Page 62 - Beyond Methods

50 Maximizing learning opportunities Studies on L2 development have generally focused on two types
of questions:
• display questions that permit predetermined answers already known to the teacher; and
• referential questions that permit open-ended answers containing new information.
Researchers in L2 development have found that nearly 79 per- cent of the questions asked in the classroom are display questions, which clearly contrasts with the use of referential questions in con- versations outside the class (Long and Sato, 1983). They have also found that learners’ responses to referential questions were propo- sitionally longer and grammatically more complex than their re- sponses to display questions (Brock, 1986).
As can be expected, process/metaprocess or referential ques- tions have the potential to generate learning opportunities. They have the capacity to elicit new pieces of information from learners. They also have the capacity to prompt them to actively engage their reasoning skills, and not just passively draw from memory, as choice and product questions are prone to do. Scott Thornbury goes even further and argues that “the effort involved in asking ref- erential questions prompts a greater effort and depth of processing on the part of the teacher.” With that understanding, he good-hu- moredly challenges the classroom teacher: “Try conducting a lesson in which every question is referential!” (Thornbury, 1996, p. 281).
Reflective task 3.2
Try to recall, as specifically as possible, instances of learner involvement and teacher questioning in the most recent class you taught or attended. Do you think learning opportunities were generated in that class? If yes, how were they achieved? If not, what might be the reasons?
ILLUSTRATIONS OF LEARNER INVOLVEMENT AND TEACHER QUESTIONING
The pedagogical significance of the issues raised above will become even more apparent as we look at the following classroom interac-