Oral and Interview-Based English (面接・口頭)
Several Osaka schools, especially those with English or international courses, add a short English interview or oral check to the general interview: roughly three to six minutes with a Japanese teacher of English or an ALT. Typical content is why this school, what you did in junior high, club activities and future plans, sometimes with a short passage to read aloud.
Prepare four answers, not a script
- School choice: "I want to study ... because your school has ..."
- Junior high effort: "I worked hard at ... and I learned ..."
- Club or daily life: what you did, how long, what you gained.
- Future: "I hope to ..." / "I'd like to ..."
Each answer is one direct sentence plus one supporting sentence. Never stop at "Yes" or "I like soccer."
When you do not catch the question
"Could you say that again, please?" / "Do you mean ...?" / "Let me think for a moment." Use English, not Japanese, and never stay silent.
Worked example
Question: What did you enjoy most in English class? Weak: "Speaking." Better: "I enjoyed making short presentations in English. At first I was nervous, but my teacher told me to speak slowly, and now I can speak in front of people." Reasoning: the second sentence adds a before/after and a reason, so the examiner hears past tense, contrast with but, and ability with can - range, not just a topic word.
Traps
- Delivering a memorised speech that ignores the actual question asked.
- One-word answers or lists of nouns with no verb.
- Reading aloud without pauses; break at commas and full stops so the meaning is audible.
- Rushing the final word so the ending is unclear - slow down and finish it.