{"id":406,"date":"2019-07-23T11:51:36","date_gmt":"2019-07-23T11:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/?p=406"},"modified":"2021-05-14T10:06:50","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T10:06:50","slug":"answering-questions-when-you-dont-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/answering-questions-when-you-dont-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Don't Know the Answer to a Student's Question? Try These Strategies."},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/answering-questions-when-you-dont-know\/#Decide_If_A_Question_Needs_To_Be_Answered\" >Decide If A Question Needs To Be Answered<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/answering-questions-when-you-dont-know\/#Tactic_1_Stall_and_Search\" >Tactic 1: Stall and Search<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/answering-questions-when-you-dont-know\/#Tactic_2_Admit_That_You_Dont_Know\" >Tactic 2: Admit That You Don\u2019t Know<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/answering-questions-when-you-dont-know\/#Tactic_3_Work_Together_To_Find_the_Answer\" >Tactic 3: Work Together To Find the Answer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/about-online-tutoring\/answering-questions-when-you-dont-know\/#%F0%9F%93%8C_Takeaways\" >\ud83d\udccc Takeaways<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>Your student asks a question.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t know the answer or can\u2019t answer right away.<\/p>\n<p>Do you:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Secretly look up the answer?<\/li>\n<li>Admit you don\u2019t know, but promise to get back to the student?<\/li>\n<li>Look up the answer with the student?<\/li>\n<li>Freak out? \ud83d\ude31\ud83d\ude31\ud83d\ude31<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>We\u2019ve all experienced moments like this. After all, we can\u2019t be prepared for every question! But what should we do?<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Decide_If_A_Question_Needs_To_Be_Answered\"><\/span>Decide If A Question Needs To Be Answered<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>First, keep in mind that not all questions need to be answered.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine that a beginner student asks you the following questions:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What\u2019s the difference between \u201castounded\u201d and \u201camazed\u201d?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the difference between \u201clisten\u201d and \u201chear\u201d?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>To answer the first question, you can just say \u201cboth words mean \u2018really surprised\u2019; there\u2019s not much of a difference.\u201d After all, it\u2019s not important that a beginner understand the distinction between these higher-level words.<\/p>\n<p>However, the second question (\u201clisten\u201d vs. \u201chear\u201d) is appropriate to the student\u2019s level and deserves a detailed explanation.<\/p>\n<p>So if you get a question like this and just need some extra time to think of a good explanation, then try the following tactics!<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tactic_1_Stall_and_Search\"><\/span>Tactic 1: Stall and Search<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Did your student ask you for the meaning of a word that you can\u2019t define right away? Or maybe they asked you for the difference between \u201clarge\u201d and \u201cbig\u201d? You probably have an idea, but need a little more information to explain it well.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the internet, you can quickly look up answers \u2013 without the student knowing!<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073546\/BLOGGoogle-1024x539.png\" alt=\"quickly look up answers on Google\" width=\"640\" height=\"337\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073546\/BLOGGoogle-1024x539.png 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073546\/BLOGGoogle-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073546\/BLOGGoogle-768x404.png 768w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073546\/BLOGGoogle.png 1026w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><br \/>\nOur tutors recommend using noise-canceling microphones (so your student doesn\u2019t hear you typing) and keeping online dictionaries open in different tabs. Here are some great options:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/learnersdictionary.com\">Merriam Webster\u2019s Learner's Dictionary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/\">Cambridge Dictionary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vocabulary.com\/dictionary\/\">Vocabulary.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While you look up the definition, you can stall (buy time) with a comment like \u201cGood question! That\u2019s a difficult word. It\u2019s a little hard to explain.\u201d This will make the student feel good about their question.<\/p>\n<p>However, the \u201cstall and search\u201d method won\u2019t work for all situations \u2013 especially when you have no idea what the answer is. What should we do in situations like this?<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tactic_2_Admit_That_You_Dont_Know\"><\/span>Tactic 2: Admit That You Don\u2019t Know<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>It\u2019s OK to admit that you don\u2019t know. In fact, many tutors say they do this. As Tutor Joca (\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf8) says, \u201cIt\u2019s important for students to know that we aren\u2019t human dictionaries!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some students are even reassured to see that their tutor doesn\u2019t have all the answers. It helps them realize that they don\u2019t need to know everything to become fluent.<\/p>\n<p>However, you shouldn't just say, \u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d or say it too much. As another tutor (\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddf0) shares, \u201cI tell my students that I don\u2019t have a clear answer off the top of my head, but I promise them a comprehensive answer during our next lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tactic_3_Work_Together_To_Find_the_Answer\"><\/span>Tactic 3: Work Together To Find the Answer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Sometimes, you can work together to find the answer. After all, learning is a collaborative process. As an experienced tutor (\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\udde6) says, \u201cI've never had a bad experience using this technique even with adults and high-level students.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For instance, let\u2019s say your student asks you the difference between \u201camazed\u201d and \u201castounded.\u201d You might want to look up the definitions in an online dictionary.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, your student can look up examples of how the word is used in Daily News articles. An advantage of searching on Daily News (as opposed to Google) is that students can filter results by level. For example, here are some intermediate articles that use the word \u201camazed\u201d:<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073015\/BLOGAmazed-1024x544.png\" alt=\"daily news articles with the word amazed\" width=\"640\" height=\"340\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-56\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073015\/BLOGAmazed-1024x544.png 1024w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073015\/BLOGAmazed-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17073015\/BLOGAmazed-768x408.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><br \/>\nYou can then come together to discuss what the word means.<\/p>\n<p>Another piece of information your student might find helpful is the difficulty level of the words. You can get this information by using <a href=\"http:\/\/vocabkitchen.com\/profiler\/cefr\">Vocab Kitchen\u2019s CEFR Vocabulary Profiler<\/a>. Simply type the words in and click \u201cProfile\u201d:<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/23040039\/VocabKitch-1.png\" alt=\"how to determine difficulty of an english word\" width=\"852\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/23040039\/VocabKitch-1.png 852w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/23040039\/VocabKitch-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/23040039\/VocabKitch-1-768x433.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><br \/>\nOur search shows that \u201camazed\u201d is a B1-level word. A-level words are for beginners, B-level words are for intermediates, and C-level words are for advanced students.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, \u201castounded\u201d is an \u201coff list word.\u201d This may mean that the word is less commonly-used.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, we now know that \u201camazed\u201d is an intermediate word, so you can suggest that your student practice using it and not worry about \u201castounded.\u201d<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%F0%9F%93%8C_Takeaways\"><\/span>\ud83d\udccc Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>To sum up, here are three ways you can handle a question that you don\u2019t know how to answer:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Stall and search<\/li>\n<li>Admit you don\u2019t know, then look it up later<\/li>\n<li>Find the answer together<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Some tutors only use tactic #1 (stall and search), while others use a combination of tactics #2 and #3. Which ones have you been using? Which ones do you want to try?<\/p>\n<p>Whichever you choose, your students will surely be grateful for your help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your student asks a question. You don\u2019t know the answer or can\u2019t answer right away. Do you: Secretly look up the answer? Admit you don\u2019t know, but promise to get back to the student? Look...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[18],"class_list":["post-406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-online-tutoring","tag-answering-questions"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Don&#039;t Know the Answer to a Student&#039;s Question? 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