Module Learning Outcomes

Module Two-Week Schedule

Grammar Preview

Delivery Mode Note

This module is designed to work seamlessly across all three delivery formats used at Santa Ana College School of Continuing Education. In-person students complete vocabulary and grammar activities using printed handouts and interview practice with a partner face-to-face. Zoom students use breakout rooms for pair and small-group speaking tasks, screen-share the reading passage for guided annotation, and use the chat box for quick vocabulary or grammar checks. Canvas LMS students complete the same content asynchronously: reading and vocabulary quizzes are auto-graded where possible, the discussion board replaces live conversation, and the writing assignment can be submitted as typed text, a photographed handwritten page, or an audio recording. Instructors should post the same core materials in Canvas regardless of delivery mode, so that all students — whatever their format — receive equivalent content and equivalent opportunities to practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Module Vocabulary: 10 Key Words

Original Reading: "Preparing for the Interview of Your Life"

Finding the Right Opportunity

Looking for a job can feel overwhelming, but a little preparation makes a big difference. Marisol Delgado, a job counselor at a community career center, tells every applicant the same thing: "The interview doesn't start when you sit down in the chair. It starts the moment you decide to apply." Before applying, Marisol encourages job seekers to read the job posting carefully and list the qualifications the employer wants. If a posting mentions customer service experience, teamwork, or the ability to work a flexible shift, applicants should think of real examples that show those skills. This preparation helps later, on both the application and the interview.

Completing the Application

Many applications happen online now, but the basic parts are the same as paper forms: contact information, work history, education, and references. Marisol reminds her clients to list a supervisor or coworker as a reference only after asking that person's permission. She also stresses accuracy: dates of employment, job titles, and responsibilities should match the resume. A small mistake, like the wrong dates, can make an employer question the rest of the application. Marisol suggests preparing answers to common short-answer questions ahead of time, such as "Describe a time you solved a problem at work" or "What are your greatest strengths?"

Answering Interview Questions with Confidence

During the interview, employers often ask about a candidate's past experience using questions in the past perfect or past perfect progressive tense, such as "Had you worked in a similar position before you applied here?" or "How long had you been working at your last job before it closed?" These questions ask about actions completed, or in progress, before another point in the past. Marisol coaches applicants to answer using a simple structure: start with a short introduction that restates the question, add two or three specific details, and end with a brief conclusion that connects the answer back to the job. For example, an applicant might say, "Yes, I had worked as a receptionist for two years before I moved to this city. In that job, I answered phones, scheduled appointments, and helped train new employees. I believe that experience prepared me well for the front-desk responsibilities in this position."

Asking Clarifying Questions

Interviews are conversations, not tests, and Marisol encourages applicants to ask questions too. If part of a question is unclear, it is completely acceptable — and often impressive — to ask for clarification politely, using an embedded question. Instead of bluntly asking "What does the job pay?", a stronger approach might be, "Could you tell me what the typical pay range is for this position?" or "I was wondering if you could explain what a normal shift schedule looks like." These embedded questions sound more polite because the question is placed inside a longer, softer sentence. Employers often view thoughtful clarifying questions as a sign that the applicant is genuinely interested in the job and paying close attention.

After the Interview

Following up is another important part of workplace communication. A short, polite email thanking the interviewer for their time, mentioning one specific detail from the conversation, and reaffirming interest in the position can leave a strong final impression. Marisol notes that employers remember applicants who communicate clearly and professionally at every stage — the application, the interview, and the follow-up. "Communication," she says, "is really the biggest qualification of all. You can teach someone the technical parts of almost any job, but clear, respectful communication is something an employer notices immediately, from the very first email."

Vocabulary Practice: Fill in the Blank

Word Bank: applicant, qualification, reference, supervisor, shift, benefits, responsibility, interview, application, employer

1. Before you list someone as a __________, always ask their permission first.

2. My __________ told me my performance review would be next Monday.

3. I filled out the online __________ and attached my resume.

4. One important __________ for this job is being able to speak two languages.

5. The company's __________ include health insurance and two weeks of paid vacation.

6. I work the night __________, from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

7. Answering the phone and greeting customers are two of my main __________ at work.

8. There were over forty __________ for the same job opening.

9. My __________ asked me to come in early on my first day.

10. I felt nervous before my job __________, but I had practiced my answers.

Comprehension Check Questions

Part A: Main Idea and Details

1. According to Marisol, when does the interview really "start"?

2. What should applicants do before filling out an application, according to the reading?

3. Why does Marisol warn against mismatched dates or job titles on an application?

4. What structure does Marisol recommend for answering interview questions?

5. What is one example of a polite, embedded clarifying question mentioned in the reading?

Part B: Think and Connect

1. Marisol says, "Communication is really the biggest qualification of all." Do you agree or disagree? Explain your opinion using an example from your own experience or someone you know.

2. Think about a job you have had, or a job you would like to have. What questions do you think an employer might ask you using the past perfect tense? What questions would you like to ask the employer?

Reading Strategy: Facts vs. Opinions

Identifying facts versus opinions helps readers evaluate how reliable or persuasive a text is. A fact can be checked and proven true or false. An opinion expresses a belief, judgment, or feeling and cannot be proven true or false in the same way, even when it comes from an expert.

Practice: Find one more fact and one more opinion in the reading passage, and explain how you know which is which. Share your answer with a partner (in-person/Zoom) or post it as a reply on the discussion board (Canvas).

Grammar Overview

Yes/No, Or, and Wh- Questions with the Past Perfect

The past perfect (had + past participle) describes an action completed before another point in the past. In questions, "had" moves before the subject.

• Yes/No: Had you finished the application before the deadline?

• Or: Had you sent your resume by email or by mail?

• Wh-: What had you done to prepare for the interview?

Common error: Students often forget to use the base form (past participle) after "had," instead using the simple past.

• Incorrect: Had you worked there before? (this is actually correct — note that regular verbs use the same -ed form for past participle)

• Incorrect example to watch for irregular verbs: "Had you went to the interview?"

• Correct: "Had you gone to the interview?"

Always double-check irregular past participles (gone, done, seen, written, spoken) rather than using the simple past form after "had."

Yes/No, Or, and Wh- Questions with the Past Perfect Progressive

The past perfect progressive (had been + verb-ing) emphasizes the duration or continuous nature of an action before another past moment. It is especially useful for talking about how long someone had been doing something before a specific event, such as being hired, promoted, or laid off.

• Yes/No: Had you been working there for a long time before the company closed?

• Or: Had you been studying English or Spanish before you moved here?

• Wh-: How long had you been searching for a job before you found this position?

Form note: Past perfect progressive always uses "had been" + the -ing form of the verb, regardless of subject (I, you, he, she, we, they). There is no subject-verb agreement change, which makes this structure easier once students memorize the pattern.

Common error: Mixing past perfect and past perfect progressive incorrectly, such as saying "Had you been work there?" instead of "Had you been working there?" Remind students that "been" must always be followed by the -ing form, never the base form.

Embedded Questions

An embedded question is a question placed inside another sentence or question, often to sound more polite, formal, or indirect — a very useful skill in job interviews and workplace emails. When a question is embedded, word order changes: it follows statement order (subject before verb), and "do/does/did" is dropped.

• Direct question: "What were your previous responsibilities?"

• Embedded question: "Could you tell me what your previous responsibilities were?"

• Direct question: "Did you have any questions?"

• Embedded question: "I was wondering if you had any questions."

Common introductory phrases for embedded questions: Could you tell me..., Do you know..., I was wondering..., Can you explain..., I'd like to know..., Would you mind telling me...

Common error: Keeping question word order inside the embedded clause.

• Incorrect: "Could you tell me what was your previous salary?"

• Correct: "Could you tell me what your previous salary was?"

For yes/no-based embedded questions, use "if" or "whether" instead of a wh- word.

• Direct: "Have you worked here before?"

• Embedded: "I was wondering if you had worked here before."

Grammar Practice Activities

Activity 1: Multiple Choice — Choose the correct question form.

1. __________ you __________ (finish) your application before the deadline?

a) Had / finished b) Have / finish c) Did / finished

1. __________ had you __________ (be) looking for a job before you found this one?

a) How long / been b) Where / be c) What / being

1. Choose the correctly embedded question:

a) Could you tell me what were your responsibilities? b) Could you tell me what your responsibilities were? c) Could you tell me what your responsibilities was?

Activity 2: Fill in the Blank — Complete each question with the past perfect or past perfect progressive form.

1. __________ you __________ (work) as a supervisor before you applied for this job?

2. How long __________ she __________ (train) new employees before she was promoted?

3. __________ they __________ (finish) filling out the application, or __________ they still __________ (write) it when the office closed?

4. What __________ you __________ (do) before you moved to this city?

5. __________ he __________ (be) an applicant for this position before, or was this his first time applying?

Activity 3: Sentence Writing — Rewrite each direct question as a polite embedded question using the phrase given.

1. "What is your greatest strength?" (Could you tell me...)

2. "Do you have experience with customer service?" (I was wondering...)

3. "What were your responsibilities at your last job?" (Can you explain...)

4. "How long had you been working there?" (I'd like to know...)

5. "Did you have any questions for me?" (I was wondering...)

Parts of a Professional Email/Cover Letter

Topic Choices

Assignment Requirements

• Length: 150–200 words (or a fully completed sample application form with short-answer responses of similar length)

• Format: Business email/letter format with all six parts listed above (subject line, greeting, opening, body, closing paragraph, signature)

• Grammar: Include at least two questions using the past perfect or past perfect progressive tense (for example, referencing a phone conversation: "You had mentioned that the position includes weekend shifts...") and at least one embedded question (e.g., "I was wondering if you could tell me more about the training process.")

• Vocabulary: Use at least 5 of the 10 module vocabulary words naturally

• Use at least 3 transition words/phrases from the table below

• Tone: Professional and polite throughout

Transition Words for Professional Emails/Letters

Model Text: Sample Cover Letter

Subject: Application for Customer Service Associate Position — Ana Torres

Dear Mr. Kim,

I am writing to apply for the Customer Service Associate position posted on your company website. I saw the posting last week and believe my experience and qualifications make me a strong applicant for this role.

For the past two years, I have worked as a cashier at a busy retail store, where my responsibilities included handling customer questions, processing payments, and training new employees. Before that job, I had been studying business communication at Santa Ana College, which helped me develop strong written and spoken English skills. In addition, I am comfortable working flexible shifts, including evenings and weekends.

During our phone conversation last week, you had mentioned that this position also involves some scheduling duties. I was wondering if you could tell me more about the specific responsibilities involved in scheduling, since I have not had direct experience with that task, though I am confident I could learn quickly.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further in an interview. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, Ana Torres (714) 555-0148 anatorres_example@email.com

The Writing Process

Prewriting Graphic Organizer

Revision Checklist

Grading Rubric (20 points)

Multimodal Submission Options

• Option 1 (Typed): Type your email/letter in a Canvas text entry box or Word document and submit through Canvas (recommended for in-person and Canvas students).

• Option 2 (Handwritten + Photo): Write your email/letter by hand on paper, then take a clear photo or scan and upload it to Canvas (a good option for students who are more comfortable writing by hand or have limited computer access).

• Option 3 (Audio Recording): Record yourself reading your email/letter aloud as though presenting it to an interviewer, and upload the audio file to Canvas (builds oral fluency and supports students who benefit from a speaking-based option).

Discussion Prompt

Post a response addressing all three parts below:

1. Share: Describe a job you have had (or would like to have) and one workplace responsibility that was important in that role. What skills or qualifications helped you succeed, or would help you succeed, in that job?

2. Compare: Read a classmate's post. How is their work experience or career goal similar to or different from yours?

3. Advise: Imagine your classmate has an interview coming up. Give them one piece of interview advice, using at least one past perfect or past perfect progressive question you might expect an interviewer to ask, and one embedded question they could ask the interviewer.

Discussion Requirements

Sentence Frames

Functional/Persuasive Language Phrases

Delivery Mode Adaptation

In-person students discuss the three-part prompt aloud in small groups of 3–4, taking turns sharing and giving advice, then one member reports the group's best piece of interview advice back to the full class. Zoom students are placed into breakout rooms of 3–4 for the same discussion, with one student typing key points into a shared Google Doc that is reviewed together after returning to the main session. Canvas students complete the discussion asynchronously: they write and post their original response to the discussion board, then return within 48 hours to read and reply to two classmates' posts, following the same sentence frames and functional language provided above.

Discussion Grading Rubric

Section 1: Vocabulary Matching

Match each word (1–10) to its definition (a–j).

1. applicant

2. qualification

3. reference

4. supervisor

5. shift

6. benefits

7. responsibility

8. interview

9. application

10. employer

a. a scheduled period of work time b. a person who oversees other employees c. a duty a person is expected to do d. a person or company that hires workers e. a formal written request for a job f. a person who describes your character to a new employer g. a formal meeting to see if someone is suitable for a job h. a person who applies for a job i. additional advantages besides salary j. a skill or quality that makes someone suitable for a job

Section 2: Vocabulary in Context

Choose the best word to complete each sentence.

1. Before the interview, I reviewed the job's required __________ (qualifications/shifts).

2. My __________ (employer/reference) offers two weeks of paid vacation each year.

3. I asked my former manager to be a __________ (responsibility/reference) on my application.

4. The company received over one hundred __________ (benefits/applicants) for one opening.

5. She works the early morning __________ (shift/interview) at the hospital.

6. Filing paperwork accurately is one of my daily __________ (responsibilities/qualifications).

7. He filled out the __________ (application/supervisor) and submitted it online.

8. My __________ (supervisor/benefits) reviews my performance every three months.

Section 3: Grammar Identification/Application

Identify whether each sentence uses past perfect (PP), past perfect progressive (PPP), or an embedded question (EQ). Then answer items 9–12 by writing your own sentence.

1. Had you finished the application before the deadline?

2. Could you tell me what your previous responsibilities were?

3. How long had she been working there before she was promoted?

4. Had they applied online or by mail?

5. I was wondering if you had experience with customer service.

6. What had he done before he moved to California?

7. Had you been studying English for a long time before you took this class?

8. Do you know if the position includes benefits?

9. Write your own Yes/No question using past perfect.

10. Write your own Wh- question using past perfect progressive.

11. Write your own embedded question using "I was wondering if..."

12. Write your own Or question using past perfect.

Section 4: Error Correction

Find and correct the error in each sentence.

1. Had you went to the interview before you called them?

2. Could you tell me what were your qualifications?

3. How long she had been working there before she quit?

4. I was wondering if did you have any references.

5. Had you been study English before you moved here?

6. Did you had finished the application on time?

7. Could you tell me how long had you worked there?

8. Had she work as a supervisor before this job?

Section 5: Short Writing Check

Prompt: In 3–5 sentences, describe a job interview you have had, or imagine one you might have. Use at least one past perfect question, one past perfect progressive question, and one embedded question.

Self-Evaluation Checklist

AI Tutor Practice Prompts

Extra Grammar Practice

Activity 1: Sentence Combining Combine each pair of sentences into one sentence using the past perfect.

1. She applied for the job. Before that, she had updated her resume. → __________

2. He arrived at the interview. Before that, he had researched the company. → __________

3. They hired a new employee. Before that, they had interviewed five applicants. → __________

Activity 2: Subject-Verb Agreement in Embedded Questions Rewrite each direct question as an embedded question beginning with "Do you know..."

1. Where is the human resources office?

2. What time does the interview start?

3. Who is my supervisor?

Activity 3: Word Forms Complete the chart with the correct word form.

Campus Support Resources

• Tutoring Center: Offers free drop-in and appointment-based tutoring for reading, writing, and grammar support, including help with job application materials and cover letters.

• Writing Center: Provides one-on-one feedback on drafts, including resumes, cover letters, and other workplace documents, at any stage of the writing process.

• Library: Offers access to computers, printing, and research databases, as well as librarian assistance for finding job postings and workplace-related resources.

• DSPS (Disability Support Programs and Services): Provides accommodations and support services for students with documented disabilities, including extended time, alternative testing formats, and assistive technology.

Summary by Skill Area

Extra Resources

Looking Ahead

Reflection Questions

1. What is one new vocabulary word from this module that you think you will use in real life? How might you use it?

2. Which was more challenging for you: forming past perfect questions, past perfect progressive questions, or embedded questions? Why?

3. How confident do you feel about writing a professional email or cover letter now, compared to before this module?

4. What is one piece of interview advice from this module (or from a classmate) that you plan to remember?

5. What is one goal you have for your own job search or career, and what is one step you can take toward that goal this month?

ESL 304 Intermediate High | Module 4: Employment and Workplace Communication | Santa Ana College School of Continuing Education