Language Study

© Diane Farrug

Asking Questions in ESL Lessons

  1. Irene Taylor
  2. Dorit Sasson
  3. teachESL

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1.   Nov 18, 2006 5:58 PM

» Irene Taylor - Asking Questions


Hi Marc,

Great article - and excellent advice for the ESL classroom and classrooms in general I'd say. To be able to ask a question in an ESL classroom, a student does need to have some skills, and it is a great way to get them talking!

Thanks for an excellent article and welcome to Suite! I know you will do a great job with this topic!

Irene

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2.   Dec 25, 2006 9:31 AM

» Feature Writer Dorit Sasson - Asking Questions


Hi Marc,

Asking questions is one of the most difficult skills. My EFL Israeli learners need constant practice. How much practice do you think is necessary before they are able to produce? The target language is actually a meta language as been defined in research. I wonder if the asking questin is part of this ongoing debate.

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Feature Writer Dorit Sasson
Feature Writer for New Teacher Support

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3.   Dec 28, 2006 2:46 PM

» teachESL - Asking Questions

In response to Asking Questions posted by DorSas04:


Thanks for writing, Dorit. I agree with you that the "target language" is a meta-language, and for that reason some second-language learners may find asking questions more difficult in that second language. But it is different for every learner: factors such as fluency, confidence, and individual personality all play a part in how a student may engage in asking questions.

As you know, second-language learners come into their study with learning experiences that pre-define potential outcomes. In other words, if a student has a past experience in which asking questions in class is frowned upon by a teacher or educational community, asking questions will certainly prove more difficult in a second language. At the same time, a student who is encouraged to ask questions may actually find the experience very liberating.

So, to answer your question, I do not know if asking questions in class or in simple public circumstances is under primary investigation by researchers interested in aspects of second-language acquisition focused specifically on theories of metacognition; however, I wonder if the challenges your EFL Israeli learners are experiencing has more to do with their previous educational background as opposed to some problem utilizing the language itself.

-- posted by teachESL

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