English for Specific Purposes
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A Discursive Approach to Interactions at Job Interviews and its Implication for Training

Teoh Mei Lin, Rachel S. K. Tan,

Fauziah Taib, Choo Wee Ling

teohml@um.edu.my

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the differences in the language strategies used by successful and unsuccessful candidates at job interviews in order to train university students for this task. To do so, a study with final year students at the University of Malaya taking a course called Communication for Employment was conducted. Seventeen students attended simulated job interviews for entry level jobs in the accounting field and were interviewed and assessed by an experienced Human Resource manager.  The relationship between successful and unsuccessful interviews is explored using a discourse based approach and ethnographic notes.

Keywords: job interviews, discursive approach, impression management

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