IATEFL conference: Lera's post

Do we really need so many questions?

The presenter: Peter Watkins
A link to tape > the recording  Do we really need so many questions?

     This talk is about how should the teachers use the questions to make the conversation clear and to make a better profit.  There are some pros and cons of some exercises. He suggests some alternatives that can be more interesting for the students and they will be more involved.

To begin with, there are some interesting things about reading:

1. Reading is an incredible human achivement (Sp)
2.Girls read more than boys
3. Girls outperform boys

A basic lesson structure:

• build interest in the topic
• pre-teach voc.
• set a reading task  (skimmimg or skanning)
• check
• set a second task  (answer the question)
• check
• post-reading task 

Peter Watkins thinks that "true/false" questions are almost useless, it is just a tasting and there is only one possible answer.

Instead, we can use:
(Genereal actitvities)

• better questions (deeply, about the major part of the text, about the different parts of the text)
• summarizing (it improves comprehension of the text) 
• retelling (briefly)

(Specific activities)

• find the right phrase
• to make  table while reading of 3 columns: what I know/What is peharps true/ things I don't know
• questions to text ( "imagine the situation..."  to create a realistic situation) 

He recommends some materials to read abot reading:  "Extensive reading for primary in ELT", "Teaching and Developing Reading Skills" and others.


     I am delighted with the talk. It was not only interesting(,) but also useful. I myself teach English and sometimes  it is difficult to compose tasks. It is not the simplest task to