Foreign Language Communication Tools: Skillful Questioning
When learners hit a word they don’t understand, they often freeze—or worse, ask “What does that mean?” and stall the exchange. But Skillful Questioning , a technique from Boris Shekhtman’s How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately , offers a smoother way forward. It works like this: instead of admitting you don’t know the word, ask contextual questions that treat the new term as part of a familiar story. You stay engaged, and the meaning often reveals itself naturally. ๐งญ What Does Skillful Questioning Look Like? Take this sentence: “When I came into my room, I saw a corpse lying on the sofa.” You don’t know the word corpse . Rather than saying “What’s a corpse?”—ask: “What corpse?” “Why was it on the sofa?” “Who brought it there?” These questions don’t spotlight your confusion. They pull out details that give the word meaning, all while keeping the dialogue going. ๐ ️ How to Practice “Skillful Questioning” ๐ Stick to the Situation Ask questi...