Closed ended questions
Can be answered with a simple yes
or no or a specific piece of
information
Example:
• What is the driving age for people in my
country and which side of the road do they
drive on?
Open Ended Questions
•Cannot be answered with a simple
word or two or three.
• Often start with How or Why
• Closed ended questions can
sometimes be converted into open
ended questions
Open or Closed?
• Is school in Iran different from American schools?
• What are some tourists attractions in Brazil and
why are they so popular?
• Why is Israel known as the holy land?
• What is the most popular religion in Russia?
You can rewrite some closed ended
question and make them open ended
• Closed: Is school in Iran different
from school in America?
• Open: How is school is Iran
different from school in America?
You try…
• Closed: What are some important holidays in
Indonesia?
• Closed: Has France ever been in a war?
Not all open ended questions are
appropriate:
• Some questions are too limited
Example: What do the colors of the Brazilian
flag symbolize?
• No food related questions….sorry!!!
Example: What is the typical diet for people
living in Afghanistan?
Once you have your question you will
eventually need three subtopics
• What is public school like in Madagascar?
• Subtopic 1: Differences from school in U.S.
• Subtopic 2: Similarities from school in U.S.
• Subtopic 3: What needs to improve
Why is the life expectancy in Japan so
high?
1) Japanese diet
2) Health system
3) Meditation
What is a traditional wedding like in
India?
• The engagement
• Important traditions during the ceremony
• Changes to the traditional wedding
ceremony
What is the Sherpa music of Nepal?