IMPROVING WRITING SKILLS WITH THE SOCRATIC METHOD

Abstract

The article focuses on the implementation of Socratic seminars in EFL/ESL writing classes as an important tool to develop writing skills. According the observations throughout the years, most EFL students often struggle with expressing their point of view in written form. The problems with the writing are mainly might associated with generating and organizing topic-related ideas, accuracy, and vocabulary usage. The study explores the effectiveness of Socratic questioning in cultivating critical thinking and developing productive skills, including writing skills. The literature review reveals that Socratic seminars and questioning are effective ways to develop a way of thinking that can lead to effective engagement and language acquisition. Furthermore, Socratic seminars offer a promising pedagogical approach to dealing with problems like cultural diversity and multi-level language proficiency. The pre- and post-exploratory process survey, which included 25 university freshman year students with intermediate-B1 English language ability, employed a mixed-methods technique. The findings of a post-exploratory survey suggest that Socratic seminars improve language learners' capacity to integrate situations and details in order to maintain the coherence and cohesiveness of spoken and written output. As a follow-up activity, peer-reviewing adds further support to the development of accuracy, fluency, coherence, and cohesion in both spoken and written discourse. Overall, Socratic seminars contribute to the cultivation of critical thinking, discourse management, and effective communication skills, which are very important in their academic lives.