One of the skills that English language teachers need to master is the art of asking questions. Questions can serve different purposes in the classroom, such as checking students’ understanding, eliciting opinions, stimulating critical thinking, and encouraging interaction. However, not all questions are equally effective for these goals. In this article, we will discuss five types of questions that teachers can use in different situations: display, referential, comprehension, confirmation, and clarification questions.
Display Questions
Display questions are questions that have a fixed or predetermined answer, usually based on factual information or the teacher’s expectations. For example, “What is the capital of France?” or “How do you spell ‘beautiful’?” Display questions are useful for testing students’ knowledge or recalling information, but they do not encourage much creativity or discussion.
Referential Questions
Referential questions are questions that have no definite answer, but rather depend on the students’ personal experiences, opinions, or feelings. For example, “What do you think of this story?” or “How do you feel about climate change?” Referential questions are useful for stimulating students’ interest, motivation, and expression, but they may also require more time and effort to answer.
Comprehension Questions
Comprehension questions are questions that check students’ understanding of a text, a speech, or a concept. For example, “What is the main idea of this paragraph?” or “What did the speaker mean by saying ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’?” Comprehension questions are useful for assessing students’ level of comprehension and identifying any gaps or difficulties, but they may also be too easy or too difficult for some students.
Confirmation Questions
Confirmation questions are questions that seek verification on what a student has said or done. For example, “You said you went to the shop. Is that correct?” Confirmation questions are not a common question for teaching, but are generally used in everyday conversation, so using them in the classroom can help students practice their use.
Clarification Questions
Clarification questions are questions that ask for clarification or repetition of something that the teacher or a student has said or done. For example, “Did you mean ‘noon’ or ‘midnight’?” or “What do you mean by ‘a piece of bread’?” Clarification questions are useful for ensuring clear communication and resolving misunderstandings, but they may also interrupt the flow of the lesson or make the students feel embarrassed or frustrated.