
Get help. Hire a teacher to guide you, and prepare you for the interview. This may be a different person than your general language teacher. (Keep working with that teacher too because getting better at grammar always helps!) But you might need to find a coach who specializes in the citizenship process. I worked with Hungarian Language Solutions, and highly recommend them.
Practice, Practice, Practice. As an actor, this was natural to me, but I have spoken to others who thought they could wing it, and were unsuccessful. Practice every day. Your lessons should include mock interviews. Record yourself doing these and listen back, noting your mistakes and correcting them. Spend your time between lessons preparing interview questions and answers in your head and on paper. Listen to as much conversational Hungarian as you can (podcasts, movies, conversation classes.) Go to sleep listening to Hungarian. Be intense, like you are in rehearsal for a Broadway play, just for a few months. The result will last a lifetime!
Have an actual dress rehearsal (or several) with your teacher. Get dressed in the outfit you are going to wear to the interview (be specific, down the the shoes and jewelery.) Start at the exact time of day that your interview will be. Practice from beginning to end: saying hello, sitting down in the chair, getting through the pleasantries, handing over your documents one-by-one, answering general questions about yourself and saying goodbye.
Get your bio right- by writing! Practice handwriting your biography, daily, for weeks. This may seem extreme, but the biography is a crucial part of the interview. You will most likely have to write it, at the interview, with a government official watching. It doesn't have to be fancy and overly-formal, but it does have to be correct. By the time I got to my interview in Washington DC, I had practiced handwriting my biography about 50 times, each time making it better. When the consulate handed me the blank sheet of paper, I felt confident writing, and then speaking about what I had written. Practicing my biography was the key to my success, I believe.
Get the facts straight! Organize your paperwork clearly, and go over it many times, practicing the names of each document and data contained on it. You don't want to get to the interview and forget the date of your Hungarian grandmother's birthday! And you don't want to be fumbling with a mess of papers. Have all dates firmly in your brain and ready to retrieve instantly, along with your folder of original documents and their official translations. Again this is all about practice!
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Be early, but not too early. You don't want to be rushed, but for security resasons, you usually can't enter most embassies and consulates until just before your appointment time. So plan accordingly, get to the location early, then use the time in your car, or walking around the block to relax your mind. It's also a great time to use a nearby restroom, so you can go into the interview refreshed and calm.
Shake it out: If you are trembling, shake your arms and hands vigorously. This is an actor trick, and works wonders at helping you appear more relaxed and confident. Obviously you might want to do this in the restroom or where people aren't watching!
Slow it down: During the interview, feel free to take your time to process the question and answer slowly, using as much correct grammar as you can. This part was the most difficult for me, as I wanted to talk quickly, as I would in English. But I can't speak so fast and still be correct, in Hungarian, so I worked hard in my mock interviews to slow down my replies. Remember, you can also always ask the interviewer to repeat a question. You may not want to do this every single question, but it's ok to do once or twice, to help. Also, as in English, saying jó kérdés (good question) is a good stalling tactic if you need a moment to think. (Also take your time when writing your bio. It's not a speed test.)
Have a post-interview plan: You will walk out of that interview buzzing with adrenaline. Have a plan to call a friend, meet someone, go for a long walk -- anything that will help you calm down and CELEBRATE! It's a huge achievement and you deserve to savour the moment.
Remember the joy: Have some fun. This process can be joyful when we allow it in.
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