Question Types in Lecture Rooms: EFL Setting as an Example

Abstract

This study aims at exploring the types of questions that English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors and students raised through lecture rooms interaction. The participants of the study consisted of 4 EFL instructors and 60 English Language majors from Ajloun National University / Jordan. Two observation sheets were used to collect data. The Chi-square test (X2) was used to analyze data. The results of this study showed that the total number of questions raised by the instructors was 106, whereas the students raised 73 questions. The instructors used three types of questions: Yes /No questions, closed and display questions and open and referential questions. The results also showed that the number of open and referential questions was low and inadequate. On the other hand, the types of questions raised by students were mainly Yes/No, closed and display. The number of open and referential questions was also low and inadequate similar to the instructors'. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female instructors and students in the number and types of questions raised through classroom interaction due to gender. It was recommended that EFL instructors should raise different types of questions, mainly open and referential ones, to increase lecture room interaction and help students think critically and creatively. Keywords: EFL, Question Types, Classroom questions, Classroom Interaction, Display questions, Open question, Referential questions