SOCRATIC DISCUSSION CIRCLES AND

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Andrew Sherman
September, 2009
Enduring Understanding:
Socratic Discussions Circles provide students with an
opportunity to actively explore the use of
language.
Objectives:
1.  Demonstrate understanding of Socratic Discussion
Circles through their involvement in a guided discussion.
2.  Participants evaluate use of technique as a tool for
language development.
3.  Participants analyze session experience for
applicability to their professional situation.
Socrates: Classic Greek Pedagogy
  The technique comes from the ancient Greeks who
entered into dialogues, a series of questions and
answers, to develop individual perspectives and
arrive at comprehensive insights on a topic. The
discussion circle format is losely derived from this
technique of conversations to assist in idea
development, critical thinking, oral expression, and
language use (i.e. interpretive reading, criticial
reading, and vocabulary development).
Soctratic Seminars
Discussions that provide students an oppotunity to
construct and convey ideas, encourage listening and
understanding, and to develop questions.
Importance: Engages students in an active language
development process related to their experiences.
Recent Brain Reserach
  Learning activities should encourage students to talk
about information, listen to others talk about
academic content and consider the motivation and
emotions related to the learning material in order to
build a more fundamental understanding of the
information and to apply this understanding in other
situations.
Why Socratic Discussion Circles?
  1. Vocabulary Development
  2. Importance of Conversations

  3. Opportunity to Expand Language Use

Vocabulary Development
Socratic Discussions provide a forum for
demonstration of vocabulary knowledge
(clarification, application, and exploration).

Importance: Oral language abilities are particularly

important for children´s reading comprehension.
Importance of Conversations

Socratic Discussions provide students with activities

that allow students to use langauge to convey ideas
and to understand the ideas of others.

Importance: In studies on language development on-

going conversations between a child and adult or
between children on a given topic sustained over
many exchanges results in enriching students
linguistic abilities.
Opportunity to Expand Language
Use
Socratic Discussions move students from language
routines and stretches the boundaries of oral
language use.

Importance: A variety of language interactions

provides students with the ability to practice
expressing themselves in order to acquire a greater
depth of understanding language use and to refine
language skills.
Activity: Socratic Discussion Circle
  1. Introduction of methodology, ground rules to
establish positive group dynamic and training on
participation takes some time.
Activity: Socratic Discussion Circle
  2. Students read a short common text (poem, essay,
editorial, art reproduction, photograph etc.). Be
certain to select appropriate text according to
student reading level. Access to text is important!
Activity: Socratic Discussion Circle
  3. Student or Teacher generated open-ended
question about the reading or image begins the
discussion. Teachers are participants not the source
of a “correct” answer. Questions should motivate
participants to reflect, define, speculate and
evaluate the text or image.
Activity: Socratic Discussion Circle
  4. Discussion is democratic and all voices should be
heard. If possible, place students in a circle. Allow
each student to share an idea or question. Focus is
on shared leadership. Dialogues are not debates
but rather allow people to think together to
undertsand the information better.
Activity: Socratic Discussion Circle
  1. Reading of text.
  2. Let´s move chairs into a circle format.

  3. Oral reading of text.

  4. Take a few minutes to write down a question or

an idea.
  5. Share question or idea.

  6. Engage in discussion.

  7. Exit Reflection
SOCRATIC DISCUSSION CIRCLES AND LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS SEMINAR

E-MAIL: asherman@colegiomenor.edu.ec