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Unit 1 The Socratic Method of Teaching
Listening Comprehension
Most students are used to a classroom where they ask questions and the teacher answers
them. But what would you do if you found yourself in a classroom where the teacher asked all
the questions, and you were expected to answer them? If this were the case, your teacher
would be using the Socratic method of teaching. The Socratic method was developed by the
great Greek philosopher Socrates in the 4th century B.C. The Socratic method is most often
used to teach moral concepts like the meaning of justice. In the Socratic method, the teacher
asks the student to answer a series of questions about a topic. The purpose of the questions is
to reveal the weaknesses in the student's way of thinking, and lead the student to stronger,
better ideas.
The Socratic method has been used by teachers for nearly 2,500 years, and it is still used
today. It has both advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage is that if forces the
student to think for himself or herself. Students must examine their own beliefs and often
change them when their teacher's questions reveal problems in their way of thinking. This
leads to much stronger beliefs than if the teacher simply told the student what is right and
what is wrong. The disadvantage is that it takes a highly skilled teacher to properly use the
Socratic method. The teacher must be able to ask questions that will show students the
weaknesses in their reasoning. This is not always an easy thing to do. Furthermore, the
Socratic method is not useful for teaching some kinds of concepts, especially scientific
concepts. Scientific knowledge generally comes from careful experimentation and observation
of the natural world. Simply asking questions of a student who has not done such experiments
would do the student little good.
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Listening Comprehension
Most students are used to a classroom where they ask questions and the teacher answers
them. But what would you do if you found yourself in a classroom where the teacher asked all
the questions, and you were expected to answer them? If this were the case, your teacher
would be using the Socratic method of teaching. The Socratic method was developed by the
great Greek philosopher Socrates in the 4th century B.C. The Socratic method is most often
used to teach moral concepts like the meaning of justice. In the Socratic method, the teacher
asks the student to answer a series of questions about a topic. The purpose of the questions is
to reveal the weaknesses in the student's way of thinking, and lead the student to stronger,
better ideas.
The Socratic method has been used by teachers for nearly 2,500 years, and it is still used
today. It has both advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage is that if forces the
student to think for himself or herself. Students must examine their own beliefs and often
change them when their teacher's questions reveal problems in their way of thinking. This
leads to much stronger beliefs than if the teacher simply told the student what is right and
what is wrong. The disadvantage is that it takes a highly skilled teacher to properly use the
Socratic method. The teacher must be able to ask questions that will show students the
weaknesses in their reasoning. This is not always an easy thing to do. Furthermore, the
Socratic method is not useful for teaching some kinds of concepts, especially scientific
concepts. Scientific knowledge generally comes from careful experimentation and observation
of the natural world. Simply asking questions of a student who has not done such experiments
would do the student little good.
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