Key Stage 3 National Strategy

Foundation Subjects MFL: optional module 4

Key Stage 3 National Strategy Slide 4.2© Crown copyright 2003

Objectives for module 4

To develop teachers’ self-awareness and analysis of their own questioning techniques

To identify key features of good questioning

To consider the role of questioning in teaching the Framework

To help teachers to plan for and make better use of questions in lessons

To encourage active follow-up by participants

Key Stage 3 National Strategy Slide 4.3© Crown copyright 2003

Questioning

Questioning is a critical skill for teachers because it is:

the most common form of interaction between teacher and pupil

a key method of providing challenge

an important factor in helping pupils to make progress

an immediate and accessible way for a teacher to assess learning

Key Stage 3 National Strategy Slide 4.4© Crown copyright 2003

Questioning in MFL

Questioning in MFL can have many manifestations, for example:

in reading and writing

in listening and speaking

in the target language

in English (if judged as necessary by the teacher)

teacher–pupil

pupil–pupil

pupil–teacher

Key Stage 3 National Strategy Slide 4.5© Crown copyright 2003

Purposes of questioning in the target language

To engage and challenge pupils

To expose pupils to language, the speed, range and complexity of which will be determined by the teacher

To stimulate recall

To check for understanding

Key Stage 3 National Strategy Slide 4.6© Crown copyright 2003

Purposes of questioning in the target language

To provide pupils with opportunities to use language, for example to: take part in everyday communication give factual information demonstrate their existing knowledge and understanding give opinions predict what might happen recall past events carry out classroom routines explain how language works explain a learning strategy evaluate the quality of their own work and the work of others apply their existing knowledge in order to create new understanding

and meaning

Key Stage 3 National Strategy© Crown copyright 2003

Factors influencing the level of challenge in questions

The language used by the teacher, taking into account:

– range of vocabulary

– familiarity of vocabulary

– complexity of syntax

– length of question

The way in which the question is delivered, taking into account:

– clues provided (e.g. gesture, visual clues)

– speed of delivery

Slide 4.61 of 2

Key Stage 3 National Strategy© Crown copyright 2003

Factors influencing the level of challenge in questions

The cognitive challenge of the question, taking into account the demand in terms of thinking required by the question, for example:

– factual recall (in response to a closed question)

– explanation (in response to an open question)

– a reason

– a comparison

– understanding familiar language in a new context

– productive use of familiar language in a new context

Slide 4.62 of 2

Key Stage 3 National Strategy© Crown copyright 2003

Examples of ineffective questioning

Asking bogus ‘communicative’ questions

Focusing on a small number of pupils and not involving the whole class

Asking the same question to a number of pupils

Asking a limited range of ‘personal’ questions

Asking bogus ‘guess what I want’ questions

Not being clear to pupils about what you want in terms of response

Slide 4.7

Key Stage 3 National Strategy© Crown copyright 2003

Planning for questioning

Will your action points relate to:

developing questioning to cover a wider range of purposes?

increasing the challenge of questioning?

eliminating ineffective questioning?

helping pupils to improve their responses?

establishing and maintaining favourable classroom conditions for question–answer work?

Slide 4.8