Asking questions in lectures

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• When can I ask a question?
• What sort of questions do students ask during lectures?
• What if my English is weak?

When can I ask a question?

The usual time to ask questions is when the lecturer asks for them. That may be at the beginning, during, or towards the end of the class. In large lectures not many students interrupt with a question while the lecturer is talking. Listen for the lecturer to invite questions in words as shown in the table below.

Sometimes you are not sure whether or not to ask a question. Maybe the lecturer says:

Now if that’s clear we’ll move on to the next topic…

without stopping talking long enough for anyone to put up their hand. Then look at the 'body language'. If lecturers put down their notes and look round the class that probably means they really do want questions.

Some students always wait until the class is finished to ask their questions. You often see a little crowd at the front waiting to ask questions that the lecturer was ready to answer earlier. If there is time for questions in class, then that's the best time to ask because everybody can hear the answers and because there is very little time at the end of class. If the room is needed for the next class your questions have to be answered quickly or in the corridor. Also the lecturer may have to go to teach somewhere else. If you still have an unanswered question then you are better to contact the lecturer at another time.

Let's say that the lecturer has invited questions and you have something to ask. What happens next? How do you know if it's your turn to ask a question? Just watch for the first couple of weeks and you'll soon see what everyone else is doing. In small classes the student might look at the lecturer and then the lecturer names that person, but in bigger classes the most common way of getting a turn is:

1. Put up your hand.
2. Wait for the lecturer to point to you.
3. Call out your question clearly when your turn comes.

Usually lecturers answer the question immediately. Occasionally, though, they might say something like this, "Good question. We're coming to that in a few minutes". Perhaps the lecturer will check first how many people want an explanation by asking "How many of you would like me to explain that?". If nobody else puts up a hand, the lecturer might ask the questioner to stay for a moment at the end.

What sort of questions do students ask during lectures?

• Questions about details

If you don't understand a word or phrase that is repeated during the lecture and seems to be important, then you can ask:

What does … mean ?

Do you mean by X… ?

Other questions remind the lecturer that something has not been quite clear. Notice the word 'please' in the second sentence below, which is often used in English to show politeness. Students who don't have a word like this in their own language think that English speakers overuse it, but it's a quick way of making yourself sound polite and friendly.

Would you mind explaining the point about…?

Could you say that last bit again please?

• Questions about the textbook

Lecturers like questions that show students have been thinking and reading between classes. Here are some examples:

On page…of the course book it says… How is that related to today's lecture?

Could you explain the point about… in our book?

• What sort of questions is it better not to ask?

Some students ask a question that has just been answered. This can happen if you have been waiting for some time to ask your question and have forgotten to listen to what the lecturer is saying while you wait for your turn. Students also ask questions which have been answered in other ways, such as asking "When is the next assignment due?" when the date is written on the board. Some questions are better asked in tutorials such as asking about the lecturer's feelings or personal opinions:

How do you feel about…?

What do you think about…?

What if my English is weak?

Some students who speak English as a second language worry that nobody will understand their questions. Here are three ideas for asking clear questions.

• Speak loudly

In a large lecture room you need to speak up. When people feel shy about their English they sometimes whisper their questions and the lecturer has to ask them to repeat what they have said. If you want to be heard the first time round, speak loudly.

• Make the question short and simple

Clear questions are usually short. Plenty of native speakers of English ask questions that are unclear because they are too complicated. Look at the difference between these two questions:

I was wondering about what you just said and I was thinking that maybe that's why…. but on the other hand maybe it's not.

Is that why………?

In the first example the student is really thinking aloud rather than asking a question. This kind of thinking is helpful in a tutorial where there is time for people to think and to hear one another's views.

• Keep to the topic

Try to make your question on today's topic rather than one that will be covered in one of the next lectures. Again, tutorials are the place for asking more general questions.

Don't worry about your English

When you ask a question, the lecturer is interested in what you are saying rather than how you are saying it.

For further advice, see Chapter 8 of Study Skills for Speakers of English as a Second Language, by Marilyn Lewis and Hayo Reinders.