Scott Thornbury - How to Answer Learners' Grammar Questions

Summary

The speaker discusses the significance of learner-initiated questions in language classrooms, drawing on personal teaching experiences and educational research. They highlight that teacher talk dominates most classroom interactions, with teachers asking most of the questions. The speaker emphasizes the value of student questions in promoting engagement and deeper understanding. They propose strategies for encouraging more learner-initiated questions, such as creating a non-threatening environment and using specific question frames. The talk also covers various teacher responses to student questions and the need to foster a more balanced, two-way interaction in the classroom.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker has been intrigued by the topic of learners' grammar questions since early in his teaching career.
• 🗣️ Teachers tend to dominate classroom speech, with up to 70% of interaction being teacher-led.
• 🤔 Learners typically ask few questions, especially those seeking knowledge, making it challenging to research this area.
• 👨‍🏫 Teachers often respond to student questions by avoiding, postponing, or throwing the question back to the class.
• 🧐 The importance of grammar as choice versus grammar as fact is highlighted, emphasizing the need for context in answering questions.
• 📈 There's a suggestion to encourage more learner-initiated questions as a sign of engagement and curiosity.
• 📝 The speaker proposes strategies for teachers to handle student questions, including being honest about not knowing the answer.
• 🏫 The idea of basing lessons on learner questions is explored, suggesting a more student-centered approach.
• 👥 Creating a non-threatening classroom environment is key to encouraging more questions and a more symmetrical interaction.
• 📚 The speaker mentions his book on grammar questions, indicating a resource for further exploration of this topic.

Q & A

What experience sparked the speaker's interest in learner grammar questions?

The speaker became interested in learner grammar questions early in their teaching career when a student asked why 'I wish I had' uses 'had' when referring to the present. The speaker was unable to answer the question and felt exposed, which led to their long-term engagement with the topic.

What does the speaker say about teacher dominance in classroom interactions?

The speaker cites research showing that teachers dominate classroom speech, with at least 70% of classroom interaction consisting of teachers asking questions, students responding, and teachers providing feedback.

What is the IRF structure mentioned in the script?

The IRF structure stands for 'Initiation-Response-Feedback,' which is a common interaction pattern in classrooms where the teacher asks a question, a student responds, and the teacher provides feedback.

Why does the speaker believe learner-initiated questions are under-researched?

The speaker believes learner-initiated questions are under-researched because most studies focus on teacher-initiated questions and classroom interactions are usually dominated by teachers. Learners typically ask few questions, and when they do, it is often solicited by the teacher.

What types of questions do learners typically ask, according to the speaker?

The speaker categorizes learner questions into three types: social questions (e.g., 'How are you?'), procedural questions (e.g., 'What page are we on?'), and pedagogical questions related to language, such as grammar or vocabulary.

What is the speaker’s perspective on how teachers typically respond to student-initiated questions?

The speaker suggests that teachers may avoid answering, postpone the question, or throw the question back to the class. More positive responses include giving a direct answer, asking for more context, or throwing the question back to the individual student.

What is the distinction between 'grammar as fact' and 'grammar as choice' according to the speaker?

The speaker references a distinction made by linguist David A. Close: 'grammar as fact' involves fixed rules, like verb conjugation, while 'grammar as choice' refers to situations where different grammatical constructions are possible but convey different meanings, such as choosing between 'I live in Spain' and 'I am living in Spain.'

How can teachers encourage more learner-initiated questions in the classroom?

Teachers can encourage more learner-initiated questions by explicitly asking for them, allowing time for questions during and after lessons, providing question structures, encouraging students to brainstorm questions, and validating the questions when they are asked.

What are 'preemptive learner interventions' as described in the script?

Preemptive learner interventions refer to moments when learners signal that they need help, often through rising intonation or incomplete sentences, prompting the teacher to step in and assist. This can occur in task-based language teaching contexts.

What teaching strategy does the speaker recommend for dealing with grammar questions?

The speaker recommends not pretending to know an answer if unsure, getting back to the student later if needed, and involving the whole class in answering the question. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of not turning the question into a long dialogue with just one student.