Concept checking questions fascinate me. Why? Because they are generally either overused or used extremely poorly. I can probably think of a dozen or so instances where I have seen a teacher use concept checking questions and thought, ‘Wow! That was very good use of CCQs (concept checking questions).’
So, what are the main problems? First, they are used when they should not be used or not used when they should. Second, teachers approach it like a magical three question formula without thinking about the need for them. Third, the wrong concept is checked, and lastly, the meaning is not completely unpacked.
This blog will address these issues and hopefully inspire you to revisit concept checking questions in your own teaching, and in your training.
When to use concept checking questions
Let’s start with a question. How would you clarify the meaning of these words (to a class where this word is appropriate, so levels might differ):
Banana
Paint and draw
Hop
Preoccupied
Rip-off
Now, before we continue, I will say that in some contexts, I would suggest CCQs for four of these. Can you think of a reason why?
Here are my reasons:
Banana. You never need concept checking questions. Show a picture, or a flashcard, or the real thing, and that is it. Do NOT ask questions, because you start talking too much and cause confusion. Here are examples. Do monkeys like bananas? This question doesn’t clarify the meaning of banana, the real answer is they don’t, especially the ones we have, and are actually bad for monkeys in captivity. What colour are bananas? Yellow, green, and sometimes black. There is no need for CCQs, and they just sow confusion.
Paint and draw. In some languages like Korean and Chinese, these two are the same word. In that context, you need one or two CCQs maximum. Do you use a pencil or a brush?
Hop. This relates to checking the correct definition of the word. For example, hop means jumping on one leg. Great. And in their book the sentence is, ‘The rabbits hopped in the garden.’ Really?!? On one leg? Hop for people is on one leg. For animals, it means jump.
Preoccupied and rip-off both require CCQs, and I will talk about them in the following parts.
How to make concept checking questions
Most often, when I consider CCQs to be poor, the first two steps are omitted.
Step 1: Find a marker sentence. This can be the sentence from a text or an example sentence, but make sure you can use the sentence. For example, ‘She was preoccupied’ will make it difficult to ask CCQs, so ‘She was preoccupied because her dad was sick’ is a much better sentence from which to highlight the meaning of preoccupied.
Step 2: It doesn’t matter who you are, check an advanced learner’s dictionary. Not a thesaurus. Why? Because a thesaurus defines preoccupied as ‘engrossed in thought, distracted.’ That is not useful for forming CCQs. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines it as, ‘thinking and/or worrying continuously about something so that you do not pay attention to other things.’
Step 3: Break the definitions into smaller parts and ask questions about the individual parts. Make the answers short and clear. Avoid any vagueness or interpretation.
Example: She was preoccupied because her dad was sick. (The part of the definition being checked is in italics but doesn’t actually go on the board. It is just to clarify how the questions are formed.
Thinking and/or worrying: Was she thinking or worrying about something? Yes (or worrying)
About something: What? Her dad
Why? He was sick.
Continuously: Was she thinking about it all the time or a little? All the time
Do not pay attention to other things: Could she concentrate on her work? No
Pitfalls of confusion
The pronoun trap.
I used to smoke. CCQ 1: Did you smoke? No. Because it is unclear who you are asking. Are you asking about the sentence or are you asking the student? Stick to he and she, and keep the pronouns the same.
Using the item in the CCQs.
It was a rip-off. CCQ: Was it a rip off?
Asking questions where you cannot confirm the answer.
Umbrella. Can you use an umbrella when it rains? Yes. What colour is your umbrella? Blue. But the learner has a blue raincoat or anything that protects from the rain. A better question would be about the colour of the umbrella in whatever picture or flashcard you are using.
Looking forward
Concept checking questions, when used correctly, is a great tool to have in your meaning clarification toolbox. They do, however, take a lot of practice to get right. It isn’t something you learn and then just get right. A final word, or warning, they are but ONE tool. They should be used in conjunction with flashcards, definitions, translation, and all the other also very effective clarification techniques.
