Reading a passage in an interview

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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grgygirl
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Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:09 am

Reading a passage in an interview

Post by grgygirl »

When a school gives a child a passage to read in an interview and then they are asked questions, do you think they'll be looking for hidden sub-texts or will it be a general understanding of the meaning and things like authorial (is that a real word?!) devices?
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: Reading a passage in an interview

Post by Daogroupie »

It is just spoken comprehension. Exactly the same as doing a comprehension paper. It will be literary devices, language, sentence structure etc. DG
wrecktangle
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Re: Reading a passage in an interview

Post by wrecktangle »

My dd read a passage and was asked about inferences and her opinion about what the subject was feeling and why. She was also asked to read a scene from My Fair Lady with expression. My husband and I could hear her through closed doors reading passionately and with a dodgy cockney accent!
grgygirl
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Re: Reading a passage in an interview

Post by grgygirl »

Thank you for the swift responses! We'll have a little practise this weekend.
Middlesexmum
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Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:54 am

Re: Reading a passage in an interview

Post by Middlesexmum »

Don't do what I did interviewing for South Hampstead in 1983: I was asked to read a passage out loud, I thought it was just a test to see how well you read. I read it beautifully but didn't take it in at all and then had a shock when I was asked questions on the passage. I just wanted to cry and was too shy to explain. Hence no place :(

So glad children are better prepared these days.
wrecktangle
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Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 12:03 pm

Re: Reading a passage in an interview

Post by wrecktangle »

Middlesexmum wrote:Don't do what I did interviewing for South Hampstead in 1983: I was asked to read a passage out loud, I thought it was just a test to see how well you read. I read it beautifully but didn't take it in at all and then had a shock when I was asked questions on the passage. I just wanted to cry and was too shy to explain. Hence no place :(

So glad children are better prepared these days.
That's so funny!
ToadMum
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Location: Essex

Re: Reading a passage in an interview

Post by ToadMum »

Middlesexmum wrote:Don't do what I did interviewing for South Hampstead in 1983: I was asked to read a passage out loud, I thought it was just a test to see how well you read. I read it beautifully but didn't take it in at all and then had a shock when I was asked questions on the passage. I just wanted to cry and was too shy to explain. Hence no place :(

So glad children are better prepared these days.
One might also hope that perhaps the interviewer could make what they wanted a little clearer, by adding something like, 'and then we will have a chat about what you've read to us', before the candidate started?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Middlesexmum
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Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:54 am

Re: Reading a passage in an interview

Post by Middlesexmum »

Yes you'd have thought so toadmum. Even as a 10 year old I thought it was unfair they hadn't told me in advance what was expected.
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