common questions
What are the methodological limitations in this study and how would you correct them given unlimited time and money?
What did you like best and least about this study?
English for International Conference Communication
Asking and answering questions
Features of question-raisers
Insiders in the field Familiarity with the presentation content Intention of fault-finding
What recommendations do you have for future research?
What specific aspects of your findings can be utilized by … in their practice?
What is the most important contribution of your thesis? Can you say it in one or two sentences?
Answers to ordinary questions
Question: I don’t quite understand what you really mean by saying …. Can you explain it again?
Answer: To answer your question, I’d like to repeat the third point of what I said just now. well, I was saying…
needed
Is that clear to you? Am I making myself clear? Did I make eveestions
Extensiveness Unpredictability Timeliness
Purposes of questions
Questions for clarifying problems Questions for showing special interest Questions for raising different opinions Questions for information-hunting Rebuking Questions
What did you learn from this project?
How would you interpret these findings in light of the _______ Theory? In other words, be able to interpret your findings based on any of the authors that you mentioned in your Literature Review.
Three steps to answer this kind of question
Repetition of the question Answer the question: to offer the information or
explanation called for Reassurance: to see if further explanation is
Please discuss how your findings fit or don’t fit with your theoretical framework.
What recommendations and implications are there for practitioners in your discipline?
If you were to do it all over again, what changes would you make?
Are there any closing comments you would like to make? (Mention how much you have learned through the research and show your thanks to each committee member).
Questions for showing special interest
Examples
I’m very much interested in hearing your presentation today since the work we are going to start has some connections with yours. Now, would you please say a few more words about the …? Particularly at its preliminary stage?
Questions for clarifying problems
Examples
I don’t quite understand what you really mean by saying “…”. Can you explain it again?
I would like to ask you a question, or rather, make a request. Is it possible for you to show me again your last slide?.