Pre-Service English Teachers Ponder Over Asking Referential Questions to Increase Student Talking Time - Teacher Questioning Study

Oct 15, 2026

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Teacher talk functions as a pivotal component of language classroom discourse, and learner progress depends heavily on the input provided through it. Within teacher talk, questions form a substantial portion, which can directly affect how much students actually speak. Motivated by limited research on referential questions and pre-service English teachers’ perspectives on teacher talk functions and student talk, this study investigates how to increase student talking time. Data from audio recordings and poststudy meetings show that referential questions increase student talking time.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Literature Review

Teacher Talk

Pre-Service English Teachers Ponder Over Asking Referential Questions to Increase Student Talking Time Gülten Koşar Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Türkiye [gencoglugulten@gmail.com](gencoglugulten@gmail.com) [DOI: 10.35974/acuity.v9i2.3020](DOI: 10.35974/acuity.v9i2.3020) Abstract Teacher talk could be maintained to be a pivotal component of language classroom discourse. Language learner learning is substantially contingent upon teacher talk in that it can be regarded to be a valuable and reliable source of input for students. Teacher questions constitute a considerable proportion of teacher talk, and thus, could impinge upon student talking time. Encouraged by the lack of research into exploring the impact of using referential questions on student talking time and pre-service English teachers’ viewpoints on the functions of teacher talk, what student talk indicates, and what to do to increase student talking time, the researcher decided to conduct this research. The data was gathered from the audio recordings of the lessons taught by two Turkish pre-service teachers of English, postlesson and end-of-the-study meetings, and field notes. The findings indicated asking referential questions helped increase student talking time. Moreover, the participants believed teacher talk performed various pedagogical functions and student talk carried many positive implications. The participants also offered suggestions for increasing student talking time while decreasing teacher talking time. Keywords: Referential Questions, Student Talking Time, Teacher Questions, Teacher Talk, Teacher Talking Time INTRODUCTION Teacher talk (TT) occupies a central position in foreign language learning since it functions as one of the most invaluable sources of input. That is, foreign language learners view their teachers as the authority on the target language, and in line with this, attach more importance to TT in comparison to the learning materials they are to use. For this reason, characteristics of TT bear upon student engagement with the lesson and are contingent on that student’s learning. TT in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classes in the context of this study, and presumably in other EFL contexts, comprise the preponderance of classroom discourse, which brings to the forefront the issue of how foreign language learners can develop their communicative competence unless they use the target language. Therefore, minimal student talking time (STT) appears to be an obstacle to be surmounted. Questions are a significant proportion of a foreign language teacher’s talk as teachers ask several questions in every lesson for several purposes such as checking student understanding, eliciting answers from students, directing students’ attention to 'lesson and making students speak in the target language. The kind of questions asked by the teacher could affect STT because whilst yes/no questions lead to the production of answers in few words, referential questions are likely to have students use more words in their answers, meaning that STT might be increased. In view of the inadequate STT in EFL classrooms, the likelihood of increasing it through asking referential questions, and the lack of study aiming at investigating the influence of the use of referential questions on increasing STT, the researcher decided to conduct this research. Another motive the researcher was inspired by was that pre-service foreign language teachers’perceptions regarding the functions ofTT, what student talk (ST) signifies, and how to increase STT have not been undertaken thus far. This study thereupon may substantially contribute to the literature by exploring the topics mentioned in the preceding two statements. What are the theoretical and practical implications of the study? LITERATURE REVIEW Teacher Talk Ellis (2003) defines TT as the adjustments made by the teacher at phonological, grammatical, lexical, and discourse levels to fine-tune i

FAQs

Why are teacher questions important for student talking time?

Teacher questions make up a considerable part of teacher talk. Referential questions are likely to prompt longer answers than yes/no questions, which can increase student talking time.

What data sources were used in the study?

The study used audio recordings of lessons taught by two Turkish pre-service English teachers, along with postlesson and end-of-study meetings and field notes.

What did the findings show about referential questions?

Asking referential questions helped increase student talking time. Participants also believed teacher talk serves multiple pedagogical functions and that student talk carries positive implications.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Đào