Phrase: Bring (something) to the table
In a North American job interview, it’s common for the candidate to be asked how they can benefit the company.
In other words, what they can bring to the table.
Now, to answer that question, you need to believe that you have skills.
I would assume that the candidates talk about their interpersonal skills, ability to take direction, be a leader, or how their education and experience make them perfect for the position.
To answer a question like this, you have to know thyself and be confident in your abilities.
It’s easy for us to see what others bring to the table, but it’s challenging for us to see what we, ourselves, have to offer.
As an English teacher, during a trial lesson, I know that the student is trying to determine what I bring to the table.
However, what they don’t consider is that I am also considering what they bring to the table.
Language teaching and learning is a team sport.
Good students need a hardworking, knowledgeable teacher, and a good teacher requires determined students.
If everyone works hard together, then the arrangement is mutually beneficial.
So, what do I want my students to bring to the table?
Thanks for asking.
There are a few things that all of my students bring to the table.
The first is a hunger to learn.
The second is the willingness to discuss anything under the sun.
The third is not being afraid to do the heavy lifting.
I can determine a person’s English language level within five minutes.
It takes a full lesson to estimate if what they bring to the table is going to be a good match for what I bring to the table.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least an 8th-grade education (age 13 – 14).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 68.
The higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100, the easier the passage is to read.
