The Language Teacher
September 2002
The Question Menu: Using Student-generated Questions with Reading Texts
Jane Hoelker
Zayed University, United Arab Emirates
QUICK GUIDE
Key Words: Reading, reader response
Learner English Level: High beginner to advanced
Learner Maturity Level: Primary, secondary, tertiary
Preparation Time: 5 to 15 minutes
Activity Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Materials: Optional checklist for the Oral Question Menu, handout sheet for the Written Question Menu, 10 strips of paper for the Listening Quiz Menu
My students, whether novice or advanced, English majors or non-majors, prefer writing and answering each other's questions on a text more than answering questions provided in the text book. After reading about Reader-Response Theories (Beach, 1993) and the claim that meaning is brought to texts by the reader, I understand that student-generated questions make the text more accessible than text book questions, which often focus on facts to the exclusion of the reader's experience. The Question Menu, based on this theory and implemented in three different ways, results in deeper learner involvement with the text. I do not employ all three variations in one lesson, but alternate their use.
The Oral Question Menu Enlivens the Class
Step 1. Assign one-third of the class the role of teacher and two-third's the role of student. Divide the text into sections containing enough material for each teacher to produce three to five wh- questions (who, what, when, where, why, how). At the same time the students study the entire text. Allot ten minutes for this step.
Step 2. Next, the students, books in hand, visit each teacher in the order of their choice. The students must visit each teacher to test their comprehension of each section that the text has been divided into. If needed, a checklist of the required number of questions to be answered could be prepared. The goal is not so much to test knowledge of the reading (although the students think it is) as to encourage discussion. The teacher asks each visiting student two questions out of their menu. Allot 15 minutes for this step.
The Written Question Menu Encourages Reflective, Involved Exchange
Step 1. After pairs read their assigned section of the text silently, they write ten questions, eight of which are wh-questions, one of which is an or question and one of which is a real life question. An example of an or question is, "Do you watch TV or read books in your free time?" An example of a real life question, in this case referring to Angelou's famous poem is, "When do you think that you are a caged bird?"
The addition of the or and real life questions result in a reflective, involved exchange between partners. Their reading skill supports the students as they work with the more complex structure of the or question. Prior to this exercise, learners often answer the first part of an or question instead of choosing between the two given options. For instance, to the question, " Do you watch TV or read books in your free time?" they often answer, "Yes, I watch TV." Answering a real life question such as the one above referring to Angelou's poem gives learners a chance to introduce their personal experience into the lesson. Allot 30 minutes, which is halved after several practices, as students become more skillful at writing questions.
Step 2. After editing spelling and grammar mistakes and eliminating duplicated questions, I type all the questions on the Written Question Menu for the next class.
Step 3. In the next class I distribute the Written Question Menu to the teacher in each pair. I tell the teachers that they do not have to ask all the questions, nor do they have to ask them in order, but their time is limited to 15 minutes. The teacher ticks each correctly answered question on the list, leaving the unmarked questions for homework. Thus, the learners become motivated to complete all the questions during the time limit. If the or question is about the text, the response must be correct according to the information in the text. If the real life or the or question is about the student's life or requests an opinion, there is no right or wrong answer.
The Listening Quiz Menu Focuses Learner Attention
Step 1. In the next class, pairs of students write ten true-false items based on an assigned section of the reading.
Step 2. I edit and type each item (eliminating duplications) on a strip of paper, which yields enough for a ten-point quiz.
Step 3. When giving the quiz during the next class, I choose the strips out of a hat, reading each one aloud twice, while students mark their quiz papers. Students often smile when they hear their item read for the quiz.
Pronunciation Focus
A variation on the Listening Quiz (first suggested to me by Judy Gernant of Kinran Women's Junior College, Osaka, Japan) motivates students to focus on clear pronunciation. Volunteer students come forward, chose a strip from the hat, and read the quiz item aloud. They usually try to speak very clearly for their peers who are being quizzed on what the speaker is reading.
References
Beach, R. (1993). A Teacher's Introduction to Reader-Response Theories. (National Council of Teachers of English: Urbana, Illinois).
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