Sofia E. (ILE) about explaining and understanding

I remember when I was very little, maybe three or four years old, I would watch adults when they demanded something from me or chewed things over and explained them. I would think: “Gosh, don’t they realize that I understand everything? Why are they explaining every little thing to me? I figured it all out long ago.” I had this very vivid feeling in my very early childhood.

To find out whether a person has understood something, it’s enough to ask them a question based on the material that was explained. The information given in the explanation should be sufficient for them to answer the question.

Usually, I can just see whether a person understands or not. When they do, they usually ask follow-up questions, clarify things, their eyes look “meaningful.” When they don’t understand, they either stay silent with “empty” eyes (meaning they’ve gone into a trance), or they nod appropriately and inappropriately, and when asked questions they begin to mumble something incoherent, can’t continue a thought, and don’t offer any ideas of their own.