The Outline of the Thesis (A Sample)Title:A Content-analysis of EFL Student-Teachers’ Questioning in the ClassroomAbstract: This paper introduces the difference in classroom questioning between EFL student-teachers and in-service teachers in middle schools by comparative analysis of their classroom discourse focusing on the features of student-teachers’questioning strategies (for linguistic knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation) in three aspects: (1) the purposes of questioning, (2) the waiting time for students’responses and (3) the feedback to students’responses. It aims at clarifying what’s lacking in student teachers’ classroom questioning skills & strategies and the reasons why they have the problems. The research may help EFL teachers understand classroom questioning and the way of classroom-teaching investigation by content analysis of classroom discourse is introduced.Key words: questioning; question types; waiting time; feedback1.Introduction1.1. Understanding “interaction”1.1.1. “Interaction” in socio-culture theory1.1.2. Classroom interactions1.2. Classroom discourse1.2.1. What is classroom discourse?1.2.2. IRF Content-analysis of classroom discourse2.Classroom questioning and the function2.1. Definition of classroom questioning2.1.1. Conception of classroom questioning and its development2.1.2. The criteria for effective questioning in the classroom2.2. Categories of questioning and their functions2.2.1 Questioning for linguistic knowledge (for students to recall or rememberthe previously learnt structural knowledge)2.2.2 Questioning for comprehension (for students to translate, to grasp themeaning of materials)2.2.3 Questioning for application (for students to generalize, or to use learntmaterials in new and concrete situations)2.2.4 Questioning for analysis (for students to discover the material into itscomponent parts so that it may be more easily understood)2.2.5 Questioning for synthesis (for students to compose, to put materialstogether, to form a new one)2.2.6 Questioning for evaluation (for students to judge the value of thematerial for a given purpose)3. Investigation on classroom questioning3.1 Purpose and object of investigation2.1.1 The purposes2.1.2 The object3.2 Method of investigation2.2.1 IRF (Initiate-Response-Feedback) analysis on classroom discourse2.2.2 The transcription of student-teacher’s classroom discourse2.2.3 The transcription of in-service teacher’s classroom discourse3.3 Procedures of investigation3.3.1 Investigation on student-teacher’s classroom questioning3.3.2 Investigation on in-service teacher’s classroom questioning3.3.3 The findings of the investigation2.3.3.1 Findings on student-teacher’s classroom questioning2.3.3.2 Findings on in-service teacher’s classroom questioning4. The analysis on the findings4.1 The difference in classroom questioning between EFL student-teachers and thein-service teachers4.1.1 Differences in the types of questions4.1.2 Differences in the waiting time for Ss’ responses4.1.3 Differences in T’s feedback to Ss’ responses4.2 Main problems of EFL student-teacher’s classroom questioning4.2.1 Lacking clear objectives4.2.2 Lacking patience for waiting4.2.3 Lacking clear points in feedbacks4.3 Analysis on student-teacher’s classroom questioning4.3.1 The teachers’ intention & effectiveness of classroom questioning4.3.2 The main cause for lacking patience & points in classroom questioning4.3.2.1 Deficiencies in teaching experience4.3.2.2 Deficiencies in understanding students4.3.2.3 Deficiencies in understanding the textbook5. Conclusion5.1 What’s lacking in EFL student-teachers’ classroom questioning5.2 The main reason of EFL student-teachers’problems in their classroomquestioning and the possible solutionsReferences[1] Breen, Michael. & Andrew, Littlejohn. (ed). Classroom Decision-Making.London: Cambridge University Press, 2000; rpt?. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2002.[2] Brown, G. & Yule, G. Discourse Analysis. London: Cambridge University Press,1983; rpt. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2001.[3] Littlewood, William. Communicating Language Teaching. London: CambridgeUniversity Press, 1981; rpt. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000.[4] Littlewood, William. Foreign and Second Language Teaching. London:Cambridge University Press, 1990; rpt. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000.[5] McCarthy, Michael. Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers.London:Cambridge University Press, 1991; rpt. 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