1. Chapter 8: Asking for Clarification
Strategies for Minimizing Misunderstandings

2. Last Week
We looked at checking comprehension. We looked at 2 strategies that we can use to make sure our partners have understood us.

3. Today
We are going to look at asking for clarification.

4. What is clarification?
Clarification is making sure you understand everything you were told.
It means ‘making things clear.’
It is an important skill for good communication.

5. Steps for Clarification
Here are the basic steps for clarification:
Step 1: Interrupt
Step 2: Indicate Your Problem
Step 3: Indicate how your partner can clear up the miscommunication.

6. Strategy 1: Interrupting
For a quick clarification try using the following:
I’m sorry.
Excuse me.
Hang on a minute*.
Just a minute.
Wait a minute.

7. For a lengthier clarification you can try these expressions:
Can I stop you for a minute?
Can I interrupt you for a minute?
Do you mind if I interrupt you for a second?

8. Strategy 2: Indicating Your Problem
If you don’t understand. . .
I don’t follow you.
I don’t understand.
I don’t get it.
It’s not clear to me.
I’m not clear.
You lost me.

9. If you didn’t hear. I didn’t catch that
If you didn’t hear I didn’t catch that. I didn’t hear you I didn’t hear what you said. I missed that.

10. Indicate how your partner can clear up the miscommunication
Strategy 3a: Asking for Complete Clarification
Can you repeat that?
Can you say that again?
Can you explain that again?
Can you rephrase that?
Come again?

11. Or just partial clarification. from the beginning
Or just partial clarification from the beginning from the part where/ when just the first part just the last part just the part when

12. Strategy 3b: Clarifying Details
You can clarify details by asking questions What did he do? Where did he go? When did he leave? Why did he do that? Who did he talk to?

13. Or by restating what your students have said, placing a question in the part that is not understood. He did what? He went where? He left when? He did it because why? He talked to who?

14. In class this week, we are going to do two clarification activities.
(1) Write about your summer vacation.
(2) Solve the mystery of Mrs. Shapiro.

15. Activity 1: Your Vacation
(1) write a paragraph on our summer vacation
(2) ‘garble’ parts of it
(3) tell it to our partners
(4) partners will ask for clarification

16. Activity 2: The Mystery of Mrs. Shapiro
(1) Students are given a clue to memorize.
(2) Students share a garbled version of their clue.
(3) Partners ask for clarification.
(4) Students share the correct version of their clue.
(5) After hearing most of the clues, students go back to their groups and construct a theory to explain the clues.