Abstract
As questioning is an important method of teaching, it has received much research attention for many years. However, the studies that have been conducted have so far not exhausted this area of investigation.
The present study aims to investigate the relationships among these four variables in the ESL classroom in Hong Kong: (1) question types, (2) questioning strategies, (3) student attitudes, and (4) patterns of interaction.
The questions of four ESL teachers in Hong Kong were analyzed. The findings indicate that the overwhelming number of responses generated by these questions are restricted rather than elaborate, irrespective of the types of question that elicited them. In addition, referential and open questions are less effective than display and closed questions in eliciting responses from students.
This study suggests that in Hong Kong, ESL students prefer to be modest rather than to show off by giving lengthy responses to teacher questions. In this situation, the use of appropriate questioning strategies, e.g. probing, deserves special attention if teachers want their students to produce longer and syntactically more complex answers.
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