Vragend

Vragend is a term used in linguistics, philosophy, and pedagogy to describe a stance or method that centers on questions and inquiry. Derived from the Dutch verb vragen, meaning to ask, the present participle vragend carries the sense of “asking” or “questioning.” In English-language discourse, vragend is encountered mainly in theoretical discussions about discourse, interrogation, and learning.

In discourse analysis, vragend can refer to linguistic or rhetorical features that frame statements as questions, or to strategies that encourage respondents to elaborate through open-ended prompts. In educational and research settings, vragend approaches emphasize asking open-ended questions, prompting reflection, and avoiding leading questions to elicit richer responses. This aligns with Socratic and inquiry-based methods and is used to facilitate qualitative interviews and participatory discussions.

Usage and status: In Dutch, vragend functions as an ordinary adjective or participle form, as in vragende houding (a questioning attitude). In English, the term remains specialized and is not widely used outside scholarly works; when used, it typically appears in discussions of discourse etiquette, interviewing technique, or analysis of questioning patterns.

Related topics include the Socratic method, open-ended questioning, and inquiry-based learning.