Ask Me a Question!

Purpose: To get learners comfortable with asking and answering basic conversation questions while building an awareness of wh- question words.

Preparation Time: None

Materials Needed: Sets of Wh- Questions and Answers cards, cut apart.

Procedure:

1. Break the learners into partners or small groups.
2. Give each group a set of the Wh- Questions and Answers cards (to support lower level learners, print the questions on one color of paper and the answers on a different color).
3. Have the learners work together to match up the questions and the answers.
4. Check the work as a group. Hold up and read a question, and have the groups hold up and read the matching answer.
5. Model having one learner in the group ask their partner or other group members the question from the question card, and their partner or other group members answering the question using the sentence frame on the answer card.
6. After all of the questions are asked, the learners will switch roles. Do this until everyone has had an opportunity to ask and answer all of the questions.

Expansion: Ask the learners to sort the questions by wh- question word (what, why, where, when, who, how). Have them explain what the question word asks about (e.g. “Where is for questions about places. Who is for questions about people”). As a class or in a small group, have the learners generate one or two more questions and answers for each question word.