How to answer rhetorical questions

Question

Often in lectures, my professors will ask rhetorical questions. Sometimes, their body language makes it look like they're waiting for a response, and they'll even look intensely at a specific student when asking as if they want that specific student to respond.

I don't want to stare at the professor with a blank stare (especially if they are looking at me), but I'm not sure what the professor wants us to do. Should we just nod/shake our heads, say verbally "yes" or "no", or do something else to show that we're engaged?

Answer 1

Usually, the professors ask, ", right?" or other questions which very clearly seem to be rhetorical. If no one says anything for a few moments, they'll move on with the lecture as if nothing happened.

It's hard to judge without being there, but this sounds to me like the instructor is giving a pause to see if there are any questions on what they've just discussed before they move on.

From a US perspective, if they look right at you and you feel like you're following and understanding things well, feel free to nod, give a thumbs up, whatever feels to you like a comfortable response to affirm that you understand. This isn't to test or evaluate your knowledge, it's a self-evaluation to the instructor to gauge whether they're being clear, whether they're moving too fast, whether they need to restate or rephrase something they've said. As pointed out in the comments, the appropriate gesture can be culturally dependent; I think a head nod is pretty safe, but I can't say for certain. If you have a question, though, it would be a good time to ask it/indicate you have a question to ask by raising your hand or whatever signal is typical in your classroom.

If the professor looks at a specific individual (for example, you), I don't think they are necessarily intending to pick on that person specifically, but they may be looking for a representative response or maybe they noticed that person looked a bit puzzled earlier and they're just checking in. It's part of interacting with an audience that some people are more natural at than others.

Answer 2

This is just me, but I would interpret the "rhetorical" question as an expression of the professor being unsure whether the students understood whatever the professor was explaining. The professor is looking for cues -- more or less consciously -- if the students are following. You could nod, simply ignore the question, or take it as a chance to ask for clarification. As a student, I would find this slightly irritating, and it's probably not the most methodical way to ascertain the level of comprehension. In any case, it's mostly a personal quirk to get used to.

Answer 3

If a professor wants a particular type of response to particular types of phrasings or non-verbal cues, that professor needs to communicate their expectations clearly.

In other words: it's not your job to figure out what the professor wants, it's their job to tell you what they want. So if you're not sure, choose any response that seems reasonable to you.

(I say this as a professor myself, by the way.)

Answer 4

Questions in lectures may also mean "Could you follow me?" or "Please ask if you hadn't this in other lectures so I can repeat the basics". Professors also need to know if they are going too slow or too fast fast, which isn't always obvious.

And depending on the lecture style, you may do the professor a favor by actually answering the question, because maybe he planned to get a short answer and then build up on that. Personally I always wonder why lecturers do ask questions when often nobody will answer, but most lecturers who do this seem not to have a problem continuing after they got silence instead of an answer.

Answer 5

It could also be the case that the professor reads from their own several year old lecture notes in which their younger self omitted the actual argument because they found it trivial at that time. Now they are insecure. So "<insert statement here>, right?" could also be some mixture of

1. asking for help in the hope that someone (could be you) in the room sees the argument and explains it to everyone,

2. gaining some time to think this over for themselves, and

3. luring you into nodding so that they are relieved from the duty to provide the proof.

All camouflaged as a witty didactical trick. (This is not necessarily not too bad, because it has the chance to activate the audience.)

Not to mention that distinct frowning (effectively returning the ball to them) may be an as legitimate answer as nodding.

Really, professors are not always as well prepared as you might think. For many professors teaching makes up only a comparatatively small piece of their duties.

Answer 6

If the body language of a professor suggests that they are waiting for a response, and if they are staring intensely at a specific student, that would suggest that perhaps the question is not intended as exclusively rhetorical, so perhaps you are misdiagnosing the nature of the question. A simple response would be to answer the question.

Answer 7

If the professor is truly asking a rhetorical question, the only reasonable answer would be: "Yes! Isn't hat what you wanted to hear?"

But maybe the professor is just asking politely: "Are you still awake (with me)?"

Answer 8

It is awkward for both parties if the professor is waiting for an answer and you are hesitating. It may be relieving for you both if you simply respond, perhaps with a counter-question: "Is that a question? No, I don't think so," ideally with a brief rationale for why that's your answer.

If they meant to ask, you have responded appropriately and defused the situation; if they didn't, they will probably stop doing that maneuver once they understand that some students find it confusing.

Among the professors I've had, the vast majority would prefer a student who spoke up and interacted with them over a silent one every time.

Answer 9

Be a respectful adult. The next time you aren't sure how to respond, clearly ask "Is that a question? Is that directed at me?" Use your hands to gain control of the conversation, create a brief exchange to establish explicitly the expectation. In a lighthearted manner with a coyish smile, nod enthusiastically at whatever his response is.

The prof probably is on some level of autopilot and doesn't realize he's spreading anxiety, he's likely just looking for some acknowledgement you aren't sleeping with your eyes open and will almost certainly correct this behavior, which again he's likely unaware of... Turning the tables on him by putting him on the spot unexpectedly will wake him up quick and you can be sure he will be more careful and explicitly direct in the future.

Caution, you'll be creating more conversation in that room forever moving forward, but that's a good thing in theory.

Answer 10

Usually, rhetorical questions don't have to be answered. Even my family told me that. When professors ask a rhetorical question - the best that you can do is just nod or smirk (friendly ofc), or agree or disagree. When you're trying to answer on rhetorical question - most often the reaction is rather negative or sarcastic.