Topic 8 Weaknesses English for Interviews

Topic 8: What is your biggest weakness?

A. Discuss:
1. What are your worst qualities?
2. What are you terrible at?
3. What do you want to be better at? How can you do it?
4. What is your teachers biggest weakness?
5. What are you trying to get better at?
6. How are you trying to improve yourself
(skills/characteristics/bad habits)?

B. How can you answer What is your biggest weakness?

Suggestions:
1) Describe a real weakness, but choose one not related to the essential skills for the job.
2) (1) Describe the weakness, (2) give a general example of it, and (3) describe how you are
working to improve or fix the problem.

Example: (1) Im not always very organized. (2) Sometimes when I have too many projects to do, I
dont manage my time well. (3) I am improving my organizational skills by regularly using a planner
and some smartphone apps and my supervisor told me he was impressed by how organized Ive
become.

C. What are the Opposites?

a) Decisive _______________ c) Organized _________________
b) Efficient _______________ d) Dependable _________________
What are some opposites of other good qualities?

D. Softened Expressions

Which is better? Why?

o I have terrible organizational skills.
o I can sometimes be disorganized.

Hard Sounding: I am./ Im very/ I cant/ Im not good at/ Im terrible at

Softened:
o I dont have great
o I could be better at
o I would like to be more.

Try to make the following softer:

1. I have horrible teamworking skills. 4. Im terrible with computers
2. I am very lazy. 5. My English is really bad
3. I have bad communication skills. 6. Im not creative.

1
Topic 8 Weaknesses English for Interviews

E. 3-Step Answers to What is your biggest weakness?

1) Describe the weakness in a softened expression:

a) I dont have great organizational skills/self-confidence.
b) I could be better at doing research/ researching.
c) I would like to be more creative.

2) Give an example of the problem.

a) I sometimes doubt myself and my ability to do my job.
b) Occasionally, I dont know how to find information I need.

3) Explain what you are doing to improve (**Its better if you can
show youve improved**).
a) I have recently begun using apps to schedule and organize my work.
b) I have been going to a club where we practice different kinds of spoken communication.

Choose 2 of the structures below and write about 2 weaknesses using the three step answer:

1) I dont have great _____________________ skills. ____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
2) I could be better at _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3) I would like to be more __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

(Topic images from : disorganized, weak man)