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Table 4 Reflection of questioning 19
Table 5 Teachers’ feedbacks to students’ answers 21
1 Introduction
1.1 Research Background
Classroom teaching can be regarded as the most necessary source for students to learn English, among which teacher talk is of most significance. Teacher talk, as an important tool to implement foreign language teaching plans and a significant source for target foreign language input, plays an important role in teaching and second language acquisition process (Nunan, 1990). Teachers may create more opportunities for learning and classroom participation by monitoring and reflecting their use of language (Zhou Junping, 2006: 69-73). Questioning is one of the commonest tools for teaching in classroom and an important part of teacher talk. Hu Qingqiu et al (2004: 22-27) conducted an empirical study to investigate teachers’ questioning pattern in College intensive reading English classroom, which shows that teachers’ questioning account for a considerable proportion of teacher talk. Therefore, the great influence of teachers’ questioning on teachers’ teaching and students’ foreign language acquisition cannot be ignored.
Researchers both abroad and at home have made great contributions to teachers’ questioning, since it has arose researchers interests more than two decades ago and has been one of the focuses of present researches about foreign language teaching. However, on one hand, results of foreign researches cannot directly apply to Chinese college English classroom. On the other hand, with the changing education situations and teaching conditions, not all former identified findings adapt to current college English classroom. Intensive reading course is the most appropriate place to investigate current teachers’ questioning strategies, since it takes an important part in teaching for English majors, which aims to improve students’ competence of listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating. However, according to Chen Hui’s study (2007: 51-74), in current intensive courses, some teachers rarely ask a question, some tend to ask a question with self-answer, and some cannot ask a question effectively. Consequently, it is difficult for students to participate in classroom activities and for teachers to get useful feedbacks and interaction.
1.2 Purpose and Significance of the Research
Many researches about different aspects of teachers’ questioning have been conducted. The purpose of the present study is to describe the features of current teachers’ questioning strategies through investigating and analyzing the characteristics of questioning strategies in terms of the amount of teachers’ questioning, the types of teachers’ questions, teachers’ wait-time for answers, teachers’ questioning distribution, the techniques of teachers’ questioning, reflection of questioning and teachers’ feedbacks to students’ responses, and explain teachers’ questioning strategies in way of pragmatic identity.
The study is of great significance. Nunan (1991) stated that teacher questioning has been one of the focuses of language teaching. Theoretically, the present research attempts to complete the theories about teacher talk and enriches the perceptions about teachers’ questioning. Moreover, the introduction of pragmatic identity has an explanatory power to teachers’ questioning strategies, which is a fresh research field. Practically, the finding of the present study may provide instructive references for class organizing and teaching. It aims to draw teachers’ attention to carry out more effective questioning. Furthermore, since intensive reading is a fundamental and most significant course for English majors, the study may motivate English majors to participate in foreign language class actively and speed up the process of foreign language acquisition.