The Use of Question Modification Strategies in ESL Class

Questioning is a popular instructional strategy in a language class to encourage learning. However, not all questions are effective in doing so, as some questions sometimes go unanswered. When faced with a situation such as this, teachers must adjust their questions to make it more understandable. This study investigates question modification strategies employed by student teachers in English as a second language (ESL) class. Data for the study was collected through classroom observations. The participants were seven Diploma in Teaching English as a second Language (TESL) students who were undergoing their compulsory 12-week teaching practicum (TP) at various primary schools in Terengganu. The data were analyzed thematically based on the types of strategies used in the process. The finding shows that the most popular modification strategies among the STs are repetition and translation. Besides, the choice of modification strategies is limited to just a few. Many strategies were not fully utilized in class. The findings highlight important pedagogical implications for education providers (EPs) to improve on to produce competent teachers. EPs should expose student teachers to a wide array of question modification strategies to prevent interaction breakdown and to encourage active participation in the class. The ability to modify questions will create a more interactive and communicative environment suitable for learning English in a second language context.

Keywords: class observation, ESL, question modification strategies, student teachers, teaching practicum

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Jusoh, Zailani and Rahman, Junaidah Abdul and Salim, Hishamuddin, The Use of Question Modification Strategies in ESL Class (April 20, 2020). Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 11. Number1 March 2020 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3581328 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3581328