Even if you have been speaking English for years, you are going to find yourself in a situation where someone uses a word or a phrase you don’t know, speaks a little too fast, or mumbles (speaks unclearly). Show The other person might be using slang or a technical term you’re not familiar with. Or they simply may not have expressed themselves clearly. In situations like these, you should not feel embarrassed or assume that it has to do with your language ability! That’s why we have a number of polite questions and expressions that we can use to clarify what we heard. These expressions are frequently used in professional contexts, as this is often when you need to clarify what the other person said to continue negotiations or strategic planning. You can also use these phrases in everyday circumstances. If you are having a lengthy conversation with someone, chances are you’ll need to clarify something they’ve said. Remember, sometimes people do not express their ideas clearly, or they ramble. Ask a clarifying question and confirm your understanding to bring the focus of the conversation back to the most important topics. Clarify What You Heard by Asking for RepetitionIf you feel like you missed a key word or phrase during an explanation, or you would like the other person to repeat themselves, there are a number of questions you can ask in order to clarify what you heard. Keep in mind that many of these questions use an introductory phrase like “Would you mind…?” or “Could I ask you…?” or “Could you…?” in order to make the question a little more polite. You can also start with a small apology, like “Sorry,” “Just a second,” “Sorry to interrupt.” Finally, you might want to admit that you didn’t understand by saying “I didn’t catch that,” or “I didn’t get that.” This shows that you are listening, but you want to make sure you understood all the important details. (As a bonus, asking clarifying questions helps you remember what you heard.)
Confirm Your Understanding By Repeating and Restating the Other Person’s IdeaAnother way to be sure you’ve understood what the other person is saying is to repeat what you heard using your own words. Restating the other person’s idea is a great way to show that you were listening carefully. It also helps the other person find a way to simplify or clarify what they said if you misheard or misunderstood a key point. As I mentioned earlier, sometimes the person speaking needs to rethink what they said and say it again more clearly!
As you notice in these examples, there are many introductory phrases that you can use to indicate what you heard. By emphasizing that you are repeating their ideas to check and confirm your understanding, you show them that you take accuracy seriously. They’ll understand that you want to make sure you’ve got all the information you need before moving forward. Ending with a question enables the other person to clarify any confusion and provide additional details that he feels are important. Restating ideas is an excellent way to avoid misunderstandings and also enables you to ask for clarification without having to say directly that you didn’t understand everything. Say Thank You and Show You UnderstoodAfter the person you are talking to has repeated what they said, provided additional information, or clarified your doubts, be sure to say thank you and state that you now understand the concepts better. This allows you to move on to other topics and assures the other person that you are now on the same page.
Your TurnDo you feel more comfortable clarifying what you heard, asking for repetition, and confirming your understanding after reading this post? I hope so. You can use these phrases for ask for clarification on something I’ve written above! Leave a comment below with a question you have – and start it with a phrase. Or rephrase what I said, and use a question to check for understanding. Be sure to check out this video on clarifying what you mean and explaining your thoughts.
Open ended questions cannot be responded to with one word answers such as yes or no. These types of questions enables a child to provide a more detailed response and encourages a child to stimulate their thinking and develop their language skills. Open ended questions supports a child to focus and make meaning of their experiences and enables them to see various possibilities. Benefits of Open Ended QuestionsWhile engaging in conversation and you ask a child open ended questions, it shows that you are interested about what they are doing. Open ended questions encourages a child to:
How to Ask Open Ended QuestionsDuring the day, it’s important that we ask questions to children, about their activities and every day encounters. Using open ended questions, can help a child to grow as they begin to think about how they approach, plan, carry and extend upon their own ideas. To encourage a child to think about their learning and to develop their language skills, the following open ended questions can be asked:
While answering open ended question a child needs to have a particular level of verbal skills. This is because open ended questions have a variety of different possible responses. You don’t know what the response is going to be. A child would more eagerly answer if they are able to effectively communicate and know a range of vocabulary. Questions to Challenge ThinkingChallenging children to think by asking thought provoking open ended questions can expand and enrich a child’s cognitive, creative and language development. Open ended questions that challenge thinking include: Making Predictions – What do you will happen... Extend on Thinking – What would happen if there were... Consider Consequences – What would happen if you jumped and I wasn’t there to catch you? Assess feelings – How would you feel if that happened to you? How do you think ... feels? Similarities and Differences – How are these the same? What makes these go together? What make these different? Solving problems – What could you do to... Evaluate – What made you decide... Using Open Ended Questions With BooksThe best way to begin getting into a habit of asking open ended questions is starting off with asking questions on a book. It will be interesting to hear what a child thinks that the story may be about and it will be a great insight into what a child’s thinking and creativity is. Here are some ideas on what types of open ended questions to ask during the story.
Using open ended questions while reading books provides an opportunity for a child to express their ideas and opinions and share their reasoning and thought process. Tips and Strategies For Using Open Ended QuestionsCombine Closed Ended and Open Ended Questions together – to begin you can use closed ended questions at the beginning of the conversation and then use open ended questions to expand the child’s language, thoughts and ideas. For e.g. “Have you been to the circus” (closed) “What happened when you were there”(open). “What did you like watching at the circus” (open). Use encouraging words – when asking open ended questions try to avoid questions such as “who” e.g. “who knows how to draw a lion” rather rephrase this to “What are some ways that a lion can be drawn”. Encouraging phrases enable children to collaborate and learn from each other. Don’t expect a specific answer – with the questions you ask try and not to expect the “right” answer. For e.g. “What colour is the sky” if a child was to answer “orange” don’t dismiss it because they didn’t say blue. Continue questioning “Why do you say that” child can respond “When the sunsets in the evening”. If you begin asking questions for specific answers, children will be able to tell that you’re not interested in their thoughts, ideas and opinions and will become less engaged. Give a child time – a child may need to get familiar with these types of questions and require time to answer these in more complex ways. Practice – use open ended questions as part of your practices. Obtain a list of generic open ended questions that you can see during your interaction with children as a reminder of what questions to ask. Open ended questions provide children with a sense of belonging and supports and develops relationships. It shows a child that we are eager to hear their ideas, enable them to think for themselves and contribute to their own learning. Reference:
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