Effective English Classroom Questions Of Grade Six In Primary School

Teachers’question is the most direct and convenient teaching method which can foster students’ thinking ability in the classroom teaching. In high grade of primary school English teaching, effective classroom question can stimulate students’learning interest and help them participate in the process of classroom interaction actively. Moreover, it can cultivate students’ ability of independent thinking. Effective classroom question is of great significance and also in consistent with the requirements of New English Curriculum of 2011. Thus, it is an important job in English educational field about how to take full advantage of effective questions.Established on the theoretical bases of Long’Interaction Theory and Piaget’ Constructivism Theory, this study analyzes the three aspects, namely, teachers’ classroom question types, their wait-time after posing a question and their feedback on students’ answers of Grade Six in Gao Yin Xiang primary school English teaching. Classroom observation, questionnaire and interview are adopted in this study. Based on the analysis of research results, the author finds out that teachers hold positive attitudes and can realize the importance of English classroom questions. However, there exist the following problems in practical English classroom questions:firstly, teachers’ selections of question types are mainly Yes/No Questions which are relatively simple. For students of high grade in primary school, the development of their thinking will be limited by too many simple Yes/No Questions; secondly, teachers’wait-time for students after posing a question is commonly short so that students don’t have enough time to think over; thirdly, teachers’feedback on students’ answers are mainly simple praises which will lose the original meaning of evaluation to some extent. Besides, students’true ideas and expectations towards English classroom questions of Grade Six in Gao Yin Xiang primary school are also the key points in this study. Finally, some relative suggestions are given based on the existing problems found in English classroom questions and also the six standards of effective questions put forward by Penny Ur (Clarity, Learning Value, Interest, Extension, Availability and Teacher Reaction) are combined:question language should be brief and concise; questions should have learning value and can extend students’ thinking; topics of questions should be related to students’ real life so as to arouse their interest and then they can participate in classroom interaction actively; teachers’ wait-time should be prolonged and different ways of feedback should be given to different students’ answers. These suggestions are in hope of helping primary school English teachers get rid of the misunderstanding of classroom questions and thus the effectiveness of English classroom questions can be enhanced.This study includes five parts. Chapter One is introduction which states the research background, significance and purpose, the research questions and methods, as well as the structure of the thesis. Chapter Two is literature review which includes the definition, standards and theoretical bases of effective questions. Besides, studies of effective questions at home and abroad are reviewed. Chapter Three introduces the research design, which includes the research methods, participants, instruments and research procedures. Chapter Four demonstrates the results of the study which includes the detailed analysis of classroom observation, questionnaire and also the interview. Chapter Five is the conclusion part in which the major findings of the three research questions are put forward. What’s more, some limitations and some further expectations of the research are pointed out.