Today, few would dispute the role of creativity and critical thinking in the classroom as an essential dimension of learning. Despite its prominence in educational discourse as well as in the popular media, there is often an unfortunate lack of critical and creative thinking incorporated across many disciplines in the modern classroom. In my experience as a language learner and teacher, this is also the case of second-language learning.

A socratic dialogue (or method) offers in opportunity to visibly demonstrate the collaborative intelligence of a classroom or community, while also developing essential critical thinking skills. There are few educators who do not know the role of Socrates in developing classical greek philosophy, however many would be unfamiliar with the details of his theory of knowledge that many employ instinctively on a daily basis; what he called dialectic. Dialictic can be defined as ""the art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of questions and answers, so as to determine their validity" (Quoted in Servit, 2007 by Ellis, 2003, p.2).

Many methods have been advanced in formal classroom environments, and indeed many university seminars use this approach to engage with course materials and the ideas and content of the curriculum. According to Wikipedia the Socratic method is: "is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presumptions." In an English for Academic Purposes context, where participants develop academic communicative practice appropriate for participating in acacdmic and professional life, using a Socratic method is an effective strategy to develop fluency, coherence, and interactive competencies in both analog and digital contexts.

As Servit (2007) suggests, the socratic method "can provide the students with opportunities for critical study of cultural texts, active learning of the target language culture through a well-versed dialogue, the acquisition of an intercultural awareness through mutual respect for others and their ideas, and by and large, a positive learning environment where a prevailing community of inquiry is built and collaborative effort is celebrated." I would add that the practice of a socratic seminar in EAP contexts also builds on discourse control and interactive competencies such as relating his/her own contributions or ideas to that of other speakers, selecting suitable phrases from a range of discursive functions to preface what he or she is going to say or to keep the floor and contribute their opinion. 

The socratic method in the EAP classroom can offer structured feedback for students and build upon explicit skills that focus on the social dimensions of learning, including the role of collaborative intelligence in digital ecologies.

With the abundance of digital resources, students may research a topic in preparation for a Socratic dialogue using digital resources, and use these texts in their communicative practice. A topic I often use in EAP context is the role of homework in K-12 education. A rubric guide for spoken production criteria is a useful way to structure student feedback. 

Useful resources for the Socratic method in the classroom can be found at Edutopia, as well as the fishbowl technique, which is a variations of the Socratic method (as explained by Edutopia here).

Servet Çelik. (2007) Socratic Method: Dialectic and Its Use in Teaching Culture in EFL Classrooms

Wikipedia Socratic Method