SEtalk: Why Children Ask Why

How many questions did you ask yesterday?

各位昨天問了幾個問題呢？

I mean real questions, because you wanted to know something.

我是說真正的問題，是因為你們真的想知道某件事而問的。

If you're four years old, the answer is probably hundreds!

如果你們才4歲，答案大概有好幾百個！

I teach young children, so I hear them all day long.

我教的是小朋友，所以一整天都聽得到這些問題。

Six years ago, a little boy called Leo was in my class.

6年前，我班上有一個叫Leo的小男孩。

One morning, he looked outside, and he had a question.

有一天早上，他看著窗外，想到了一個問題。

Why is the sky blue?

天空為什麼是藍色的？

I explained it simply, but he just asked, why?

我簡單解釋了一下，但他只是問：為什麼？

I answered again, and he asked why again!

我又回答了一次，結果他又問為什麼！

After the fifth why, I said, because it just is!

問到第五個為什麼的時候，我說：沒有為什麼，就是這樣！

He stopped asking, and I felt terrible.

他不再問了，我心裡好難過。

So how many questions do children really ask?

那麼，小孩子到底會問多少問題呢？

In 2007, a psychologist studied recordings of young children with their parents.

2007年，一位心理學家研究了幼兒和爸媽相處時的錄音。

They asked about seventy-six questions an hour!

孩子們每小時大約會問76個問題！

A study in 2009 went further, and it found something interesting.

2009年的一項研究更進一步，發現了一件很有意思的事。

When children got a real answer, they usually seemed satisfied.

小孩子得到真正的答案時，通常看起來都很滿足。

When they didn't, they asked again or made up their own answer.

如果沒有，他們就會再問一次，或是自己編一個答案。

So children who keep asking why aren't trying to annoy us.

所以，一直問為什麼的孩子，並不是故意要惹我們煩。

They really want to understand how the world works.

他們是真的想搞懂這個世界是怎麼運作的。

So what happens to all those questions when we grow up?

那麼，等我們長大以後，那些問題都跑到哪裡去了？

A researcher called Susan Engel visited classrooms, and she counted every question.

一位叫Susan Engel的研究人員走訪了許多教室，把每一個問題都數了下來。

Some classes asked just two to five questions in two hours.

有些班級在2個小時裡，只問了2到5個問題。

In some classes, not one question was asked, and nobody noticed.

有些班級連一個問題都沒有，而且根本沒有人發現。

Maybe kids learn that answers matter more than questions.

也許孩子們學到的是，答案比問題更重要。

If nobody rewards questions, we simply stop asking them.

如果沒有人肯定提問，我們自然就不再問了。

After Leo, I changed one small thing, and it worked.

在Leo那件事之後，我改了一個小地方，結果很有用。

Now, when I don't know the answer to a question,

現在，遇到我不知道答案的問題時，

I say, great question, let's find out together!

我會說：好問題，我們一起來找答案吧！

We've looked up spiders, volcanoes, and why cats purr.

我們查過蜘蛛、火山，還有貓咪為什麼會發出呼嚕聲。

And last month, Leo came back to visit me!

然後上個月，Leo回來看我了！

He's twelve now, and he wants to be a scientist!

他現在12歲了，想當科學家！

He still asks why, but now he finds the answers himself.

他還是很愛問為什麼，只是現在他會自己去找答案了。

So here's my challenge for you.

所以，我想給大家一個挑戰。

When a child asks you why, don't stop them.

當孩子問你們為什麼的時候，不要打斷他們。

Ask them, what do you think?

反問他們：你覺得呢？

And this week, ask one why question of your own.

還有，這個禮拜，請你們自己也問一個為什麼。

Thank you, and keep asking why!

謝謝大家，請繼續問為什麼！