LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: ★★☆☆☆

This method is simply allowing students to form sentences in the right order. We provide them with fractured sentences and require them to put the parts into the correct order.

How does it work?

This helps them to be familiar with the look and the sound of the sentences, which is the first step of teaching them how to construct embedded sentences. This is a type of subconscious installation (Hoge, 2008), which is an effective way for ESL to ring a bell when they come across similar sentence structures (e.g. in reported speech, embedded sentences, etc.), so that even before they learn the grammatical rules of constructing an embedded question, they are able to recall their memories and rearrange the fractured sentences in a sensible way, or in a way they have been exposed to similar grammatical structures. In other words, when they are found in situations where they have to ask embedded questions, they will naturally ask in a correct way because they have touched upon this matter, with or without having to learn the grammatical rules of it.

What makes it a better approach?

Sentence restructuring can be conveyed as an in-class activity, this allows students’ mistakes to be amended right away by the teachers. However, the rule of subconscious installation would not be applicable if the student finishes the task as an assignment at home, without any sorts of supervision. This is because when the student has made an error, he would not pay attention to it, and would grasp the sound and the look of the wrongly structured product as an idea of a correct sentence. There is a certain extent of limitation of this method but it does not play a big role, since this is only a method that aims to plant an idea in their head of what it should sound like in English and the basic idea of “embedded/indirect questions”.

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LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: ★★★☆☆

This method is more likely the second stage of Sentence Restructuring. We break the sentences into different parts as drill bits and write them on different color coded cards. 

How does it work?

For example, red cards are introductory phrases like “I wonder”, “Can you tell me”; green cards are direct questions such as “why are you here”, “do you like roses”. Then, randomly distribute the cards to make sure all students have one card in hand; the ones holding red cards will be grouped with those that are given green cards. After that, the one with a red card and the one with a green card, as partners, will be required to come up with an embedded question with the words written on their cards. And after this step, they need to ask someone else in the class the question they have formed, expecting an answer in return as well. What is special about this exercise is that if two students are being grouped together with cards that write funny things, it adds some entertainment to the lessons.

By using embedded question drill with color coded cards, it has an advantage of categorizing certain parts of the sentences in different colors and makes it easier to be distinguished. Apart from that, it also engages the whole class in the activity; it catches their attention so they would not feel boring during the lesson so it effectively helps them learn by working together as a team. As a result, both people in the same group can reflect on each other’s answers, as well as one’s own answer before coming to consensus in submitting the correct answer to ask the class.

What makes it a better approach?

For learning, one of the most effective ways is to self-assess and to peer-assess (Terence & Abul, 2013). This refers to evaluating oneself’s output of learning, as well as to evaluate the output of learning of one’s peers. The process of evaluation or assessment allows one to identify his mistakes, reflect on it, and to learn the right from wrong instantly. This is because one’s mind is set on learning during the self-reflection period, and he allows his attention to focus on the answer he is trying to find out at that specific period of time, which creates space in his mind for opening to new knowledge. For L2 learners, embedded questions are usually new to them because in their first language, such thing might not even exist. Therefore, it is important for them to be open to new information and the right way of utilizing it. This game does not only allow students to interact with one another in an interesting way, it also sets them for learning a new grammatical structure they have not yet come across before by evaluating oneself and others to look for a correct answer.

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LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: ★★★★★

Last but not least, role playing is to secure the knowledge of Primary 5 and 6 ESL of embedded questions.

• Students are divided into groups, at least 3 people in a group
• Each group comes up with a play, around 5 to 10 minutes
• With as many embedded questions included in their scripts as possible
• Peers vote between each other’s performance
• The winning performance are based on the number of embedded questions used and how good the play is

How does it work?

It is a way for teachers to see if the students have grasped the idea of how to accurately use it. Not to mention, it is a fun, engaging and efficient way to learn embedded questions. This approach allows the teachers to spot the mistakes made by the students immediately through their dialogues during their performances. Other students will count the number of embedded questions appeared in the play as well, which can successfully have their full attention throughout each play.

What makes it a better approach?

Role playing is one of the best ways for teachers to evaluate students and for students to reflect on themselves and on one another. (Kilgour, Reynaud, Northcote, & Shields, 2015).As for a play that students have to perform in front of their classmates, and be determined whether they are the winning teams, it makes the preparation more intense and in that way, they will try to make as little mistakes as possible.

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