6  Questioning and Listening

6.1 Questioning

Questioning is an important part of establishing a rapport with a person. The way questions are asked can open up a rapport or close a relationship down. It is worth considering the kinds of questions that may be asked.

6.1.1 Closed Questions and Leading Questions

encourage a yes or no answer, while leading questions seem to anticipate a particular set of responses. Examples of closed questions are: “Did you understand that?”

Closed questions are useful for collecting facts but if too many closed questions are used it tends to close down the relationship and stop the free flow of discussion. Shy people in particular find it hard to respond to questioning. By asking closed questions they are not encouraged to open up and talk freely.

An example of a is: “So, you all understand that now?” The respondents will find it very difficult to answer in any way other than has been indicated so leading questions should be avoided.

6.1.2 Open Questions

The questioner wants to find out what the respondent thinks and this kind of question encourages a free response. For example: “Which parts of the course are you finding the most enjoyable?” “Why is that?”

encourage the student to talk and give their views or experiences. They can also support by encouraging students to explain their thinking.

6.1.3 Testing Questions

Testing questions are asked to test if something has been understood or learned satisfactorily. You may wish to check up if the students have understood something or if they recollect some fact given to them in the past. “Do you remember what that means? Tell me” “Please explain that to me.”

When used to check students’ current understanding and inform subsequent teaching, this type of questioning can contribute to .

6.1.4 Exploring questions

These questions are used to prompt and help develop a train of thought, to encourage and , for example: “What do you think that this experiment might show?”; “How might this project help a business?”

6.2 Questioning Techniques

6.2.1 Questions to you

• Accept questions at any time to encourage participation
• Treat all questions as having equal importance
• If you don’t know the answer: don’t bluff, say you’ll find out (ask the teacher and tell them later)

6.2.2 Questions to others

• Take care not to embarrass anyone who gives a wrong answer
• Resolving contradictions can be good learning experiences. Build on individual answers using open and exploring questions to develop students’ thinking and where appropriate.

6.2.3 Questioning a Group

• Use a routine for asking questions e.g. Question – Pause – Name a respondent
• Don’t allow calling out
• Ensure a random distribution of respondents
• Avoid indicating who must answer until everyone has had time to think. This provides useful thinking time and can help manage .

6.2.4 Questions to Avoid

Table 6.1: Questions to avoid

	Compare the likely responses to “Isn’t that the best way to do it?” with “Is that the best way to do it or can you suggest another?”
Built-in answers	“5 per cent of 23 is 1.15, isn’t it?”
Multiple	“So what’s the next stage?” “What would you do next?” “What would help you to find the answer?”
Read my mind	Do you want to explore other people’s ideas, or for them to guess yours?
Complex	Match language, etc., to pupil’s level. Plan how, why and when to expand vocabulary.
Vague	The pupil should know exactly what you are asking.
Trick questions	Think about what purpose a question serves. These types of question are often used to make someone appear foolish.

6.3 Listening

Listening is as important as questioning, if not more so. Attentive listening makes the person feel that their ideas and views are important. It helps them feel supported in decision making and learning. You should try to start your reply or comments on the basis of what the student has said. Remembering between sessions what individual students have said is important.

6.3.1 Giving Feedback

Giving is an important part of working with learners. Feedback should be non-judgmental, honest and consistent. Try to give a feedback sandwich: positive, negative, positive. For example, if a student has given the wrong answer ask why they said that, correct them, giving an explanation as to why they were wrong as well as why the right answer is right. Then provide positive encouragement to the next stage. Leaving students with a negative feeling may cause them to lose interest in the subject or the project.

6.3.2 Active Listening Techniques

Table 6.2: techniques. Reproduced from Training for Assertiveness, Lucy Seifert, Gower, Aldershot, 1994.

Type	Aim	Method	Examples
Encouraging	To convey interest	Don’t agree/disagree	“I see… Uh-huh…”
	To keep the person talking	Use non-committal words with a positive tone of voice	“That’s interesting…”
Restating	To show that you are listening and understand	Restate the other’s basic ideas, emphasising the facts	“If I understand, your idea is…”
	To let the person know your grasp of the facts	Restate the other’s basic ideas, emphasising the facts	“In other words, this is your decision…”
Reflecting	To show that you are listening and understand	Restate the other’s basic feelings	“You feel that…”
	To let others know you understand their feelings	Restate the other’s basic feelings	“You were pretty upset by this…”
Summarising	To pull important ideas, facts, etc. together	Restate, reflect and summarise major ideas and feelings	“These seem to be the key ideas you have expressed…”
	To establish a basis for further discussion		“If I understand you, you feel this way about the situation…”

6.3.3 The Assertive Listener Self Evaluation

This is a short questionnaire that will help you assess your strengths and weaknesses so that you can improve your listening skills. Discuss your answers with your trainer or course tutor. This is an opportunity for and .

NoteThe Self-Evaluation Questionnaire

• 1. I give the speaker my complete attention and don’t allow myself to be distracted easily.
• 2. When I’m distracted by my environment, I take assertive action to remove the distraction before asking the speaker to continue.
• 3. I keep good eye contact, neither staring nor averting my eyes.
• 4. I’m responsive through my ** while the speaker is talking (e.g. smiling, nodding).
• 5. When I’m on the telephone, I give my full attention; I don’t secretly do something else at the same time.
• 6. I don’t constantly interrupt.
• 7. I don’t finish other people’s sentences.
• 8. I don’t use every opportunity to turn the conversation on to myself (‘the egocentric listener’)
• 9. I take notes of complex instructions, of meetings and lectures, rather than relying on my memory, and to assist my concentration.
• 10. I try not to let my emotions on a topic affect my ability to listen objectively.
• 11. I try not to make assumptions or jump to conclusions.
• 12. I often summarise or repeat back what the speaker has said to check that I’ve understood.
• 13. I ask questions for clarification (e.g. ‘Can you give me an example…?’).
• 14. If I don’t understand, I say so, and ask the speaker to repeat, to slow down, to speak up, or to spell unfamiliar names as appropriate.
• 15. I ask open-ended questions (beginning with who, what, how, when, where and why?) to find out more and to encourage the speaker.
• 16. I am a patient listener.
• 17. I am an active and .

Self-evaluation questionnaire. Reproduced from Training for Assertiveness, Lucy Seifert, Gower, Aldershot, 1994.

6.4 Elements of Body Language

involves giving signals about feelings and content: it’s how the body expresses itself separately from the words themselves. It can indicate anger, fear, nervousness, hurt, joy or love. It can say ‘I respect you and want to get to know you’ or ‘Stay away from me!’ Assertive body language reinforces the message of the words; non-assertive body language confuses the message. Assertive body language is appropriate to the message. For example, a news presenter would look serious when describing a natural disaster. A smiling face could confuse the audience as well as cause offence.

This list is primarily for you to be aware of your own body language and it will help you present yourself to students but it will also help you to “read” the students better.

includes

• Accessories¹
• Breathing
• Cosmetics
• Clothes
• Eye contact
• Facial expression
• Gestures
• Hairstyle
• Handshake
• Nervous habits
• Non-words²
• Pacing
• Personal space
• Physical contact
• Posture
• Presence³
• Smell
• Spectacles / contact lenses
• Tattoos
• The car you drive
• The newspaper you carry and/or read
• Voice / speech pattern (volume, pitch and fluency)

The body gives out powerful messages. The impact of messages can be approximately 20 per cent word content, 25 per cent vocal (quality, volume, pace and tone of voice) and 55 per cent visual impression. When you walk into a room you can announce your age, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, status, gender, class, mood, sense of humour and level or confidence – all this without speaking one word. However, be aware that body language can be affected by factors such as culture, nationality, tradition, family background, disability and individual mood.

(Reprodued from Training for Assertiveness by Lucy Seifert, Gower, Aldershot, 1994)

6.4.1 Assertive Body Language**

Again, this information is primarily to help you to present yourself to the pupils but it will also help you to “read” them better.

• Breathing

Steady. If you’re feeling nervous about handling a situation relax with deep breathing exercises, breathing in through the nose and counting to five, breathing out through the mouth and counting to five. This helps slow down your breathing and can lower your anxiety level.

• Clothes and accessories

Clothes should be comfortable, suitable for the climate, environment and occasion. They should be a reflection of you, whilst also acknowledging the people you’re with. You should also check with your school if they have a particular dress code.

• Eye contact

Direct without staring or glaring. Look outwardly at others, rather than being constantly involved with looking inwards at yourself. Eye contact helps you listen and concentrate, and the other person feels valued.

• Facial expression

Appropriate to the words and the feelings. If angry, look angry and don’t smile; if happy, smile. Relaxed mouth and jaw.

• Gestures

Expressive but not distracting. Open-handed. Don’t fidget or engage in distracting habits like nail biting, tapping on the table or putting your hand over your mouth.

• Personal space

This includes distance and height. Appropriate to the situation and degree of familiarity. Comfortable distance. Respect the other person’s space.

• Posture

Upright but not stiff when sitting or standing. Uncrossed legs when sitting.

• Voice and speech pattern

Steady, fluent. At a good level so that you can be heard without being intrusive. Leave appropriate silences; don’t fill gaps or give yourself extra thinking time by using non-words like ‘really’, ‘well’, ‘right’ and ‘you know’. Steady pace of speech, without abrupt acceleration, deceleration or hesitation.

6.4.2 Summary

Assertive body language is appropriate body language; it confirms and enhances what you say instead of confusing your message through inappropriate facial expression or tone of voice. It’s reinforcement, not a distraction. It can also empower you by building an inner sense of self-esteem, which, in turn helps you behave assertively.

(Reproduced from Training for Assertiveness by Lucy Seifert, Gower, Aldershot, 1994)

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1. Accessories include badges, cufflinks, handbag, jewellery and watches.

2. Non-words are superfluous words that add nothing to the meaning and can form a nervous, distracting habit. Examples are ‘you know’ and ‘I mean’.

3. ‘Presence’ is the atmosphere around a person and the emotional impression they make. ‘Presence’ can even remain in a room when the person is not. For example, their aggression or nervousness can enter a room before them and remain there after they have gone.