Questioning and Responding Strategies: Lessons from Pop-Sci Talk Shows

Abstract

Many EFL and EAP teachers are not aware of the linguistic mechanisms and academic conventions used in academic talks, so they can give only limited guidance on preparing for academic discussions. This paper investigates the questioning and responding strategies used in two academic talk shows in the light of conversation analysis. In one, a journalist talks with a well-known physicist Michio Kaku; in the other, a talk show hosts the social science researcher Uval Noah Harari. Both shows aim to present academic knowledge to a non-specialist audience. The questioning and responding strategies used in both shows are found to vary by academic discipline and personal preferences. It is also shown that professional participants in both speech events use many strategies not introduced in classroom pedagogy in similar ways, such as seeking clarification, self-questioning and dodging questions. EFL and EAP students could be introduced to the strategies used in academic talk shows in order to apply them effectively in their academic talks.