Do You CCQ? Using Concept Checking Questions in the ESL Classroom

“Do you understand?” “Does that make sense?” “Do you have it?” Regardless of how a teacher asks, questions like these are not the most effective way to check comprehension with ESL students, who might simply say “yes” whether they understand or not. Using concept checking questions (CCQs), on the other hand, is a more effective way to test students’ comprehension of a subject. Let’s examine how CCQs work in the ESL classroom.

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What is a CCQ?

You may be asking yourself, “How do CCQs differ from simply asking students if they understand?” CCQs in ESL are targeted questions or prompts that elicit a response showing the student’s understanding. Teachers present the questions after a lesson to assess comprehension.

For example, a teacher wrapping up a lesson on the simple past tense might ask students to come to the board and write one thing they did before class today, instead of asking the class, “Do you understand how to form the past tense?”

Students might respond with “I ate breakfast,” “I studied,” or “I did my homework.” Online teachers can have students do this same activity using a chatbox or a collaborative whiteboard.

When do teachers need to use CCQs?

Teachers can use CCQs any time they want to assess ESL students’ learning or confirm students understand the lesson concept. They’re a great tool for when you teach ESL vocabulary or grammar. These questions might check comprehension of lexical items, phrases, and grammatical structure, for example.

Concept checking questions in the ESL classroom should be reasonably simple questions suitable for students’ age and English-speaking level. These questions highlight the day’s target language and verbally check understanding of grammar, vocabulary, communicative functions, and instructions.

CCQs work well at several points in a lesson; not only at the end of the lesson, but also right after presenting new grammar or vocabulary. A quick CCQ confirms students understood the language point before they move into practice. It helps catch misunderstandings early, before a whole activity fails because of a missed concept.

What is the primary purpose behind using concept checking questions in the ESL classroom?

In a word, understanding. The main purpose of a CCQ in TEFL/TESOL is to determine whether the student comprehends what you’ve taught without explicitly asking, “Do you understand now?” Although the answer to this question is what the teacher wants to know, the broad phrasing does not target a specific skill or concept, and students may misinterpret it.

Additionally, this question doesn’t provide any insight into students’ comprehension level, and students are likely to answer it with only a yes or no.

Skipping CCQs could have real consequences. A student who nods or says yes without truly understanding often struggles the moment the class moves to practice, and the teacher only discovers the gap after confused answers or silence. At this point, re-teaching the topic would cost much more lesson time than a CCQ would have.

Asking effective questions that apply to the lesson helps you implement a smooth CCQ experience with your students. Good CCQs can also increase natural conversation as the student expands on their answers and ideas.

Need more conversation happening in class? Check these discussion questions to get your students talking.

What can a TEFL CCQ check for?

First, by using CCQs, the teacher evaluates what their students know. In turn, the students participate in discovering and understanding the new language.

Using concept checking questions in the ESL classroom lets teachers informally evaluate students throughout their learning experience. Knowledge gained through informal evaluation creates opportunities for teachers to tailor curriculum, games, or other activities to further improve a student’s mastery of the concepts.

Second, through CCQs, learners articulate their English knowledge, and teachers clarify and add to that knowledge. This benefits both teacher and student, as the teacher can also determine how future CCQs may need to change. Like all teaching tools, teachers will need to adjust concept checking questions in the ESL classroom for each class based on age, level, and learning goals for the group.

How to make concept checking questions: The Golden Rules for using CCQs when teaching English

You may be wondering how to create your own concept checking questions. To make the process simple, we’ve compiled a list of five “Golden Rules.” Referencing these rules often, until you’re comfortable with them, will help you, as the teacher, create an effective and efficient learning atmosphere.

View the Golden Rules in this infographic.

1. Plan CCQs in advance

Preparation plays a major role in a teacher’s success in the classroom. As an ESL teacher, you benefit from looking over the lesson before class and jotting down a few CCQs. You can also prepare your CCQs while creating your ESL lesson plan. This will encourage an organized and fun class and help the student benefit fully from their lesson and time.

Explore some tips on how to structure your ESL lesson plans.

2. Ask simple questions

By “simple,” we don’t mean asking third-grade students kindergarten-level questions, even though they would love that. Instead, ask questions that are simple for their specific English language learner level.

Draft the CCQs with the lesson level and the students’ levels in mind. Otherwise, teachers may waste time explaining details and meanings that don’t fit the students’ level. Tailor the CCQs as precisely as possible to the lesson and students’ needs.

3. Use several styles of CCQs

You may ask yes/no questions, either/or questions, and open-ended wh- questions to check the various aspects of students’ understanding of the target concept. Each type of question elicits a different kind of response. Some questions will get short or yes/no answers, while others will create dialogue and extended responses from the student.

Beyond varying question styles, direct CCQs to specific students, not always to the whole class, the same students, or the best students. This approach ensures teachers assess every student.

Want to vary your lessons beyond just implementing CCQs? Explore these popular ESL methodologies and choose the best for your group.

4. Consider vocabulary usage

Unfamiliar vocabulary in CCQs can confuse learners. Make sure you don’t add unfamiliar vocabulary or new language to CCQs; doing so makes it harder to assess understanding of the target concepts.

Reflect on how you may have felt learning the language. Even if English was your first language, you might have found new concepts difficult to understand when the teacher used unfamiliar or difficult vocabulary words.

Our students often feel the same way. Using language they’ve already learned or been introduced to will help them follow along more easily and feel confident that they’re making progress in each lesson.

Make vocabulary teaching more fun with these ESL vocabulary games for teaching in person or online.

5. Use media and mix it up

This tip is especially fun. Students love visual examples and gestures that keep them interested in the lesson. You can include realia, pictures, miming, synonyms, antonyms, the whiteboard, and more when using CCQs. Incorporating different forms of media and English tenses will make content comprehension checking more fun and interactive.

These materials may also keep the student from realizing they are being ‘pop quizzed,’ keeping them engaged and confident.

What are some examples of concept checking questions?

Future present progressive vs. simple future

Let’s imagine you taught your students a lesson on the difference between two common ways to express the future: present progressive tense (“I’m seeing a movie tonight”) vs. simple future (“I will be there”).

At the end of class, a good CCQ for English students might ask, “What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Their answers (I will study/I’m going to play soccer) will indicate if they understood the lesson. These questions are simple, yet precise, and they give the teacher assurance to move forward.

New in teaching? Here are some tips every new English teacher should know.

Nouns and pronouns

Now let’s imagine that you taught your students a lesson on the difference between nouns (such as “truck”) and pronouns (such as “it” or “that”).

At the end of class, a good CCQ might ask, “What pronouns can you use to replace the nouns children and car?” An answer, such as “I can use they and it,” indicates the student understands the lesson and how to apply it to real life. These questions can effectively assess student understanding. Try a few out.

Your student made a mistake? Check the dos and don’ts of error correction.

Vocabulary

Picture a vocabulary lesson on the word “exhausted.” A good CCQ might ask, “If you are exhausted, do you have a lot of energy or a little energy?” A student who answers “a little energy” shows they understand the word’s meaning, not just its pronunciation or spelling. This kind of either/or CCQ works especially well for descriptive adjectives, where a direct definition can feel abstract.

Tired of just teaching grammar and vocabulary in class? Check these tips for teaching reading in class.

Communicative functions

Consider a lesson on making suggestions with phrases like “Why don’t we watch a movie?” and “How about trying that new restaurant?” A good CCQ might ask, “Am I telling you what to do, or am I giving you an idea?” A student who answers “giving an idea” shows they understand the function behind the phrase, not just its grammar.

CCQs, or concept checking questions, turn a vague “does everyone understand?” into a clear, measurable answer. The golden rules covered here give any ESL teacher a repeatable process for including CCQs in every lesson, whether the lesson is in person or online.

Used consistently, CCQs catch gaps in understanding while there is still time to address them, rather than after students have already moved into practice.

For new and experienced teachers alike, creating CCQs improves with practice. The more a teacher writes and tests them in real lessons, the more naturally they come while teaching, and the less a class depends on guesswork about what students actually learned. That shift, from hoping students understood to knowing they did, is what turns a good lesson into an effective one.

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