1. Questioning the questioning: Student clarification requests in an ESL Classroom
Douglas Cronyn San Francisco State University

2. Pragmatics
“Having pragmatic ability means being able to go beyond the literal meaning of what is said or written, in order to interpret the intended meanings, assumptions, purposes or goals, and the kinds of actions that are being performed” -Ishihara & Cohen, 2014

3. Pragmatic focus Clarification requests
Do students know when and how to seek clarification from the teacher?

4. Pragmatic focus Clarification requests
Do students know when and how to seek clarification from the teacher?
If not, what may be the reasons for this?

5. Pragmatic focus Clarification requests
Do students know when and how to seek clarification from the teacher?
If not, what may be the reasons for this?
How can this be pedagogically addressed & awareness raised?

6. ”The Clarification Request”
Horseshack & the clarification request

7. Class research context
1st year composition for multilingual students class, SFSU
19 students
Students from: India, Russia, Nigeria, Japan, Korea, Italy, China, Vietnam, Guatemala, and the United States (Latino)

8. Needs Analysis: Methods
Student survey (short answer & Likert scale)
Review of student writings on education experience
Review of research and pedagogical theory
Classroom observation (30 hours) and note taking
Teacher and student interviews

9. Student Survey: Question 2
Student Survey: Question 2. If you have a question about teacher instructions and do not ask it, why is this so?

10. Student writings

11. Cultural considerations:
”One day in elementary school, a classmate raised his hand and said “I came up with a good idea” when the teacher was explaining about an activity that we were going to have the following week. The answer from the teacher was “Can you wait until I finish speaking?” She didn’t allow him to speak, and told him that no body begins talking when somebody else is talking…The things he wanted to share were a clarification question....Growing up with this unique people, people tend to be passive...The environment is shaping us into passive citizens.”
From a Japanese student in the class in one of her essays

12. Cultural considerations:
”One day in elementary school, a classmate raised his hand and said “I came up with a good idea” when the teacher was explaining about an activity that we were going to have the following week. The answer from the teacher was “Can you wait until I finish speaking?” She didn’t allow him to speak, and told him that no body begins talking when somebody else is talking…The things he wanted to share were a clarification question....Growing up with this unique people, people tend to be passive...The environment is shaping us into passive citizens.”
From a Japanese student in the class in one of her essays

13. Or teaching style?
“the language used by the teacher affects the language produced by the students…a limited range of questions, the paucity of high-order questions, and insufficient wait-times also led to student reticence”
-From Xie (2010)

14. Observations

15. Transcript analysis: Student-initiated questions
Teacher-initiated questions
Calling out vs. raising hands
Time and context for questions

16. Student initiated questions
Bid to speak-“a student’s raising a hand without the teacher’s having asked a question” (Shepherd, 2010)

17. Student initiated questions
Bid to speak-“a student’s raising a hand without the teacher’s having asked a question” (Shepherd, 2010)
call out- “directing an utterance toward the teacher without having been nominated…also known as a “blurt” (Shepherd, 2010)

18. Teacher initiated questions
Individual nomination: “the teacher nominates a student who had not raised a hand or otherwise bid” (Shepherd, 2010)

19. Teacher initiated questions
Individual nomination: “the teacher nominates a student who had not raised a hand or otherwise bid” (Shepherd, 2010)
invitation to bid: “the teacher directs to the class a response opportunity and subsequently nominates a student who bid to respond”

20. Call outs vs teacher invitation/nominations & student bids to speak

22. Types & timing of student questions

24. Call out vs Hands raised tally
Total: 4/7
46 call outs
2 hands raised

25. Call out vs Hands raised tally
Total: 4/7
46 call outs
2 hands raised
5/10
39 call outs
1 hands raised

26. Lesson Unit
Students “examine critically their own beliefs, assumptions, and skills…and observe ordinary events in the university community”
Dantas-Whitney, 2011

27. Lesson Goals/SWBAT
Reflect on previous experiences and expected cultural norms
Observe interactions and take field notes
Interpret field notes and draw conclusions
Articulate findings

30. Next steps and challenges
Pilot lesson.
Include teacher questions, general academic interactions, etc.?
Better understand other avenues of (un)clarification besides in-class questions.

31. Questions or comments?