Methods and techniques for asking questions in English

In 2013, other New Oriental colleagues and I were sent to Columbia University in the United States for visiting study. In a poetry class, the professor asked us to write a short poem impromptu and read it aloud in class. I boldly read my humble work aloud, and then prepared to return to my seat with a playful smile amidst the applause, but was stopped by the professor. He hoped that other New Oriental teachers could ask me questions and discuss them together. The result was that no one raised any questions, and the few voices that came out were nothing more than “provoking” and “nicely written” and other “praising” comments. Standing on the stage, I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. I could only laugh at myself because my stupidity was of no value for discussion. Later, two more New Oriental teachers read their poems, and everyone still responded with kind smiles and warm applause. There was still no problem.

A few days later, we went to Harrison High School near New York City to experience the real classroom of American high school students. This was a public school, and one of the writing classes made a profound impression on me. Entering the classroom where the class was taking place, more than twenty students were sitting in a U-shape around the classroom. To be honest, my first impression of the students was not good: some were lying on the table, some were sitting cross-legged on chairs with their shoes on, some were eating snacks, and some were wearing exaggerated jewelry. The teacher walked slowly in the middle of the U-shaped circle formed by the students, and read aloud a student work with emotion. After each section, he would pause and let everyone raise questions for discussion. What surprised me was that the students behaved very maturely and seasonedly during the question-and-answer session. Those students who were lying on the table and eating snacks were like zombies resurrected, actively raising their hands to ask various questions about the article from many angles. After several rounds of questioning, the theme of the article, the author's emotions at the time, considerations in choosing words and sentences, and the use of rhetoric were thoroughly explored. Thinking about the poetry class at Columbia University a few days ago, a sense of shame came over me. I couldn't help but secretly praise these American high school students: They really know how to ask questions.

Needless to say, no one communicates with others solely through monologue. Interpersonal communication is usually two-way (dialogue), with the main forms of listening and speaking, and questions are indispensable between listening and speaking. The role of "asking" in communication and dialogue cannot be underestimated. It can help us obtain information, start a conversation, test understanding, and seek support or agreement. What kind of thinking is behind the general questions, special questions, and antonym questions we are familiar with is worth pondering. Below, I will select a few commonly used questioning methods in life and briefly analyze them to remind everyone not to underestimate the important part of "questioning" in oral practice.

Closed and open questions

Closed-ended questions usually refer to those questions that limit the content of the answer when asking, allowing the other party to choose between options A method of asking questions in which you choose among several answers. For example: "Is that your final answer?" We only need to answer "Yes" or "No". Closed questions also include those that require only one or two words to answer, such as: "Where were you born?" We only need to answer the place of birth. Open-ended questions cannot be answered simply with "Yes" and "No". This type of questioning usually uses words starting with "wh" (such as why, where, who, how, etc.). This type of questioning can give the respondent space to fully express himself. Respondents can further discuss and elaborate on the question to expand the scope of the answer. Open-ended questions are necessary to understand where a person or situation is going. In life situations such as striking up conversations with strangers and attending parties, skillfully combining closed questions with open questions is a necessary communication skill. Here are two scenarios that use these two techniques well.

Application scenario 1

In the early morning in the small town of Napa, there are not many free seats left in a Starbucks coffee shop, and people are leisurely sipping coffee. , or read the newspaper, or strike up a conversation with a stranger. I sat in the coffee shop and savored this painting of a small town in the western United States. My neighbor is a man in his fifties, who looks very artistic and has a bit of a cowboy look. I call him a "cowboy man". I "eavesdropped" on his conversation with two people. The first was an elderly lady who lovingly teased the cat in the coffee shop. After a few pleasantries, the "cowboy man" began to ask questions. The first question was: "Do you have a pet?", the second question was: "Then what is your pet like?", and the second person he struck up a conversation with was a teenage boy. After exchanging pleasantries, he said, "Cowboy Man" began to ask questions. The first question is: "Enjoy your school time?" The second question is: "What do you and your friends do for fun?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the number of ways to strike up a conversation between these two times. Isn’t it a question-asking method that combines closed questions with open-ended questions? This kind of question can open up the respondent's conversation well and allow the conversation to continue.

Application Scenario 2

At the end of a meal in the United States, I rarely hear the waiter ask me: "Are you satisfied?" The reason is that this is a closed question. Nothing more than a simple word - "yes" or "no". And if the waiter really wants to get objective feedback from the customer, open-ended questions are very important, so you will hear the waiter more often ask: "How was everything?" In this case, most of the customers who answered "Pretty good" are willing to talk about why so Comments, such as good taste, excellent service, large portions, etc. Most of the customers who answered “It’s Okay” were also willing to give their reasons, such as the environment was okay but the price was a little expensive. Under the guidance of open-ended questions, customers can have space to express their thoughts, and waiters can truly understand what customers are satisfied with and what needs improvement.

Leading questions

Leading questions are full of wisdom. This kind of question can sometimes lead the respondent to the questioner's train of thought and get the desired answer. This method of questioning is commonly used in court hearings, news interviews, product promotions, persuasion work, etc. Leading questions sometimes make the listener feel that the questioner already has the answer, which has a strong suggestive effect. Two application scenarios are listed below.

Application Scenario 1

A salesperson selling chairs rarely asks customers: "Do you want to buy one?" Instead, he usually asks: "What color do you like best ?" This way of asking questions can make customers hallucinate: "I have decided to buy a chair, and now I need to consider what color to choose."

At the insurance promotion site, the insurance salesman tries not to ask. Do you buy insurance, but ask: "Which would you prefer, A or B?" (Which one would you choose between A and B insurance?) This kind of questioning can also make customers hallucinate: "I You have decided to buy insurance, now you need to consider which package to choose.

”

Application Scenario 2

I went to a friend’s house for dinner, and the host politely asked everyone: “What do you want to eat?” But then another sentence came: "Shall we all choose steak?" Since the host has asked this, can you still disagree?

At a friend's gathering, Mr. A asked a question: "Would you "Prefer to live in Beijing or Hainan where the air is very clear?" On the surface, this sentence is asking others about their preferences, but after listening to where the air is very clear, most people will follow the questioner's hint and prefer Hainan. On the other hand, if Mr. A’s question is changed to: "Would you prefer to live in Hainan or Beijing where you can enjoy the wonderful city life?" After listening to where you can enjoy the wonderful city life. , most people will follow the questioner's suggestion and believe that urban life in Beijing is irreplaceable.

At the election meeting, Mr. B suggested that everyone comment on William: "What do you think about William? Nearly everybody. is opposed to him, by the way." After listening to this, you will definitely be thinking to yourself: "William is a troublemaker, can I still support him? Is it okay to risk the disapproval of the world like this? ”

Probing questions

When we want to have a clearer understanding, broader understanding and deeper understanding of things, we often resort to probing questions (probing questions) . Exploratory questions can help us find out more details and conduct a deeper analysis of things.

Common expression 1

When you want to understand an unfamiliar word or confirm your own. When you understand whether it is correct, you can try the following questions

“What exactly did you mean by XXX?”

“Could you tell me more about XXX?”

"What were you thinking about when you said XXX?"

"Sorry, I didn't catch all you said. Could you help by giving an example?"

"Could you please give me an example to illustrate?"

"I'm not certain what you mean by XXX. Could you give me some examples?"

"This is what I heard … Did I understand you correctly?”

Common Expression 2

When you want to know more details, try the following questions.

"Could you tell me more about that, please?"

"And what happened after that?"

"Then what happened?"

“What else can you remember about that situation?”

Funnel questions

Funnel questions often start with a broad topic and go through a series of questions The setting gradually narrows the content of the conversation, thereby achieving the effect of exploring the current situation and interrogating details. Please look at the following two usage scenarios.

Application Scenario 1

After the summer vacation, it is inevitable for classmates to get together and talk about how their vacation was. We generally use a funnel of questions to find out how each other is doing.

“How was your holiday?”

“What did you see when you were in San Francisco?”

“Were there any good restaurants?”

“Did you try local food?”

“Did you try the lobster?”

Application scenario 2

The detective wants to To obtain information from witnesses, if you ask directly: "Are there any details you can give me about what you saw?" the effect will be greatly reduced. Using funnel questions can help witnesses reconstruct the scene and gradually focus on useful details. Please watch the following conversation.

A: How many people did you see in the fight?

B: About 6.

A: Men or women?

B： Mostly men.

A： How old were they?

B： In their 20s.

A： Did they wear anything special?

B: Yeah, three of them had baseball caps on.

A: Can you remember the color of the caps?

B: Red, I am sure.

Rhetorical questions

Rhetorical questions are questions that use rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question appears in the form of a question but does not require an answer. Its actual function is to express a certain opinion and thereby trigger further discussion on the issue. Two sets of application scenarios are listed below.

Use example 1

Some English idioms are rhetorical questions. Please feel the meaning of the following sentences.

"Are you crazy?" cares?" (It does not need to answer "Who cares", but means "don't care".)

"Are you kidding me?" (It does not ask "Are you kidding", but expresses The dissatisfaction of "you are playing tricks on me".

)

Application Example 2

There are two classic lines in "The Lion King", which reflect the little lion Simba's struggle with evil forces, the courage to challenge and the courage to take on the king style.

"This is my kingdom. If I don't fight for it, who will?"

"This is my kingdom. If I don't fight for it, who will?" Who?" (The subtext is "I should fight for her.")

"Why should I believe you? Everything you ever told me was a lie."

"I Why should I believe you? Everything you say is a lie." (The subtext of the question is "I don't believe you at all.")

Jane in "Jane Eyre". Several rhetorical questions express her position without any need to answer, fully demonstrating the heroine's strong self-esteem.

"Why do you confide in me like this?"

"Why do you tell me this?" (The subtext is "You shouldn't tell me this.")

"What are you and she to me?"

"What do you and she (Miss Ingram) have to do with me?" (The subtext is "You and she have nothing to do with me." Relationship".)

"You think that because I'm poor and plain, I have no feelings?"

"You think that because I'm poor and plain, I have no feelings?"

"You think that because I'm poor and plain, I have no feelings? "(The subtext is "Of course I have feelings.")

To communicate and communicate, you have to practice "asking"! Asking questions can promote communication and obtain information; asking questions can stimulate thinking and solve problems. This article briefly analyzes several common English questioning techniques and the thinking methods behind them. It is intended to arouse your attention and thinking, so as to ask well and wisely in communication.