CSS Forums - Please share PPSC Lecturer English Interview experience?

My Lecturer (English) interview was conducted at PPSC centre Multan on 22-01-2018. The Panel comprised of Chairman (Tariq Mahmood Khan), a male member (for Literature) and a mam (for Linguistic) and was extremely co-operative and friendly. However mam seemed to me stringent a bit as she was not going to be easily convinced. Moreover she belonged to linguistics while I was literary aesthete ! Anyhow the interaction with panel went perfectly according to my expections and it was a successful encounter that fetched me 78 marks.

As I entered the room the Chairman directed me to sit down and broke the silence almost immediately by asking me to introduce myself briefly about my educational background, achievements, career, interests and hobbies.

After my basic introduction, I told him that I am a serving Police Officer and very lucky to have completed my degree during my service and also got promotion by competing PPSC exam. Then I told him that I have literary bent of mind and enjoy reading famous English writers like Shakespeare and Keats. A calculated risk by me to divert their attention in that direction.

Seeing my audacity, he at once gave the reigns of charge to literature specialist and directed him to have me tested. Nonetheless, the man was a real gentleman who did not come out all guns blazing. Rather he took his time before he tried to test my knowledge. These are the questions the gentleman asked me.

i- You state that you serve in Police, do policemen also have literary taste?

ii- How was possible for you to pursue your degree while working under hectic schedules. (I told him that it is only passion that motivates under such circumstances and if you are really committed then nothing is 'impossible').

iii- If you have taste for literature then tell about all important periods of English history by quoting suitable references from each period.

iv- Does literature represents the age in which it is produced? If yes how and why?

v- At times while reading Shakespeare's Hamlet i find that many Hamlet's traits are present in myself. Do you have noticed that any such parallel characteristics in your personality?

vi-What is the best thing that Shakespeare presents Hamlet?

vii-Why Shakespeare's characters have universal appeal?

(During all this question-answer session I tried my best to concentrate and brainstorm as many facets of Hamlet’s personality as I could. While I was again and again insisting on the point that Shakespeare has given us multi-dimensional and multi-faceted character, the chairman getting irritated intervened in the middle and started hurling a volley of teasing questions in order to test my composure. In fact for a brief time, I have to soften my stance and go on back foot in spite of holding my ground.)

These are questions which Chairman asked me.

i- How can you claim that Hamlet is Shakespeare’s favourite character? Have you said that with reference to any of his critics?

ii- Do you know Shakespeare has given us more forceful and passionate character of Othello? Can you justify your stance?

iii- Did Shakespeare possessed Negative Capability, (a real bouncer and when I said yes he asked) if yes then how? (I have to take lot of pains to explain that how he possessed that.)

iv- What is Willing Suspension of Disbelief? (Again I have to be at my best to explain with reference to Coleridge.)

v- What is resurrection?

vi- Tell us about the famous incidence of your life?

(After that question the Chairman handed me over to Linguistics’ mam. The Mam was not pleased with me as I turned out to be a not-so-good student of linguistics. Here is the snapshot of my session with her.)

i- What is Allophone?

ii- What is phonology?

iii- What is phonetics? What is difference b/w phonology and phonetics?

iv- What is Morpheme?

v- What is affixation?

vi- As a college teacher you have not teach literature rather basic linguistic and grammar. How will you adjust yourself to that?

vii- Why you think you are suitable to this job?

(At this stage Chairman spoke: Thank you gentleman you may go now. I paused for a moment and told him that I have composed a couple of sonnets and if he would like I was ready to present these. The Chairman silenced me as there was sound of ‘Azaan’ and afterwards asked me to translate Azaan into English.

While mam was casting a wary eye on my pages and concluded that it was good effort on my part with good vocabulary too. Again Chairman started new session of general discussion with these questions.)

i- What are you reading these days? (I told him about CSS preparation and it kick-started a new discussion albeit short one.)

ii- What are your subjects in CSS and which writers you are reading?

iii- What did you read in ‘A Short History of Saracens’?

iv- Who were Ottomans?

v- When was Khilafat abolished in Turkey? Who did this?

vi- Was this a right decision?

vii- Why then Indian Muslims were so obsessed with it?

(Finally Chairman asked me to orally recite these sonnets and with his appreciation ended my ordeal and I ran out of room like a truant. That was my interview as much as I could remember afterwards which I penned down to offer to my colleagues at this forum!)