Questioning

Questioning is a fundamental component of interpersonal communication. This chapter explores questioning on two dimensions: informational (managing information) and interactional (managing roles, relationships and interaction). Conceptual debates and definitions are discussed, including the distinction between grammatical and functional categories. The chapter explores different purposes of questioning, with an emphasis on multifunctionality. Different types/dimensions of questions are examined. The relationship between questions and power is addressed. Questioning in professional settings is then discussed. Two professional contexts of questioning, Education and Medicine, are explored in detail. The chapter highlights the richness and complexity of questioning as an interpersonal practice.