论文部分内容阅读
Abstract:Teachers’questioning is quite significant on motivating learners. When asking questions, teachers need to find a balance between convergent and divergent questions. Wait-time is also very important when questioning. This study was based on a survey of 34 students who were taking academic English language courses in a UK university (the University of Hertfordshire) and also suggested that three to five seconds is the most suitable wait-time for students.
Key Words: motivation;questioning;convergent;divergent;wait-time
“Observation has shown that the most common type of classroom interaction is that known as ‘IDF’-‘Initiation-Response- Feedback’: the teacher initiates an exchange, usually in the form of a question.” (Sinclair and Coulthard, 1975). Questioning is a universally used activation technique in teaching. No doubt, questioning is quite important and it is a kind of art. Effective questioning can help teachers get learners to be active in their learning, stimulate logical, reflective or imaginative thinking, find out the facts, ideas from the learners, check or test understanding, knowledge or skill ( Ur, 1996 ).
However, what kind of question is effective? Answering questions is supposed to be a challenge to the learners. Then, “too low a level of challenge can result in apathy, but too high a level can lead to anxiety or stress”(Williams, 1999). Only when the teachers give adequate consideration to learners’real needs and level, may arousal be triggered.
二、To offer students three to five seconds“wait-time”
There is another research to the “wait-time”on questioning. That is, “the length of time the teacher waits after asking the question before calling on a student to answer it, rephrasing the question, directing the question to another student, or giving the answers (Rowe, 1974, cited in Kindsvatter et al, 1988)
It has been observed in some schools in China, some teachers seldom consider much about the “wait-time”, they even offer no “wait-time”to students, especially to some weak students. No“wait-time”means no opportunity for them. In some open classes, you may find some teachers always ask certain students to answer questions. Jackson and Lahaderne (1967) also found that some students are twenty-five times more likely to be called on to speak in a class than others. Why can not the rest students be called on? Richards (1999) indicates that they have more difficulty in answering questions. They are not relied on to answer the questions in order to maintain the momentum of the class.
As pie chart 2 shows, 71% of the respondents feel it unfair if the teachers always ask certain students to answer questions. In fact, teachers’choice has harmed the learners in a way. Offering “wait-time”to students, especially weak ones, they can know that they are respected and there are expectations of them. Then, they are more willing to participate in the lesson.
Then, how long a “wait-time”is suitable for the learners?
As pie chart 3 shows, 73% of the students thought 3 to 5 seconds was the most suitable for them. 9 percent thought one second was ok, 18% thought they needed more seconds. Ten students were face- to- face interviewed. They said that one second meant nothing, too short to do anything. Just like there’s no wait-time. Too long a “wait-time”will also demotivate the learners. If a student cannot answer a question in 5 seconds, and the teacher keeps the whole class waiting for him or her all the time, the student may feel embarrassed. Next time, he or she will be hesitant to put up hand and the class may also keep the memory of having waited for his or her answer. That’s really a bad experience. When wait-time is 3 to 5 seconds, the amount of student participation as well as the quality of that participation often increases (Long et al. 1984).
In all, questioning is quite important on motivating students and motivation is quite a complex area, it requires our further study..
References:
[1]Jackson, P., and Lahaderne, H. Inequalities of teacher-pupil contacts[J].Psychology in the schools,1967(4):204-8.
[2]Richards,J.C.Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms[M].Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,1996.
[3]Williams,M. Motivation in language learning[J]. English teaching professional,1999(13).
[4]Sinclair, J.,Coulthard, R. M.Towards an Analysis of Discourse, Oxford:Oxford University Press.
[5]Ur, P. A Course in Language Teaching-Practice and theory[M]. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
(作者单位:广州亚加达外语职业技术学校)
Key Words: motivation;questioning;convergent;divergent;wait-time
“Observation has shown that the most common type of classroom interaction is that known as ‘IDF’-‘Initiation-Response- Feedback’: the teacher initiates an exchange, usually in the form of a question.” (Sinclair and Coulthard, 1975). Questioning is a universally used activation technique in teaching. No doubt, questioning is quite important and it is a kind of art. Effective questioning can help teachers get learners to be active in their learning, stimulate logical, reflective or imaginative thinking, find out the facts, ideas from the learners, check or test understanding, knowledge or skill ( Ur, 1996 ).
However, what kind of question is effective? Answering questions is supposed to be a challenge to the learners. Then, “too low a level of challenge can result in apathy, but too high a level can lead to anxiety or stress”(Williams, 1999). Only when the teachers give adequate consideration to learners’real needs and level, may arousal be triggered.
二、To offer students three to five seconds“wait-time”
There is another research to the “wait-time”on questioning. That is, “the length of time the teacher waits after asking the question before calling on a student to answer it, rephrasing the question, directing the question to another student, or giving the answers (Rowe, 1974, cited in Kindsvatter et al, 1988)
It has been observed in some schools in China, some teachers seldom consider much about the “wait-time”, they even offer no “wait-time”to students, especially to some weak students. No“wait-time”means no opportunity for them. In some open classes, you may find some teachers always ask certain students to answer questions. Jackson and Lahaderne (1967) also found that some students are twenty-five times more likely to be called on to speak in a class than others. Why can not the rest students be called on? Richards (1999) indicates that they have more difficulty in answering questions. They are not relied on to answer the questions in order to maintain the momentum of the class.
As pie chart 2 shows, 71% of the respondents feel it unfair if the teachers always ask certain students to answer questions. In fact, teachers’choice has harmed the learners in a way. Offering “wait-time”to students, especially weak ones, they can know that they are respected and there are expectations of them. Then, they are more willing to participate in the lesson.
Then, how long a “wait-time”is suitable for the learners?
As pie chart 3 shows, 73% of the students thought 3 to 5 seconds was the most suitable for them. 9 percent thought one second was ok, 18% thought they needed more seconds. Ten students were face- to- face interviewed. They said that one second meant nothing, too short to do anything. Just like there’s no wait-time. Too long a “wait-time”will also demotivate the learners. If a student cannot answer a question in 5 seconds, and the teacher keeps the whole class waiting for him or her all the time, the student may feel embarrassed. Next time, he or she will be hesitant to put up hand and the class may also keep the memory of having waited for his or her answer. That’s really a bad experience. When wait-time is 3 to 5 seconds, the amount of student participation as well as the quality of that participation often increases (Long et al. 1984).
In all, questioning is quite important on motivating students and motivation is quite a complex area, it requires our further study..
References:
[1]Jackson, P., and Lahaderne, H. Inequalities of teacher-pupil contacts[J].Psychology in the schools,1967(4):204-8.
[2]Richards,J.C.Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms[M].Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,1996.
[3]Williams,M. Motivation in language learning[J]. English teaching professional,1999(13).
[4]Sinclair, J.,Coulthard, R. M.Towards an Analysis of Discourse, Oxford:Oxford University Press.
[5]Ur, P. A Course in Language Teaching-Practice and theory[M]. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
(作者单位:广州亚加达外语职业技术学校)