- "Just to make sure I understood — you are asking about…?" — reformulate to confirm.
- "Let me think about that for a second." — take a deliberate pause.
- "How would you say… I mean…" — correct yourself without panicking.
- "I would put it differently in my language, but the idea is…" — work around a vocabulary block.
These phrases prevent the worst outcome: total silence. They also show you can handle a misunderstanding — exactly the skill the recruiter wants to verify.
Choose clarity over sophistication
Short sentences, simple vocabulary, a steady pace: that is what makes imperfect English fully professional. Complex constructions multiply the risk of errors and blur your message. Slow down rather than speeding up to mask an accent: speed is the enemy of comprehension.
I do not judge the accent. I check that we can hold a meeting together without losing the thread. — Manager, international team
State your level honestly
Overstating your English on a CV costs you within the first five minutes. It is better to state a professional level with its limits and demonstrate it, than to promise "fluent" and collapse. If you are actively improving, say so: it is a positive signal.