Preparing for my secondary school

interview & reflecting on my progress and

achievements at my primary school.

Name: _________________ Class: 6__

 Your Portfolio

This year is a happy time to look forward to a new school, new

teachers and new friends. It is also a sad time for P6 as we look
back on the many years of fun and achievements over the years at
primary school. You can use this portfolio to help you remember all
of your successes and accomplishments in class from P1 to today.
This will give you some confidence, perspective and will help
prepare you for your secondary school interview.

5 words to describe me: When I’m older, I’d like to be

1)_________________
2)_________________
3)_________________
4)_________________
5)_________________
The lesson in
which I get
the best
grades is
__________.
________________________
because__________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
_
My favourite lesson
is ______________
because _________
________________
________________
________________
________________
_
Ask your friends and share
what you have written!
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 A-Z of Describing People
TASK: Put a tick (✓) or a cross (X) next to each description to show whether you
think each one is a good/positive characteristic or a bad/negative characteristic.
 active = always doing something: "She's an active person and
never wants to stay in." ✓
 aggressive = being angry or threatening: "He's aggressive
and starts arguments." X
 ambitious = wanting to succeed: "He's ambitious and wants to
lead the company."
 argumentative = always arguing with people: "He won't
accept what you say – he's argumentative and loves to
disagree!"
 arrogant = thinking you are better than anyone else: "He
always behaves as if nobody else's opinion is important – "I
find him very arrogant."
 assertive = being confident, so people can't force you to do
things you don't want to do: "It's important to be assertive at
work."
B enthusiastic supporter of equal rights."
 bad-tempered = in a bad mood: "What's got into him lately?
He's so bad-tempered."
 big-headed = thinking you're very important or clever: "I've
never met anyone so big-headed!"
 bossy = telling people what to do all the time: "He's so bossy -
he never lets me do things the way I want to do them."
C faithful friend."
 careless = not taking care: "He's a careless driver – "I'm sure
he'll have an accident."
 caring = wanting to help people: "My boss is caring and often
asks me how things are going."
 catty = saying nasty or spiteful things about other people: "I
know you don't like her, but calling her names is a bit catty."
 cautious = being careful, so that you avoid mistakes: "He's
cautious about investing money in the stock market."
 charming = pleasant and likeable: "What a charming man!"
 cheeky = being rude or disrespectful: "It was a bit cheeky of
him to ask for more money."
 clever = intelligent: "She's a clever student and picks things up
quickly."
 conceited = thinking you're very clever, or better than others:
"He's so conceited – he thinks everyone should admire him."
 conscientious = doing something carefully, because you want
to do it well: "She's a conscientious student and always does
her homework."
 considerate = thinking and caring about others: "My
neighbour brought me flowers when I was in hospital – he's
very considerate." ("That was considerate of him.")
 coy = pretending to be shy so that you don't have to give
information: "He's very coy about his qualifications – maybe he
doesn't have any."
 creative = someone who can make or design things, or can
think of solutions to a problem: "She's creative and artistic."
 curious = wanting to know things: "I'm curious to find out what
you think of the situation."
3 times!"
D
 deceitful = trying to make people think something, so that you
get what you want: "He lied to get this job – he's so deceitful."
 docile = quiet and submissive: "She's a docile child and
always does what she's told."
 dogmatic = wanting others to accept your ideas without
discussion: "He's a dogmatic politician and always thinks he's
right."
 domineering = trying to control other people: "He's loud and
domineering in the office – it's difficult to get him to listen to
us."
E
 enthusiastic = having a lot of interest in something: "He's an
 excitable = someone who easily gets excited: "He gets very
excitable about politics – it's one of his passions in life."
 extroverted = outgoing and lively: "She's extroverted and
loves going out with people."
F
 faithful = being loyal to someone or something: "She's a
 fickle = changing your mind and being unpredictable:
"Politicians can be fickle when it suits them!"
 flaky = slightly unstable and unreliable: "She's a little flaky at
times, but otherwise she's a good worker."
 full of himself = acting proud of yourself: "He was full of
himself after he got the promotion – it got annoying after a
while."
 funny = making other people laugh: "He can be extremely
funny when he's in the mood."
 fussy = only liking certain things: "She's fussy about what she
wears."
G
 good-natured = kind and thoughtful: "She's good-natured and
always tries to help."
 grumpy = someone who tends to be in a bad mood: "He's
always grumpy in the morning and never says 'hello'."
H
 happy-go-lucky = not worrying about what might happen in
the future: "He's a bit happy-go-lucky and doesn't think about
the future."
I
 impulsive = doing things without thinking first: "If he sees
something he likes, he just buys it – he can be so impulsive at
 inconsiderate = not considering other people or their feelings:
"It was a little inconsiderate of him not to give you a get-well
card."
 introverted = opposite of extroverted: "He was introverted as
a teenager, but became more confident as he got older."
 inventive = able to think up new ideas: "As head of Marketing,
he can often think of inventive ways to keep his customers
happy."
 irritating = annoying others: "He can be very irritating to work
with."
 picky = only liking certain things or people: "She's picky about
her friends."
 playful = someone who likes to play and have fun: "You're in a
playful mood today!"
 pleasant = nice and polite: "The bank manager was pleasant
to me today."
 polite = showing good manners: "She's polite and never
forgets to say 'please' or 'thank you'."
 pragmatic = being practical and aware of your limitations:
"She's pragmatic at work and only does what she can."

J Q

 jokey = making jokes: "You're in a jokey mood today, but
we've got work to do!"
 jolly = happy and cheerful: "It was the weekend and everyone
was in a jolly mood."
 quick-tempered = getting angry quickly: "He was quick-
tempered when he was young, but he's more relaxed now."
R

K  reserved = keeping your ideas and thoughts to yourself: "He's

reserved, but polite."
 kind = thoughtful and caring: "My neighbour is kind – she  rude = impolite: "He's very rude and never says 'please' or
looked after my cat when I was on holiday." 'thank you'."

L S

 loud-mouthed = someone who talks a lot and often says
offensive things: "Don't worry about what he said – he's loud-
mouthed at times."
 loyal = someone who is faithful and stands by you: "His
colleagues were loyal to him when he was having problems
with his boss."
M 
 manic = behaving in a slightly crazy way: "We're a bit manic at
the moment – we're rushing to finish the work before our
deadline."
 manipulative = trying to get people to do what you want, by
influencing or deceiving them: "She's very manipulative when
she wants something."
 moody = having unpredictable moods: "Some people think
he's moody – you never know if he's happy or grumpy."
 scatter-brained / scatty = someone who often forgets things:
"Don't you remember where you put your wallet? You're so
scatter-brained!"
 serious = not light-hearted: "He's a serious student and
always does his homework."
 shy = quiet, because you are not very confident: "He's so shy
and hates saying anything to people he doesn't know."
sincere = saying what you believe (opposite of insincere):
"He's sincere in his beliefs."
 slapdash = doing your work quickly and carelessly: "He's got a
very slapdash attitude – I doubt he'll ever become a lawyer."
 slimy = trying to get what you want by being over-friendly:
"That man is so slimy – he makes me feel sick!"
 sly = doing things in a secretive way: "You never know what
he's up to – he's sly and manipulative."
 spiteful = trying to hurt other people because you didn't get
what you wanted: "If she doesn't get what she wants, she can
be quite spiteful."

N T

 nervous = uncomfortable with a situation: "I'm always nervous
before an exam."
O 
 old-fashioned = behaving or thinking in a way that isn't
modern: "He's a bit old-fashioned and thinks women shouldn't
work."
 opinionated = having strong opinions: "He's opinionated and
dogmatic – the last person you want to negotiate with."
 thoughtful = someone who thinks a lot: "He's a thoughtful
person and won't do anything unless he has considered the
consequences."
thoughtless = not thinking about people or the consequences
of your actions: "I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude – he can
be thoughtless at times."
 trustworthy = someone you can trust: "My accountant is really
trustworthy."
V

P  volatile quickly changing moods: "He's easily excitable and

pretty volatile."
 passive = not assertive – doing what other
people want you to do without arguing: W
"He's passive at work, but domineering at
home."  witty = being able to make other people
 perfectionist = someone who wants laugh by what you say: "He's witty and
perfection: "Her boss is a perfectionist – no charming – the perfect person to invite to a
spelling mistakes are allowed." party."
 persuasive = being able to persuade
people to do things or to accept your ideas:
"He's a persuasive talker."
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 Describing People Friend’s name:
TASK:__________________
Choose 3 positive describing words
TASK: Choose 3 positive describing words which you think describe one of your friends, and
which you think describe you, and explain why. explain why.

 I am _________________ because  S/He is _______________ because

____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
 I am _________________ because
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
 I am _________________ because
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
 S/He is _______________ because
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
 S/He is _______________ because
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

Other words which describe me…

Why would your secondary school want you? Think about why you’re a wonderful student!

 What are my achievements?

 What are my hobbies and interests?
 Have I taken part in any contests or
competitions (Speech Festival, Sports day etc…)
 Have I won any contests or competitions?
 Do I have good attendance and punctuality?
 What is my strongest subject?
 How do I practice English? 5
 What do I do at weekends and in my spare time?
 TASK: Split into teams of 4. Ask your
My Achievements friends to help you complete the mind map.
What are your strengths? You may write in
Chinese and English.

6
 Common interview questions
- Do you have a computer at home? How often do
About Yourself: Give full and you use it? What do you use it for?
- Introduce yourself complete - Which books do you like to read?
- What is your name? answers – try to
- Which school do you give at least 2-3 About Family:
come from? sentences for - Talk about your family.
- Where is it? each answer - What does your father / mother look like?
- Where do you live? - What is your father / mother good at?
- What hobbies do you have? - Do your parents help you with your homework?
- Describe some of your likes and dislikes. - What do you think about your father / mother?
- What does your father / mother / brother do?
- Do you do any housework at home? About Friends: TOP 6 subjects:
- Do you have any siblings / brothers or sisters? - Tell me about
- What do you like to eat? your friends. 1. Yourself.
- When is your birthday? - Who is your best 2. Why you want to go to
this secondary school.
- When do you get up / go to bed? friend? 3. Interests and hobbies
- Would you be scared if you had to perform on the 4. School and studies.
stage? About the 5. Family and friends.
- What do you want to be in the future? Secondary 6. The future.
- Have your read Pride and Prejudice / Harry School:
Potter? What is the book about? What is the most - Why do you want
impressive part in the book? to study in our
- What sports do you like to play? school?
- What other countries have you visited? - How did you get
- Which parks have you been to? What did you do here today?
there? - Who came here
with you today?
About School and Study: - Why did you
- What is your favourite subject / Which subject do choose an English Write down some ideas for
these subjects. Make sure you
you like best? Why? (e.g. Music) speaking (EMI) have a lot of things to talk
- Do you know how to play the piano? school? about!
- What kind of music do you like? - Is this your
- Why do you like music? parents’ decision or yours? What do you know
- Which song do you like best? about our school?
- Who is your favourite teacher in school? / Tell me
something about your teacher. Others:
- How do you get to school? - When did you last go abroad / travelling? Were
- Have you taken part in any competitions / English there any scenic spots? Which country do you like?
activities? Have you got any prizes in the - Why is it important to be polite?
competition? (e.g. Speech Festival / Penmanship - What would you do if you saw a little girl crying in
Competition / Writing Competition / Basketball / the street / someone shoplifting in a supermarket?
Football Match…) - Please read this. (Then ask questions about the
- What do you do in your English / P.E. / music… passage / Student chooses one topic from the
lesson? passage to develop)
- Which subject are you good at? - Picture description. (e.g. What day is it today?
- What kind of extra-curricular activities do you What is the weather like today? / Students are
participate in / take part in? shown pictures of different places and are asked
questions about the places.)
About Spare Time Activities: - Do you have any pets? Why do you keep a pet?
- What do you like to do in summer? Tell me about your pet.
- Do you play any musical instruments? - What else do you want to tell me?
- Tell me about your favourite activity. - Do you want to ask me any questions?
- Do you play computer games? MSN? How often
do you play computer games?
- Have you been to Ocean Park / Disneyland?

7
 Interview tips & advice
 Listen carefully and always speak English.
You can say: Do you have any questions?
o ‘I do not understand’ Show that you are interested in the school by
o ‘I don’t know’ thinking about some things you would like to know.
o ‘Please can you repeat the question’ For example, ‘What extra-curricular activities are
 Use eye contact. there?’. Be sure to visit the website of the school or
 Try to answer in 2-3 full, complete sentences. go to an Open Day.
 Sit up properly.
 Don’t be shy. Be confident!
 Speak slowly and clearly. Relax, don’t panic.
 Remember the ‘question words’ – (Where?
Why? How? When? How many? Who?) And
listen to what tense you should be answering in “It is better to give four
(past, present or future?) sentences with a few
 Research your secondary school on the internet.
What extra-curricular activities are available? mistakes than one sentence
Who is the principal? with perfect grammar”
 Make sure you know what has been happening
in the news during the week before your
Describing a person…
interview. What is your opinion?
• Who are they? Where are they from?
 Practise ‘mock’ interviews with your • What do they do? How? Why?
friends/family. • How old are they? Why are they famous?
• What do they look like?
Introduce yourself… • Do you like them?
You will be asked some basic questions about
yourself and your life and school and home. How to improve your English every day…
 Watch English TV (ATV World, TVB Pearl) and
Examples:
listen to English radio (RTHK Radio 3).
• Your name
 Read English books,
• Age
magazines, websites
• Where you live
and newspapers.
• Family members
• Hobbies  Practice your
• Sports English with your
• Likes and dislikes family and friends –
• Your personality aim for one hour per day.
 Practice talking about yourself and your
Think about your… interests.
• Voice  Learn some good adjectives and revise your
• Tone vocabulary by looking back at your work and
• Intonation textbooks.
• Manners  Talk to your English teachers.
• Body language  Don’t panic or worry, if you are confident and
• Giving a full and complete answer – it is better think you will do well, you will do well!
to say too much than not enough!
Most importantly… Relax, don’t worry and be positive!

Describing a picture…
Picture Revise prepositions of place.
• What do you see? What is happening? Why is it happening?
• Have you been to this place?

description • Where was the picture taken?

• What will happen next?
Describe the picture – who/what/where/how/why?
8
 Picture description examples
In four groups,
discuss and describe
a selected picture.

Group discussion
 In short
 But
 In brief
 However
 In summary
 Although /
even though  To summarise
 In conclusion
 Despite /
despite the
fact that  Firstly, secondly, finally
 In spite of / in  The first point is
spite of the  Lastly
fact that  The following
 Nevertheless
 Nonetheless  Therefore
 While  So
 Whereas  Consequently
 Unlike  This means that
 As a result

Do you What do I agree/ I agree

agree/disagree? you think? disagree For example /
somewhat but… 9
. For instance…
 Critical thinking example questions
Brainstorm the following questions and present to the class. Make notes as other groups are presenting.

Andy Lau will visit your school. What will you The government will give every Hong Konger
ask him? What would you like to show him? And $6000. What would you do with this money?
what souvenir would you like to give to him? Do you think it is a good/bad idea?

If you had a special ability, what would it be? If you were the leader of Hong Kong, what
How would you use it? would you do? What would you change?

10
 Critical thinking example questions
Brainstorm the following questions and present to the class. Make notes as other groups are presenting.

If you had $500,000, how would you redesign What things do you think best
your classroom? represent Hong Kong?

Should teacher reward children with money? Many children are applying to come to our
Why/why not? school. Why should we choose you?

11
 Difficult questions for discussion…
 You can be a superhero for 1 week. What super powers would you choose and why?
 What things do you think best represent Hong Kong?
 School finishes at noon and you have 6 hours free. How will you spend this time?
 What do you think makes a good teacher?
 What would you do if you had $1million?
 Tell me, in one minute, how do you use computers?
All of these questions
 How do we solve the issue of air pollution? have been asked in
 How do you feel about the rich/poor gap?
 How do you arrange your time when studying? previous P6 interviews.
 How would you survive in the jungle?
 What do you think this idiom means? e.g. ‘The early bird catches the worm’.
 What would your ideal school uniform look like?
 If you were a pilot, where would you go?
 Tell me a story.
 How do you feel about light pollution?
 How do you care for your teeth/self?
 Many HK people feel they are under a lot of pressure. Do you agree?
 Describe some special Hong Kong foods.
 How do you feel about your parents?
 Who do you admire?
 What are your weaknesses?
 Can you think of an interview question to ask your friends?
 Describe the relationship between your primary school/classmates and you.
 Talk for a minute.
 How would you become a good teacher? Is it an easy job?
 Do you believe the boys are weaker than the girls at school?
 Do you pressure your parents? Are they proud of you?
 Tell me a school rule you disagree with. Why?
 How would you teach your friend to draw a fish over the telephone?
 Can you use English to describe/introduce a product to your friend? (e.g. a hairdryer)
 Should parents fulfil all their children’s wishes?
 Are you proud of being Chinese?
 If you lived in the wild, what would the advantages be?
 If Santa is real, what would you want to get from him?
 If you had a lot of money, how would you improve your school?
 How would you find out the difference between water with sugar and water with salt? (Without
tasting it)
 If your school teacher/principal asked you to hold a charity activity, what would you do?
 Should the school pay students for good performance?
 If tomorrow was the end of the world and it was your last day on Earth, what would you do?
 How can we help students to read more books?
 If you can only have 1 electrical appliance, which would you choose?
 Why should our school choose you over other students?
 Which is more important? Science or language?
 Which country do you like best? What do you think about the citizens in that country? Why?
 What can we do to show our respect to teachers?
 Should S1 students be allowed to go out of school for lunch? Or stay in school?
 How do you use the internet for study?
 [Current events questions]
 [Group debates]

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