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[Anda]

Student generated questions?

This week I did up a sheet and handed it out to my students asking them to think up interesting / crazy questions. I want to make up question sheets that they can pair work on.

It has been surprising as the results have been excellent and I think it will only get better as I told them that their names and classes will get put with selected questions that I use for these exercises. This week I've had to get over the hard part of getting them to understand what I want / expect.

Before they can pair work they must write answers to the questions. I think it is going to work well.

Probably some of you have done this before!

[brsmith15]

I once did the same and had some VERY interesting - and surprising - results.

I also asked them to do two other things which worked well: (My answers in parens.)

1. What was the greatest invention ever? (Mine was the switch because computers could not work without them although now we can put a trillion "switches" into a square centimeter instead of one switch into about 10 sq. cm. as was the case with ENIAC in 1946.)

2. If you could have dinner with anyone, real or fictional, who would it be and what would you ask him/her? I also told them they couldn't name Mao, Deng, Zhou only because half of them would chose one of those guys. (Mine was Hitler and I'd ask him why he did what he did. What did he expect to happen as a result?)

[Anda]

My students are first and second year middle school. An example of some questions generated from them.

..........................................................................................................

1. Do you want to be a god child and have wings and study at a school in the clouds?
Ann. Class 17 grade 8

2. Do you want to get married and become a house wife / husband and stay at home to cook and clean and take care of a baby while your wife / husband goes out to work?

3. Do you think your best friend is very interesting?
Cao Shu class 17 grade 8

4. Do you think sometimes you are very naughty or rude?
Cao Shu class 17 grade 8

5. I think you should have been born a pig. You certainly eat like one don�t you?


6. Are you very humorous when you are with friends?


7. I think your noise is pretty! It looks just like a cute little pig�s noise. Don�t you think so?
Zhany Ying class 17 grade 8.

8. You are a young fool I think. Am I right?
Angel Z class 17 grade 8

9. Why are you so blue, (sad) did your boyfriend / girlfriend leave you?
Angel z class 17 grade 8.

10. Can you look after my pet dinosaur? My mother won�t let me keep it at home after it ate my brother. It�s a great pet but!
Angela class 17 grade 8.

11. Do you think it�s important to do eye exercisers every day?
Tny class 17 grade 8.

12. Do you think English study is interesting?
Tny class 17 grade 8.

13. Are you afraid of being late for class?
Cao Yi class 17 grade 8

14. Why did you steal the teacher�s car and drive to the police station?
Cao Yi class 17 grade 8

15. Is your dad really a part time robber? Um, how much money does he make a week?
Cao Yi class 17 grade 8

[theincredibleegg]

In which context did you do it? What was the particular aim of the exercise?

And how the hell did they manage these questions?Eventhough my students are capable of making questions and use the words above, they wouldn't be able to put up questions of that kind. What materials did you use?

[Anda]

Some of the examples above have been grammar corrected and some have been changed a little to add more interest.

My students get about eight or so pages of stories a week and have been getting up to six pages of sentence building exercisers a week. They also get to pair work on conversation scripts.

Now I intend for them to have to write answers to the questions like the above and then ask each other in groups� answers to whatever questions they want to from the exercise.

I�m a conversation teacher so all my teaching is aimed at getting my students to be able to talk freely without memorization.

The middle school that I work at is supposed to be for high level students. Some are, some aren�t I find but.

..............................................................................................

An example of a sentance building exercise that I give my students. They have to give two or three endings to each sentance begining.

1. What if there�s


2. I�ve heard that


3. I�m sorry you can�t


4. If you see


5. They�ll know where


6. Then she was


7. She started to


8. If you do


9. What if this was


10. Of course he would


11. He had been


12. But he didn�t


13. He walked toward the



14. Sue was thinking about



15. When he looked down

[Anda]

A page from a story like I have my students read after me and have to take home for home stuy. They get about six or more pages like this a week.
.....................................................................................................

Eye Of The Tiger. By Avery.
The teacher slammed ( 猛地一扔 ) my math test on my desk, I looked at the grade, D+ is the grade that I saw.
"Ugh! My moms gonna 'murder' (kill) me!" I muttered.
"What was that!?" the teacher, Ms. Dana, snapped her head around and stared at us. And Trust me, ( 信任我 ) when you were in Ms. Dana's school room, it felt like a military ( 军事的 )school room. She walked down the isles ( 岛 ) between the chairs, one by one to see how far we had gotten on our literature (文学) paper. But when she came closer, I saw that her eyes were red.
"BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNG!" The bell rang.
"NONE OF YOU ARE DISMISSED (下课) UNTIL YOU PICK UP THE MESS IN THIS CLASSROOM. IT'S AN ABSOLUTE DUMP! (垃圾场)" Ms. Dana bellowed. (yelled) On the word 'dump,' the entire class jumped and jerked. We all looked around at each other, and then at the floor. I motioned to my girlfriend, Alex to follow me. Slowly, we both crept under our desk and crawled ( 爬) to the door. Fortunately, ( 幸运的 ) it was open just enough that we could push it open without Ms. Dana noticing ( 注意 )us. When we got out the door, we waited (等候) by the window just close enough ( 足够地近 ) that we could hear ( 听到) what our teacher was saying.
"WHERE ARE ALEX AND ALYSSA?!" she boomed.(yelled) The class stared ( 盯着看 ) at her blankly. ( 茫然的) At that point, I was shaking. ( 发抖 ) Finally, and to my relief, my boyfriend, Thomas raised ( 举起 ) his hand.
"WHAT!?" Ms. Dana yelled.
"I just wanted to say that they're in the bathroom," He said, although ( 尽管 ) he knew ( 知道) where we were. Alex and I both noticed that she had calmed down."Then in that case, you're dismissed," She said. Alex and I bolted to the other wall of the classroom. Thomas came over to us. "Hey," he said. "Hey, sweetie," I replied, hugging him. "Man, whenever she yells, I get dizzy... I thought I was dreaming!" I said. Unfortunately, Ms. Dana was still inside the classroom and could hear me through the door.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT ME!?" bellowed (yelled) the teacher as she came thundering ( 大声 ) through the door of the classroom. All three of us looked at each other, and then at Ms. Dana.
"We said... that you were... the nicest (最好的) teacher in the world!" Alex stuttered. ( 结巴地说) Of course, Ms. Dana might have been the meanest, (最坏) but when it comes to excuses, she wasn't the brightest bulb in the pack. (smart) ( 聪明的) Not wanting to hear anything else, I took my Ipod (MP3) out of my pocket and put my headphones on my ears. About 5 seconds later, Thomas tapped ( 拍 ) me on the shoulder. (肩头) I took my phones off.
"Uh... she asked you a question," He said. I looked at her. She gave me one of those 'If you do that one more time I'm going to give you detention ( 监禁 ) for the rest of your life' looks. After about 2 seconds, her glare ( 怒视) got kinda creepy. ( 害怕 )

[seventeenpercent]

interesting stuff anda

[Anda]

This is the type of stuff I write myself and have my students read after me and pair work on. The translating is done by a friend who is a Chinese English teacher where I work.

It doesn't transfer that good but you can follow it good enough. Where a few words are translated together the words are underlined but it doesn't post here on Dave's.

..................................................................................................
The Prank. By Anda.

1. Sue: I�ve been thinking Kate, and I think things are too boring (无聊) around here
( 这儿 ) at the moment. ( 此刻)
2. Kate: You got any ideas ( 主意 ) on how we could make things ( 使事情 ) a bit
more interesting ( 更有趣点 ) Sue?
3. Sue: Um, how about we get Sid to call up (phone up) Miss Kim our
math teacher and pretend (假装) that that he�s interested ( 感兴趣) in
taking her out ( 带她外出) on a date. ( 约会 ) I have her cell phone number
already. ( 已经 )
4. Kate: Huh, that sounds like (听起来) a fun idea ( 一个有趣的想法) as Sid isn�t from
our school. He also sounds like a young business man
( 年轻的商人 ) doesn�t he?
5. Sue: Yes he�s got an interesting sexy voice (声音) plus he sounds very intelligent.
( 他听起来很聪明)
6. Kate: That�s cause he always gets top of his class ( 他经常得班级第一 ) at Nanjing
Number One Middle School. He is great at math especially. ( 尤其) He�ll
be a businessman one day ( 有一天 ) for sure!
( 肯定 )
7. Sue: Yep, he could even pass for twenty two couldn�t he?
8. Kate: You�re not thinking of getting him to actually date Miss Kim are you?
9. Sue: Why not, Miss Kim is pretty (漂亮) and Sid gets plenty of pocket money
( 足够的钱 ) off his father. His father is a very successful businessman
( 十分成功的商人 )
10. Kate: I thought ( 想) that you really liked ( 你真的喜欢) Sid yourself. ( 你自己)
11. Sue: I do, but as a friend not a boyfriend. Anyway this is just for laughs ( 玩笑而已 )
as nothing will happen. ( 没事的 ) Like Sid is not going to fall in
love with a teacher ( 她不会爱上一个老师 ) and get married (结婚) is he?
He�s only eighteen so he has to wait another four years ( 他不得不再等四年)
before he is of legal age ( 法定年龄 ) to get married ( 结婚) anyway.
12: Kate: I don�t suppose so! ( 我不这样认为 )
13: Sue: Okay then I�ll give Sid a ring ( 戒指) and get him to meet me after school
(让她放学后见我) today. I�ll put it to him; ( 给他戴上) I mean ( 我是说 )
the idea ( 想法 ) of trying to date ( 尝试约会 ) Miss Kim. I�ll challenge
him (我要考验他) like (for example) ( 比如 ) �I bet you couldn�t date
one of our teachers, ( 我打赌你不会约到任何一个老师 ) like young Miss
Kim our new first year teacher! She�s only twenty two still!
14. Kate: It�s worth a try, ( 值得一试 ) as you say ( 如你所说) it would be (那将是 )
a great laugh if it worked out! ( 如果行得通 )
15. Sue: Yes that�s right! I�ll get Sid to wear a good suit if he can get Miss Kim to meet
him. He can pretend (他可以假装 ) to be doing (正做着) a trainee management
course ( 管理培训课程) at his father�s company. ( 在他父亲的公司 )
16. Kate: Well go on ( 继续 ) phone Sid and get this prank on the go ( 是这个恶作剧继
续 ) then!

After School That Day At A Coffee Shop.
17. Sue: Hi Sid! Sit down I�ve got a challenge for you! ( 我对你有疑问 ) Kate
and I reckon (think) that you couldn�t pull off (accomplish) ( 你不能)
pretending to be a twenty three year old trainee manager (实习经理) and date
( 约会 ) a young lady teacher from our school called Miss Kim.
18. Sid: That would be pretty hard (fairly / reasonably difficult) ( 困难) but I like a
challenge. ( 我喜欢挑战) Dad�s been training me (teaching me) for some time
(a while) ( 一会儿) now to work as a (象 一样工作) manager for him. Are
you sure (你肯定) this Miss Kim is pretty and young, not some 30 year
old woman that can�t find a husband ( 找不到对象) because ( 因为) of looks
(appearance) or something?
19. Sue: I wouldn�t do that to you ( 我不会那样对你的) Sid! Miss Kim is in her first
year out of university. (大学毕业一年) She pretty and dresses well (穿得好)
and has a nice personality. (有人格魅力)
20. Sid: Um, then why are you setting her up for a prank?
21. Sue: Because she�s a slave driver. (Makes us study real hard)
22. Sid: She sounds interesting! Do you have here cell phone number?
23. Sue: Yes its 3631 994 2936.
In Class A Week Later.
24. Kate: Well what happened, (怎么了) Miss Kim looks very happy.
25. Sue: All I know is that Sid dated her and went on a date with her. He isn�t saying
anything else but he looks happy too.
26. Kate: You don�t think she kissed him do you?
27. Sue: I hope not. ( 我希望不会 ) I�m starting to fell jealous I think!
( 我想我开始感到嫉妒了 )
28. Kate: It sounds a bit late to start feeling jealous. This was your idea
after all! ( 毕竟这是你的主意 )
29. Sue: Oh, I shouldn�t worry as it won�t last once she finds out Sid�s age!
Four Years Latter.
30. Kate: Hi Sue did you get an invite (你被邀请去) to Sid�s wedding（婚礼）?
31. Sue: Yep, I can�t believe it. ( 难以相信 ) They�re actually getting married!
( 他们真结婚了 )
32. Kate: Huh, yes you should set up as a match maker. ( 你可是个大媒人 )
33. Sue: How was I to know (我怎会知道) that they were made for each other
( 他们是天生的一对 ) with their interest in math (对数学感兴趣) and each
other? Sid told me he knew on the first date ( 第一次约会她就知道 ) that
Miss Kim was the right woman for him. ( 金小姐就是他的另一半 )
34. Kate: You really did want to marry Sid yourself didn�t you? (你确实你想过娶她不
是吗？)
35. Sue: Of course I did, who wouldn�t want to marry him! ( 谁不愿嫁给他 ) He�s
handsome, good personality, ( 有魅力 ) rich parents and now a manager
( 现在是经理) for his father�s company.
36. Kate: I think you could have married him too as you were his best friend at school!
37. Sue: You don�t have keep to reminding me of that (你没必要告诉我那些) Kate!
38. Kate: Yeah, I know, fancy giving your boyfriend away like that!
39. Sue: Oh, shut up will you!
40. Kate: Okay I know how you must feel! That boyfriend you have now is rubbish
( 垃圾) compared ( 比起来 ) to Sid! Ouch! You didn�t have to
kick ( 踢 ) me like that!
41. Sue Shut up then if you don�t want another kick! ( 不想被我踢就闭嘴! )

[Anda]

A few here seem to want to jump on the grammar bandwagon. I am no grammar teacher as I've said many times.


Grammar does not control a language as some who follow it like to believe. Grammar is only a description of how a language is used and has to change from one language to the next. English grammar is changing because the language is changing. For instance I use the word cause as it is in common use but it�s not in the dictionaries I use. Sentences in lots of books nowadays are being started with words that are lets say words that are not supposed to start a sentence. Guess the grammar will have to change again.


Here in Asia many Chinese and Korean English teachers are very good at English grammar but poor at word usage so they can't write very well. So much for grammar.

English like other languages is a means of communicating that is all. I worked in Papua New Guinea where there are over 750 languages spoken and many still haven't had grammars written to describe them. Strange how people can use a language that doesn't yet have a written grammar to describe it.

I encourage my students to try, try, try to use the English they have to make sentences etc. If students don't try they have to stand up. They don't try enough then they have to stand up. They write safe little sentences then they have to stand up. They try and make interesting sentences with a few grammar mistakes here and there then I'm happy as I know they are on the way to learning how to converse in English. Now how can you give them this freedom if you are a grammar nutcase that looks for every little mistake? Do you ever ask yourself why the local teachers have so little success in teaching English conversation skills to their students?