Eliciting

Eliciting subject knowledge and ideas... Eliciting is a technique we can use to get learners thinking and saying what they know about a subject. It’s when we ask questions or give learners clues to get learners to say what they know about a subject rather than the teacher giving the explanation.

-Okay, tell me six words we can use to describe different forces.
-Do you think that conditions are harder for people living in hot deserts or people living in cold deserts?
- Write down as many facts as you can about water.
Eliciting is important because:

• it involves learners in the topic
• it allows learners to connect the topic of the lesson to what they already know
• it gives learners opportunities for language practice
• it can stimulate higher order thinking skills and creative thinking
• it allows teachers to find out what learners know so that they can build on it

However, eliciting can sometimes be difficult for teachers and learners.