Step into fast-paced corporate interviews! Pitch credentials, question rival candidates, backshift statements with Reported Speech, and deduce applicant traits using Modals of Speculation.

1. 1 Distribute Profiles: Give each student 1 Candidate Card and 2 Question Cards.
2. 2 Assign Dual Roles: Each participant acts simultaneously as an interviewer seeking recruits and an applicant being questioned.
3. 3 Control Timers: Ring the buzzer exactly every 3 minutes to trigger rotation to a new partner.
4. 4 Audit Language: Monitor active use of backshifted verbs and modal speculations during interactions.
5. 5 Referee Final Scoring: Award points using the rubric when students report their candidate debriefs.

1. 1 Adopt Persona: Study your assigned candidate profile, past achievements, skills, and work limits.
2. 2 Interview at High Speed: Pose tough questions about workload, overtime, and resignation reasons in 3-minute bursts.
3. 3 Jot Down Crucial Evidence: Record direct quotes and clues about your partner's qualifications.
4. 4 Rotate on the Bell: Immediately thank your partner, move to the next seat, and meet a fresh applicant.
5. 5 Deliver Executive Debrief: Report back to management using reported speech and modals of deduction for points.

2. Timed Lesson Plan (25 Minutes Total)

3. Candidate Profile Cards (8 Applicants)

4. 12 Interview Question Cards

"Why did you decide to resign from your previous company?"

"What specific qualification makes you the strongest applicant for this role?"

"How do you organize your priorities when facing an unbearable workload?"

"Are you willing to complete mandatory overtime during high-stakes product launches?"

"How has each milestone in your career prepared you for this specific vacancy?"

"How flexible can you be regarding working shifts, travel, and hybrid hours?"

"What strategies do you execute when you need to recruit top talent on tight deadlines?"

"Which measurable results in your recent position justified your fastest promotion?"

"If selected for this open vacancy, how will you contribute within your first 30 days?"

"Recall a project where sudden spike in workload required you to remain flexible."

"Which academic or professional qualification do you regard as your greatest asset?"

"Under what conditions would a dedicated applicant refuse to work voluntary overtime?"

Awarded for each accurate tense backshift reporting an applicant's direct statement:

• Present → Past Simple
• Past Simple → Past Perfect
• Can/Will → Could/Would

Awarded for each logical inference formed about the candidate's history or personality:

• must have + V3 (past certainty)
• might / could have + V3 (past possibility)
• must be / might be (present trait)

Awarded when the student embeds 3 or more unit terms naturally into their report:

"She explained that she had resigned because her former manager hadn't offered any flexible hours."

"He told me that his previous workload had been completely unmanageable."

"She mentioned that she was looking for a new vacancy offering rapid promotion."

"He might be an exceptional applicant because he is willing to coordinate team operations."

"She must have gained top-tier qualifications when she completed her rigorous audit training."

"They stated that they were ready to handle overtime, which must mean they prioritize long-term career advancement."

7. Teacher Key & Assessment Guide

8. Game Variations (4 Difficulty Tiers)

9. Closing Reflective Questions

Applicant Assessment

Grammar Dissection

Real-World Career Insights