Abstract
The study examined the linguistic forms and characteristics of questions generated by students from reading English texts. The performance of freshman students enrolled in English 121 classes at University of Eastern Philippines Main Campus was assessed. Visual materials were utilized for the experimental group, while traditional lectures were employed for the control group. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was used to analyze the results of the self-questioning reading activities. Data were derived from questions formulated by readers based on 12 English texts taken from Philippine Daily Inquirer editorials and articles from a book. Findings revealed that although both experimental groups passed the pretest, the control classes failed. However, all groups demonstrated excellent performance in the posttest, signifying the effectiveness of the activities. Wh-questions were the most frequently generated, whereas declarative questions were rarely produced. Most questions were found to be sensible and grammatically correct. Both visual materials and traditional lectures were highly effective in eliciting questions from students. Given their effectiveness in stimulating critical thinking and questioning skills, these activities should be integrated into freshman English courses.
Keywords: Linguistic Characteristics, Linguistic Forms, Reading English Texts, Self-questioning, Sensible Questions, Wh-question.