An Interview in English Is Not Just About English
You prepared for the role. You reviewed your résumé. You researched the company. You rehearsed answers to the most likely questions.
But what about the English?
That question comes late for many Brazilian professionals. And when it does, the most common mistake is assuming the English is already good enough — that everyday vocabulary, binge-watched shows, and current work meetings cover what an interview requires.
They don’t.
Job interviews in English have their own structure. Specific vocabulary. A different rhythm. And they happen under pressure — exactly the environment where the affective filter rises, and fluency recedes.
The good news: you can prepare specifically for this context. And those who prepare arrive differently.
What Makes English Interviews Different
In Brazil, interviews tend to be conversations. Open questions, informal tone, room for digression.
In American and European companies, the standard is different. Structured behavioral questions — the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result) — are widely used. The interviewer expects organized answers with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
This means you need, beyond English, a narrative structure. It’s not enough to know what you did — you need to be able to tell it in English clearly and concisely, with the right connectors.
Competency vocabulary also enters here: “accountability”, “stakeholder management”, “cross-functional collaboration”, “ownership”. Terms that describe how you work, not just what you do.
The Classic Questions You Need to Prepare
Some questions appear in virtually every international interview. Not to memorize answers — but to build the reasoning in English ahead of time:
- “Tell me about yourself” — the opening that sets the tone. Should be concise, professional, with a clear thread.
- “What’s your greatest strength?” — choose one relevant to the role and illustrate with a real example.
- “What’s your greatest weakness?” — structured honesty. Mention something real, followed by what you’re doing to work on it.
- “Why do you want this role / this company?” — clear alignment with the company’s mission and values.
- “Tell me about a challenge you faced and how you handled it” — apply the STAR model.
- “Where do you see yourself in five years?” — demonstrates realistic ambition and commitment.
For each of these, write a draft in English. Not to memorize word for word — but to have clarity of structure. Read it aloud. Adjust what sounds awkward. This already reduces cognitive load during the real interview.
The Vocabulary of Your Field
Beyond behavioral questions, you’ll need to talk about what you do — in technical English.
A developer needs to discuss “sprint cycles”, “code reviews”, and “deployment pipelines”. A marketing professional, “conversion rates”, “A/B testing”, “brand positioning”. A lawyer, “compliance”, “due diligence”, “contractual obligations”.
Map out the key terms of your field in English. Not just translations — but how these concepts are discussed in English. Professional podcasts in your field, videos from native professionals, and industry reports in English are good sources.
Familiarity with this vocabulary before the interview prevents awkward pauses when describing projects and responsibilities.
Phrases to Buy Time and Control the Situation
One of the biggest sources of anxiety in English interviews is the feeling that you must respond immediately — and that any pause reveals incompetence.
It doesn’t. And native speakers use these phrases too:
- “That’s a great question. Let me think for a moment.” — a legitimate, professional pause.
- “If I understood correctly, you’re asking about…” — ensures you understood before answering.
- “Let me give you a specific example to illustrate that.” — signals structure and buys time.
- “I want to make sure I’m giving you an accurate answer.” — shows care, not hesitation.
- “Could you clarify what you mean by…?” — asking for clarification signals attention, not weakness.
Practicing these phrases until they come naturally changes the game. You stop reacting to pressure and start managing the pace of the conversation.
The Affective Filter and How to Lower It Before the Interview
Stephen Krashen identified the “affective filter” as one of the main barriers to fluency: when anxiety rises, access to the language drops. Words you know exist become blocked. Syntax freezes. Pronunciation deteriorates.
A job interview in English is the ideal environment for the affective filter to spike.
The solution isn’t to pretend the pressure doesn’t exist. It’s to lower the filter beforehand — by making the context familiar. How:
- Simulate interviews out loud, in English, with the camera on. The discomfort during simulation is smaller than in the real moment — and it prepares your brain for this context.
- Record your answers and listen back. You’ll identify where you freeze, where things sound off, where you need more vocabulary.
- Run the simulation with another person — preferably an English speaker. The affective filter that appears when someone is listening is the same one that will appear in the interview.
- Practice at the same time as the real interview. Your mental state (fatigue, hunger, tension) affects fluency.
The more familiar the context, the lower the filter. The lower the filter, the greater the access to the language you already have.
Confidence Comes from Preparation, Not Perfect English
The most common trap: waiting to reach a “sufficient” level of English before preparing for interviews. That level never arrives, because specific preparation is part of what produces the necessary level.
No interviewer expects native English from a Brazilian professional. What they expect is clarity, organization, and the ability to communicate under pressure. Those three things are trainable — regardless of your current level.
I was hired by Angel Studios, an American streaming company, in interviews conducted entirely in English. What prepared me wasn’t years of study abroad — it was deliberate immersion, built in Brazil, and specific preparation for that professional context.
English for interviews is a skill. And skills are developed through directed practice.
If you have an interview on the horizon and want to prepare in a structured way, send me a message. I work specifically with this type of preparation.