Sarcouncil Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract: Developing learners' ability to formulate accurate and meaningful interrogative sentences remains a persistent challenge in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, where grammar instruction often emphasizes rule memorization over authentic communication. This qualitative classroom-based study investigates the role of collaborative dialogue writing and drama-based presentations in fostering interrogative competence among tertiary-level EFL learners from a sociocultural perspective. Guided by Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory, the study conceptualizes dialogue writing and role-play as mediational activities that promote language learning through social interaction, peer collaboration, and scaffolded participation. The study involved 30 undergraduate EFL students enrolled in an English language course at a public university in Bangladesh. Working in groups of four, participants collaboratively designed handwritten dialogues and performed informal drama presentations on familiar real-life themes, including classroom interactions, family relationships, friendship, and travel planning. The tasks required students to integrate WH-questions, Yes/No questions, Tag questions, as well as conditionals, conjunctions, modal verbs, connectors, and auxiliary verbs into meaningful communicative contexts. Data were collected through classroom observations, students' handwritten dialogue scripts, oral presentations, reflective field notes, and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed thematically. The findings reveal four interrelated themes: **(1) collaborative dialogue writing promoted meaningful grammatical awareness and interrogative sentence construction; (2) drama-based presentations enhanced learners' oral fluency, interaction, and communicative confidence; (3) peer collaboration and teacher scaffolding facilitated the accurate and contextualized use of interrogative structures; and (4) authentic, context-driven tasks increased learner engagement, creativity, and willingness to communicate in English. The findings suggest that integrating collaborative writing with drama-based performance transforms grammar instruction from isolated form-focused practice into purposeful communicative language use. The study contributes to EFL pedagogy by demonstrating how socioculturally mediated collaborative activities can effectively develop interrogative competence while simultaneously enhancing speaking skills, learner autonomy, and communicative confidence. It offers practical implications for language teachers seeking to design interactive, learner-centered grammar instruction in tertiary EFL classrooms.