As Mr. Li drew the graphs, he posed the question “The two graphs respectively demonstrate the curves of stretching and shrinking for two types of materials. “Now, we need to select one of them for manufacturing aeroplane tyres. Please provide your choice and reasons.”
This was a mock interview class arranged by Mr. Li as part of the process to prepare students for their university interviews. Mr. Li tailored the interview preparation for the two promising candidates aiming for Oxford and Cambridge, covering multiple question types and formats, and conducted high-intensity practice sessions every day for a month before the university interviews.
Mr. Li coached Angela and Carl on mock interviews.
During the fall semester, FCG's subject teachers and admissions guidance team created customized interview preparation plans for each G12 student, taking into account their academic progress and application objectives. The plans included the development of problem-solving frameworks, instruction in interview techniques, conducting English mock interviews, and comprehensive explanations and discussions of potential questions. The goal of these plans was to fully prepare students for the university admissions process they were targeting.
Angela and Carl both have solid foundations in mathematics and physics. However, to pass the top university interviews successfully, both students must improve their interview skills and subject-specific English expression. Therefore, Mr. Li designed interview questions for Angela and Carl, based on classic Oxbridge interview questions and real questions from the BPHO (British Physics Olympiad) competition. These mock interviews were conducted in full English, helping Angela and Carl solidify their subject knowledge while repeatedly training their subject-specific English expression in an immersive language environment.
Although Angela and Carl applied to different universities and majors—physics at Oxford and engineering at Cambridge—both programs are heavily based on mathematics and physics. Consequently, the two students frequently received joint interview preparation from Teacher Li. This competitive yet collaborative learning environment undoubtedly exerted a strong positive influence on them.
After nearly twenty mock interview sessions focusing on physics, Angela and Carl made significant improvements in their interview skills, demonstrating enhanced abilities in accurately analyzing and discussing the questions posed to them. In the Oxbridge interviews, both students showed remarkable prowess, winning recognition from the top universities for their outstanding academic abilities.
Looking back on her Oxford interview, Angela said, "With the guidance of my subject teacher, I was well-prepared, so I felt very confident on the exam!" Mr. Li was delighted with his students' dual success and expressed that he had anticipated this outcome. His teaching style is a testament to his sense of responsibility and professionalism as an FCG teacher.