Elicitation is a kind of deduction of answers for some
questions that
are asked by the teacher to his learners.
The method of induction is not
praised. The teacher lets
the learner think and guess to share
participation with
others positively.
Eliciting
or (elicitation) is a technique which enables the
teacher to get
learners to provide information rather
than give it to them.
The
teacher applies the process of deduction .
Learners can deduct the
piece of information by
himself through guessing, thinking, imagination
and creation.
Eliciting
Eliciting is a technique used by the teacher
during the
lesson that involves the language learner in the
process of discovering
and understanding language.
Eliciting
(elicitation) is term which describes a range of
techniques which
enable the teacher to get learners to
provide information rather than
giving it to them.
Commonly,
eliciting is used to ask learners to come up
with vocabulary and
language forms and rules, and to
brainstorm a topic at the start of a
skills lesson.
The definition of the term in the Dictionary of Language
Teaching and Applied Linguistics, ‘Techniques or
procedures which a
teacher uses to get learners to
actively produce speech or writing',
suggests that
there may be wider applications.
Teaching through eliciting is an instructional strategy that
focuses on
drawing out students' prior knowledge,
experiences, and ideas. This
approach aims to engage
learners actively in the learning process,
fostering deeper
understanding and retention of the material.
Aims of Teaching Through Eliciting
Active Engagement: Encourage students to actively participate in discussions, fostering a dynamic learning environment.
Critical Thinking: Develop critical thinking skills by prompting students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.
Relevance: Help students connect new information to their existing knowledge, making learning more meaningful and relevant.
Personalization: Tailor instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners by recognizing their unique contributions and perspectives.
Confidence Building: Build students' confidence in their abilities to contribute to discussions and share their thoughts and ideas.
Teaching through eliciting is a pedagogical technique that
involves drawing out responses, ideas, or knowledge
from learners rather than simply delivering information.
This approach encourages active participation, critical
thinking, and deeper understanding, as students are
engaged in the learning process. Here are some key
points and strategies for effective elicitation in teaching:
Key Principles of Eliciting
Learner-Centered: Focus on students' prior knowledge, experiences, and interests to make learning relevant and meaningful.
Encourages Participation: Foster an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas without fear of making mistakes.
Promotes Critical Thinking: By asking open-ended questions, educators can encourage students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.
Facilitates Collaboration: Eliciting can promote discussion and collaboration among students, allowing them to learn from each other.
Scaffolding: Eliciting allows teachers to assess students' current understanding and provide appropriate support or challenge as needed.
Strategies for Eliciting
Open-Ended Questions: Ask questions that
require more than a simple yes or no answer. For example, "What do you
think about...?" or "Can you explain why...?"
Brainstorming Sessions: Encourage students to generate as many ideas as possible on a topic, which can lead to deeper exploration and understanding.
Use of Prompts and Cues: Provide starting
points or cues that can help students articulate their thoughts, such as
images, videos, or short texts related to the topic.
Role Play and Simulation: Allow students to
explore concepts through role-playing scenarios that require them to
express their understanding and viewpoints.
Visual Aids: Use visual supports like concept maps, charts, and diagrams to prompt students’ responses and encourage discussion.
Reflection Activities: Ask students to reflect on their learning at the end of a lesson. This could include journaling or small group discussions.
Socratic Questioning: Employ a method of
questioning that encourages critical thinking and requires students to
think deeply about their responses and the reasoning behind them.
Feedback Loops: Provide opportunities for
students to give and receive feedback, helping them to clarify their
thoughts and understand others' perspectives.
Benefits of Eliciting
Increased Engagement: Students are more likely to be engaged when they are actively participating in the discussion.
Improved Retention: Active participation can lead to better retention of information.
Deeper Understanding: Eliciting encourages students to make connections and deepen their comprehension of the subject matter.
Skill Development: Students enhance their communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills.
Challenges
Managing Classroom Dynamics: Some students may
dominate discussions while others may be hesitant to participate.
Creating a balanced environment is essential.
Time Constraints: Eliciting discussions can be time-consuming, so it’s important to find a balance between eliciting and covering content.
Varying Student Abilities: Differentiating the
approach to meet the varying needs and abilities of students can be
challenging but is essential for effective elicitation.
Incorporating elicitation into teaching can transform the learning
experience, making it more interactive, reflective, and meaningful for
students.
Techniques for Eliciting:
Anything in the lesson can be elicited:
vocabulary,
grammar, experiences, and ideas. The objective of
eliciting
is to allow the learners the chance to participate
in the learning
process by letting them express their
acquired or intuitive knowledge,
and through critical
thinking which will enhance their language
abilities
by adding to what they already know.
Tools for Eliciting
Open-ended Questions: Use questions that encourage expansive thinking and allow for a variety of responses.
Example: "What do you think about...?" or "How would you approach...?"
Think-Pair-Share: Allow students to think individually about a question, discuss it with a partner, and then share their insights with the larger group.
Brainstorming Sessions: Facilitate group brainstorming where all ideas are shared, and students can build on each other’s contributions.
Concept Mapping: Use visual tools to help students organize their thoughts and illustrate relationships between concepts.
Use of Multimedia: Incorporate videos, images, or articles to stimulate discussion and draw out students' ideas and experiences related to the material.
Role Play and Simulations: Engage students in role-playing scenarios that relate to the topic, allowing them to explore different perspectives.
Polls and Surveys: Use tools like online polls or surveys to gauge students' opinions or prior knowledge before introducing new content.
Journals or Reflection Sheets: Encourage students to reflect on what they already know about a topic or how they feel about it before beginning new instruction.
Socratic Seminars: Facilitate a dialogue where students ask and answer questions among themselves, fostering deeper inquiry and exploration of topics.
Think Alouds: Model the cognitive processes involved in thinking through a problem or concept, showing students how to articulate their thoughts.
Types of questions and what to elicit:
Ask sensible questions.
Not multiple part questions.
Not trivial questions. But sufficiently
challenging questions
that are possible to answer from either prior
knowledge
or the content of the lecture.
Allow plenty of time –
simply wait. Students need time,
on their own, to make notes and think.
Most new teachers
feel they have waited an age for students to answer
their
question when in reality they may wait only a second or
two.
Having the confidence to pause – perhaps for ten
seconds – allows
students to formulate an answer they
would be prepared to voice.
Ask a particular student, who cannot hide.
Allow students to discuss the question
in pairs
or threes
– then ask the groups to report back. If students
are still
reluctant to speak in public, ask the pairs to write down an
answer and collect several to read out before commenting
on them.
This
can be particularly helpful for students whose native
language is not
English, who will have an opportunity to
share their ideas but may not
themselves have to be the
person who expresses them to the class as a
whole.
Offer alternative answers
and ask,
"Who thinks this is the best answer?
Raise your hands. And who
thinks this alternative
is the better answer?" This can be achieved
very
effectively, with high levels of student engagement,
using
technology. This is explored later in the chapter.
Responding to students' answers
There are a number of good techniques that can be
used
to respond to students' answers during a lecture
(the video link
in the 'Optional activity' on this screen
provides a very good example).
As far as possible
always try to be conversational, enthusiastic and
non-judgemental; try to pitch what you say to encourage
further answers
(e.g. "That's interesting:
I hadn't thought of that! What else?").
Dealing with 'wrong' answers
Never just say 'Wrong!" It humiliates the student
and
deters anyone else from offering answers in the future.
If an
answer is wrong, try the following strategies:
Ask several people and elicit several
answers before
offering your own answer or comments, and then do
so in a
general and depersonalized way. For example,
"So we have a range of
views here. Let's look at these
answers and examine them", rather than
"John and
Felix are wrong and Raul is right."
Offer alternative answers of your own –
some more
plausible than others – so that everyone in the room
is
thinking about which the better answers are.
Look round the room and
alight on eager faces,
using open hand gestures to invite additional
comments
or alternative answers.
Implementing Eliciting in Teaching
Preparation: Plan key questions and activities that
align with your learning objectives. Consider the diversity of
students’ backgrounds and experiences.
Facilitation: Be open to student responses and ready to guide the discussion while allowing students to lead.
Feedback: Provide constructive feedback that encourages further exploration of ideas without stifling creativity.
By using these tools and strategies, teachers can
effectively elicit students' thoughts, leading to a richer,
more interactive classroom experience.
Effective ways to elicit:
Ask, “What is
another way to say ______?” For example:
What is another way to say
that you are very, very hungry?
(I'm starving)
Provide a simple definition. For example: It is something
that we drink hot coffee and tea out of. (a mug)
Act it out. For example: Wipe your brow and pretend to fall.
Then ask, “What did I do?” (I fainted)
Ask, “What is the opposite of ______?” For example:
What is the opposite of tall? (short)
Use a visual. For example: Shoe a
picture of two people
who look the same and ask, “What do we call two
people
who look the same?” (identical twins.
Tips for Eliciting:
Eliciting should be used regularly whenever it is
necessary and appropriate.
Silence or incorrect answers suggest that input is
required from the teacher.
Ask a variety of students to repeat a good answer.
Give feedback to each answer with gestures or comments
Eliciting
differs from Socratic questioning in that
IT IS Designed to find out
what the learners know rather than
to lead them to a conclusion which
only the teacher knows.
Learners can elicit from each other, during brainstorming
activities. At lower levels, more guided questioning is needed.
