2.1 Denifition of Questioning 3

2.2 Definition of Interest 4

2.3 The Theory of Second Language Acusition 4

2.4 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 6

3. Research Methodology 8

3.1 The Design and the Implementation of the Questionnaire 8

3.2 The Design and the Implementation of the Interviews 9

4. Resulets and Analysis 10

4.1 The Results and Analysis of the Questionnaire 10

4.2 Analysis of the Interviews 13

5. Conclusion and Discussion 16

5.1 Conclusion 16

5.2 Discussion 16

References 18

1. Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

The Communicative Approach was introduced in China at the end of the 1970s, and was widely accepted and practiced from then on by expects and teachers for language teaching. Because of this, many researchers began to study teachers’ and students’ behavior in the class, where the main activity was their interaction. New English Curriculum emphasizes to help students develop a certain level of comprehensive language competence and the ability to use language for real communication, which are changing the traditional roles of teachers and students and their models of teaching and learning. Both of these backgrounds require teachers not only improve their abilities of leading and organizing the class, but also to be able to create a better learning environment for students.

In the class, the main interaction between teacher and students are through questioning and answering. Especially in the English class, the interaction is not only the teaching procedure, but the opportunities for students to learn and control the language. The in-class questioning can have students input language knowledge and meanwhile force them to output what they’ve learned. Besides, with the development of New English Curriculum Standard, it mainly aims at motivating and developing students’ learning interest, building up students learning confidence, cultivating the excellent learning habit and effective learning strategies, developing students’ ability of self-motivated learning and cooperative learning, acquiring the English basic skills, which is, listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. So another function (or aim) of in-class questioning is to arouse students’ learning interest, attracting their attention intensely in the class.  And this is the essay mainly about. There was a saying by Confucius, “(In the pursuit of knowledge,) curiosity is more important than knowledge itself, and interest is even more important than curiosity.” 

1.2 Brief Review of Studies on In-class Questioning

Questioning is an effective teaching method. The recognition of its importance and wide use can be traced back to more than 2000years ago. The great philosopher and educator Socrates (BC496-BC399) who adopted the method sued by a midwife thought that knowledge is a kind of discovery. He always used “Dialogue form”, which was done by questioning and answering to inspire students’ creative thinking. In China’s Spring and Autumn Period, the teaching by Confucius is “to lead students to knowledge little by little”. He emphasized that a teacher must pay attention to instructive teaching method, enlightening students’ minds and urging them to think.

In modern times, with the emergence of the Class Teaching System, questioning as a teaching method became frequent in classroom. The first systematic research about questioning dates back to 1912 with the American Scholar R.Stevens’ study. He stated that approximately 80% of a teacher’s school day was spent asking questions to students and teachers are about to ask 2-4 questions every minute (cited from Jin Chuanbao, 1997.)  And more contemporary researches on in-class questioning behaviors and patterns have indicated that this has not changed. The results give support to previous research that questions that improve recall and memory are the most common teaching method in the classroom.