The worst question in teaching (Part 2 — Five alternatives)
By Scott Donald
In the last article, I described ‘do you understand’ as the worst question in teaching and stated that there are a variety of better methods for checking students’ understanding. This article will look at five alternatives to this question.
The questionnaire
The 5 techniques below were selected for a questionnaire on how teachers check understanding in their classrooms (the results of which, we’ll look at in the next article.) Various techniques for checking understanding were researched, but these 5 were chosen due to the range they offered in terms of their likelihood of use, and their effectiveness as perceived by language theorists (this was determined through background research and initial conversations with peers).
We will now examine these 5 contenders, and how they can be applied to classroom teaching. For these explanations, I have chosen the dark, yet oddly disarming, lyrics of Sting and The Police.
- Concept Checking Questions (CCQ)
This is when the teacher asks questions to reveal the core meaning of the target language.
Oh, I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
Teacher: Is Sting a creature from space?
Student: No
Teacher: Is he from New York?
Student: No, from England
Teacher: Does he have permission to be in New York?
Student: Yes, he says ‘legal’
Teacher: Where would you be considered an alien?
Student: Hmmm, England?
These are often closed (yes/no) questions, but may end in a more open question. They should ideally go from the most important elements of the definition, to the finer ones.
2. Personalisation
This is when the teacher uses the target language in a personalised example. This can then be followed up by a personalised question intended to check students have understood.
I can’t, I can’t
I can’t stand losing
I can’t stand losing you
Teacher: In this song, Sting thinks he will be very sad or angry if the girl leaves him. So he is telling her that he ‘can’t stand’, or tolerate, it. Something that I can’t stand, is when people are walking in front of me, and they are walking reeeeally slowly. Sometimes they even stop right in the middle of the pavement! I hate it. It makes me want to shout at them, or push them over. Is there anything that really annoys you, something that you can’t stand?
3. Extension
This is when the teacher gives the students a prompt using the target language and students must finish the sentence to show they have understood.
Roxaaaaanne you don’t have to wear that dress tonight
Teacher: Sting is saying that it’s not necessary for Roxeanne to wear the dress. She can choose to wear the dress if she wants, but there is no obligation. For example, I don’t have to teach tomorrow, so I can…
Student: Have a beer in the morning?
Teacher: Exactly.
4. Eliciting definitions/explanations from students
This is when the teacher tries to elicit the definition from the students. It is sometimes used by teachers as a delaying tactic when they have to clarify the meaning of a word on the spot.
I’ll send an S.O.S to the world
Teacher: Does anyone know what an ‘S.O.S’ is?
Student (teacher’s pet): Is a thing…what you do…when you are in a beach…in an iceland… aaand is a bad situation… and you need help.
5. Timelines
This is often used with things like tenses or expressions relevant to time or verb tenses, e.g. future continuous.
Every breath you take…every step you take…every smile you fake…I’ll be watching you
The teacher could then follow up with some CCQs. Is Sting watching us in the past, present or future? (Future). Is he watching us for a short time, or a long time? (Long time). Is it ok to use this song at a wedding? (No).
These five techniques are often used in conjunction with each other and there is obviously a certain degree of overlap with them. Nevertheless, they are five much better alternatives to simply asking students do you understand.
Now, this is all well and good, but do teachers actually use these techniques? And if so, which ones do they love, and which to they hate? Find out now in the follow-up article:
