What is "circling"? With examples!

"Circling" is a technique for asking repetitive questions in the target language. We do this all the time in TPRS and CI-based instruction in order to provide students with more repetitions of target structures (i.e., new vocabulary and grammar).

The basic pattern of circling is:

• Yes/no question
• Either/or question
• Yes/no question
• Who/what/where/when/why/how/etc. question

You follow this pattern to ask questions about the subject ("circle the subject"), verb, or whatever else.

A detailed, essential explanation of circling can be found in Blaine Ray's book Fluency Through TPR Storytelling. In this post, which presents my hodgepodge of an approach, I give some examples of circling in different scenarios, in Latin (the language I teach) with English translations (for most everyone else).

First, though, note six main rules of circling:

1. Go slow. Super slow. The students don't know the language and every new structure is a totally new sound for them. Go so slow that you feel bored. Then slow down some more. Now they can follow you.
2. "Teach to the eyes." This is a phrase from Blaine Ray or Susan Gross or somebody, but it is the main thing that will save you and your students. Make eye contact constantly with your students. And don't just look at them, try to feel whether they understand. Their eyes will tell you if they are lost or ready for the next question.
3. Avoid unnecessary circling. Only focus with circling on new structures, probably only your target structures for the day. The sounds of the structures in circling need to be new to hold interest and momentum. If they have already acquired something, circling isn't necessary. But be careful here. Oftentimes students have acquired far less than we think they have.
4. Demand a choral response. Every student needs to reply to every question in unison. If there is a weak response, simply stop and explain in English how everyone needs to show you they understand. Then ask the same question again, more slowly. If there is still a weak response, write translations on the board. Every student responds every time or the class takes forever and it sucks for them. They will get that pretty quick.
5. Personalize. Make sure that you are asking questions and including information suggested by your students in the conversation or story or whatever is being said. Circling about how Random Roman Guy was in a forum is boring, but circling about how Susie (a student in class) was at a concert is awesome.
6. Ask for quick translations. Every once in a while ask your students, in English, "What did I just say?" They should be able to provide a "this is painfully obvious" kind of translation.

So now lets look at two different sentences and how you would circle them with your students. It is assumed that you have written translations of new structures on the board and perhaps even established gestures. The students should be able to understand the meaning of everything you say. If ever you sense some students aren't following you (refer to rules 2 and 4 above), point at the target structures and translations on the board, write other things with translations they might be struggling with, or do something else to establish meaning so that the students are confident in their answers to your circled questions.

Example 1
Sentence, stated by teacher slowly to begin:
Trevor in cubiculo dormiebat.
--Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom. (Some teachers require students to go "ohhhhh" all together after a new statement as if the most interesting fact in the world has just be stated. If I were better I would insist on it every time just like choral responses.)

First, we can circle the subject:
Q1 (teacher): discipuli, dormiebatne Trevor in cubiculo?
--Students, was Trevor sleeping in his bedroom?
A1 (class): certe!
--Yes!
Teacher: optime! Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q2 (teacher): discipuli, dormiebatne Trevor an Luke in cubiculo?
--Students, was Trevor or Luke sleeping in his bedroom?
A2 (class): Trevor!
--Trevor!
Teacher: optime! Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q3 (teacher): discipuli, dormiebatne Luke in cubiculo?
--Students, was Luke sleeping in his bedroom?
A3 (class): minime!
--No!
Teacher: optime! quam absurdum! Luke in cubiculo non dormiebat. Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! How absurd! Luke was not sleeping in his bedroom. Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q4 (teacher): discipuli, quis in cubiculo dormiebat?
--Students, who was sleeping in the bedroom?
A4 (class): Trevor!
--Trevor!
Teacher: optime! Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.

Then we might circle the verb, but really the possibilities are endless. Notice the pattern can change for variety based one whatever your students are ready for:
Q1 (teacher): discipuli, saltabatne Trevor in cubiculo?
--Students, was Trevor dancing in his bedroom?
A1 (class): minime!
--No!
Teacher: optime! quam absurdum! Trevor in cubiculo non saltabat. Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! How absurd! Trevor was not dancing in his bedroom. Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q2 (teacher): discipuli, dormiebatne an saltabat Trevor in cubiculo?
--Students, was Trevor sleeping or dancing in his bedroom?
A2 (class): dormiebat!
--Sleeping!
Teacher: optime! Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q3 (teacher): discipuli, ubi Trevor dormiebat?
--Students, where was Trevor sleeping?
A3 (class): in cubiculo!
--In his bedroom!
Q4 (teacher): optime! discipuli, quid agebat Trevor in cubiculo?
--Very good! Students, what was Trevor doing in his bedroom?
A4 (class): dormiebat!
--Sleeping!
Teacher: optime! discipuli mei sunt intellegentes.
--Very good! My students are smart.

Example 2
Sentence: Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult, ut Will Smithem spectet.
--Maria wants to go to Hollywood to look at Will Smith.

This is just a quick demonstration of how scary grammar can be made less scary:
Q1 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Hollywood?
A1 (class): certe!
--Yes!
Teacher: optime! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult.
--Very good! Maria wants to go to Hollywood.
Q2 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Hollywood an Kansas City ire?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Hollywood or Kansas City?
A2 (class): Hollywood!
--Hollywood!
Teacher: optime! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult.
--Very good! Maria wants to go to Hollywood.
Q3 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Kansas City ire?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Kansas City?
A3 (class): minime!
--No!
Teacher: optime! Maria non ad urbem Kansas City, sed ad urbem Hollywood ire vult.
--Very good! Maria doesn't want to go to Kansas City, but to Hollywood.
Q4 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire, ut Will Smithem spectet?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Hollywood to look at Will Smith?
A4 (class): certe!
--Yes!
Teacher: optime! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult ut Will Smithem spectet.
--Very good! Maria wants to go to Hollywood in order to look at Will Smith.
Q5 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire, ut Will Smithem an Bruce Willisem spectet?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Hollywood to look at Will Smith or Bruce Willis?
A5 (class): Will Smith(em)!
--Will Smith!
Teacher: optime! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult ut Will Smithem spectet.
--Very good! Maria wants to go to Hollywood in order to look at Will Smith.
Q6 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Kansas City ire, ut Will Smithem spectet? / Students, does Maria want to go to Kansas City to look at Will Smith?
A6 (class): minime!
--No!
Teacher: optime! Maria, ut Will Smithem spectet, ad urbem Kansas City ire non vult. quam absurdum! Will Smith in urbe Kansas City non habitat! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult ut Will Smithem spectet.
--Very good! Maria doesn't want to go to Kansas City to look at Will Smith. How absurd! Will Smith doesn't live in Kansas City. Maria wants to go to Hollywood to look at Will Smith.
Q7 (teacher): discipuli, cur Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult?
--Students, why does Maria want to go to Hollywood?
A7 (students, maybe a volunteer because it's not a one- or two-word answer): ut Will Smithem spectet!
--to look at Will Smith!
Teacher: bene!
--Well done!
Teacher (quickly in English): Wait a second, what did we just say? Why does Maria want to go to Hollywood?
Class (there should be that "duhhhhh, it's obvious" feeling): To look at Will Smith!

If you see how this process could be basically endless based on the needs of particular students, and how the teacher could use it to talk about anything with any level using any grammar under the sun, then you get the point.