KPLI & DPLI

It went well. Both of them. My KPLI (Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah) and DPLI (Diploma Pendidikan Lepasan Ijazah) interview for TESL course. For those who dont know KPLI and DPLI is a 10-months course that qualifies a post-graduate to become a teacher. KPLI is for those who will be teaching in primary schools and DPLI for secondary, community colleges or polytech colleges. I was lucky enough to be selected to sit for the examinations and made through both interviews. Thousands have applied.

Going through the application was not easy, for KPLI especially, one would have to sit for Mtest, an asessment about personality, arithmetic skill, and what not. The interview on the other hand, consits of 3 parts; the witten test, the group discussion asessment, and the individual interview. Mine went okay the other day, I was the last person to be called in for the individual interview so there were no more nervousness. LOL. The 'butterflies' in my stomach were actually tired of waiting.

As for DPLI, Medsi is the name of the examination. This one needs applicants who obtained degrees with CGPA 2.75 and above. Mine, 3.0 above, no problemo~ LOL. Anyways, the Medsi exam was quite easy, just to test one's personality and interests towards teaching. There were multiple choice answers, 300 questions to be answered within 1 hour.

The part I remember most in this experience is none other than the interview itself. For KPLI individual interview, as i mentioned, was tiring, all because of the waiting. I had to be there before 11 am, and it ended at 2/3 pm. Yes, imagine that. The panel interviewer were both men, lecturers from Maktab Gaya, KK. The questions were:

1/ what have you prepared for this interview?
A- i have read and equipped myself with some information about the history, status, and issues of education in this country. My sources were texbooks, reference books, magazines, newspapers, and some from the internet. (at this point my butterflies came back, fearing questions i have no idea of!!!)

2/ Good. You are teaching?
A- Currently no. My teaching contract ended in December as a GSTT. And then..blah blah blah...

3/ Can you share one sweet memory while you were teaching?
A- (i started smiling, like a kid who were given some chocs)It had to be during the camping trip to Balung River, it was a motivational, come induction course for GSTT from the school..blah blah blah...(what we did)

4/ What makes a great teacher?
A- (O gosh i thought) A great teacher must not only teach, but also learn from students. Reaching out for them is important, knowing them and engaging them in the teaching-learning process can make learning much more effective and memorable.( I started to state some of my personal experience..)I think i either bored or ammused the panels.. they looked at me weirdly..

5/ Alright. Can you describe these certificates of theatre performances? Were you active in acting?
A- My involvements of extra curricular activities in the university were basically 3 things; theatre, writing, and community service. For theatre, our production called 'Skylark Production' did 2 major performances, one was for English Aprreciation Week, and another was The Literary Appreciation Week.

6/ what did you do in Literary Appreciation Week?
A- I acted. And this was a musical theatre, so there was some singing. However it was challenging because in IIUM, female students shouldnt be singing in performnces but people loved it nevertheless. (the singing was not to promote the beauty of one's voice but merely a story telling in a melody...). he made me promise to have these kinds of activities done in schools if i become an English teacher 1 day.

7/ Since you are quite an expert on the language, can you describe about the grammar?
A- I started to state kinds of sentences, elements in a sentence, tenses (and God knows what came out of me..) Then hr asked the difference between a Verb and Adverb. Easy like peanut this. Cant imagine if the interviewer was Sir Grammatical Analysis, the Australian, my lecturer. LOL.

8/ Good. So do you have any questions?
A- Not for now sir, no.

*end of interview*


DPLI interview questions will be in the next post. I have to run. Good day~