4.1.3 Survey Results 11

4.2 The Quality of the Questions 11

4.2.1 Display and Referential Questions 11

4.2.2 Procedural, Convergent and Divergent Questions 12

4.3 The Length of the Teacher's Waiting Time 14

4.4 The Grades 14

4.5 Findings from Questionnaire 15

5. Conclusion 17

5.1 Suggestions 17

5.2 Limitation of the Study 17

References 18

Annex 19

1. Introduction

English study is more and more important in our life, so English classes become more and more popular nowadays. How can our teachers give a more effective class to students? I will study from class questions.

1.1 Background of the Research

1.1.1 The Importance of English Learning

In the twenty-first Century, English is one of the most widely used languages under the context of globalization, and its importance is self-evident. However, there is no specific place for students to speak English in China, so English class is one of the most important places for students to contact with English. English teachers should be aware of this point and try to construct an English-speaking environment. Communications often start with questions, so questioning is always the linking of teachers’ and students’ activities.

The traditional English teaching method lacks a variety of skills and centralized methods, so it is given a vivid name "stuffing". It is difficult to arouse students' enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity, and it is difficult to attract students' interests, too. At the same time, the original teaching model pays more attention to knowledge, grammar and literacy, rather than vocal ability, communicative competence and practice ability.

In 2011, the Ministry of education established the new English curriculum standards of compulsory education, in which English curriculum is required to have the dual natures of tools and the humanities, and it puts forward six basic concepts. It refers to paying attention to quality-oriented education and embodying the value of language learning for the development of students as well as designing overall goals and taking full consideration of the gradualness and the continuity of language learning. Under this situation, teachers may use questions in their English classes frequently. 

Compulsory education includes primary school education and junior high school education in China. And in primary school, English learning is partial to listening and speaking. However, reading and writing are as important as listening and speaking in junior high school. So, it’s necessary to distinguish listening and speaking classes with reading and writing classes in the research.

English teachers are not only the main body but also the organizers, instructors and participants of English classes. How do English teachers use questions to teach in the classes and how do they achieve a gradual process of teaching by using the way of asking questions? It’s necessary to start a research to analyze teachers' questioning in junior high school English classes. 

1.1.2 The Meaning of Class Questioning

The study of this subject is conducive to the implementation of the curriculum reform. And it is beneficial to improve teachers' teaching ability and teaching application through the analysis of teachers' questioning in classes.