Teach Questions: Teach Questions: When and How?When and How?

CLTA-GNY 2009 ANNUAL CONFERENCE &Seventh New York International Conference

on the Teaching of Chinese

Jun Kramer

Lawrence High School

2525 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ 08515

junkramer@yahoo.com

Language and communication are at the

heart of the human experience. The United

States must educate students who are

linguistically and culturally equipped to

communicate successfully in a pluralistic

American society and abroad.

- Excerpted from the “Standard for Foreign Language

Learning”

Statement of Philosophy

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The Modes of CommunicationThe most challenging communication is interpersonal mode of communication.

Interpersonal communication in classroom – Questions and answers are conducted between students spontaneously.

Teach Questions: When and

How

Textbook Way

Cluster Way

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Textbook Way

The following are taught in different lessons

during the whole year: The question particle “吗” of Yes/no

Questions Interrogative words of Wh-Questions, e.g.

“什么” , “谁” , “几” , etc. A-not-A question format

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Textbook Way – 快乐汉语 1

吗 -lesson 1哪 -lesson 2什么 -lesson 2哪儿 -lesson 3

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Textbook Way – 快乐汉语1(cont.)

几 -lesson 13“A-not-A”Format -lesson 16怎么 -lesson 23

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Textbook Way – 快乐汉语1(cont.)

The following interrogative words are not in Textbook 1

为什么多少怎样／怎么样什么时候多大

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Textbook Way – 跟我学汉语1• 什么 - lesson 4• 吗 -lesson 5• 谁 -lesson 7• 几 -lesson 9• 谁的 -lesson 10• 多少 -lesson 10• 哪里 -lesson 11• 多大 -lesson 13

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Textbook Way – 跟我学汉语1

• “A-not-A”Format -lesson 13• 什么时候 -lesson 20• 哪 -lesson 21• 怎么样 -lesson 23• 为什么 -lesson 26• 哪儿 -lesson 31• 怎么 -lesson 34

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Problems of “Textbook Way”

• Spontaneous conversation, not mechanical reciting, will not happen until after two months at least.

• During the second half of the school year, students start confusing interrogative words that they studied.

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Cluster Way

1. The question particle “吗” , interrogative words and “A-not-A” format are introduced to students in Week One.

2. Make them part of classroom passwords.

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Examples of Passwords

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Benefits of “Cluster Way”

1. Spontaneous conversation, not mechanical reciting, starts immediately.

2. Comparing the “textbook way”, students have more accuracy when applying interrogative words.

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Examples of Classroom

Commands ...,对不对 ? ...,懂不懂 ? ...,好不好 ? 可不可以（去厕所）？ 有没有（问题）？ 难不难？

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Examples of Classroom Commands

(cont)

在哪儿／哪里 ? 去哪儿／哪里 ? 什么时候（下课） ? 这是谁的作业 ? 为什么？ 哪一个？

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Common mistakes of applying interrogative words

1.今天星期多少？ (几 )2.你的电话号码是几？ (多少 )3.明天天气是什么？ (怎么样 )4.这是谁？ (谁的 )5.哪儿一条是你的围巾？ (哪 )

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Comparison - Speaking

%Teacher-student oral inquiry (classroom commands)

Student-student interpersonal communication

Students staying with the target language overall

Week 2 4 6 8 2 4 6 8 2 4 6 8

Textbook Way 20 18 30 44 7 8 11 15 20 27 31 31

Cluster Way

80 84 93 100 9 15 39 65 40 41 50 67

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Comparison – Accuracy

Occurrence(22

students, week

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今天星期多少？

电话号码是几？

天气是什么？ 这是谁 哪儿一 ..

Textbook Way

5 4 5 8 3

Cluster Way

0 1 0 3 1

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Accuracy Assessments

1.Correct mistakes in a sentence.

2. Picture-prompt skits – Two students, who were randomly picked by the teacher, conducted spontaneous conversation according to the picture shown to them. (No preparation!)

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Accuracy Assessments Example 1

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Accuracy Assessments Example 2

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Accuracy Assessments Example 3

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My Sincere Appreciation

If you want to practice the “cluster way” at your classroom, I will be really appreciative if you can let me know the results of your assessments.

My email: junkramer@yahoo.com