scholarly journals Enabling Criticality: A Top-down Bottom-up Approach to Using TED Talks in EAP Listening Classes

2021 ◽  
pp. 293-324
Author(s):  
Adam Gyenes ◽  
◽  
Luis F. Santos ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Current Theory ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Solid Foundation ◽  
Ted Talks

The use of TED talks in EAP has gained popularity in recent years and they are promoted through coursebooks as a means of simultaneously developing listening and critical thinking skills. However, a traditional comprehension approach to teaching listening; one that focuses on testing lower-order thinking skills through discrete questions may be inadequate as a gateway into a critical consideration of broader issues for second language learners. With the practical purpose of developing a teaching approach to using TED talks informed by current theory, the chapter begins with a consideration of how critical thinking processes and top-down and bottom-up listening processes can be integrated into a singular model. Based on this framework, a genre analysis of the TED talk is made by taking a learner’s perspective in order to identify cognitive and affective barriers to listening that may restrict opportunities for critical thinking. In the discussion that follows, five activities are suggested for use with TED talks in listening classes that support top-down and bottom-up listening processes, and which set students up to analyse and evaluate the thesis and underlying structure of a TED talk, providing a solid foundation from which to approach discussion topics critically and reflectively.

Promoting students’ critical thinking through reading strategy instruction in a reading class

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-151
Author(s):  
K.R. Vinitha Rani
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Strategy Instruction ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Reading Strategy ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Reading Strategy Instruction ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Bilingual School

This study examined the application of Reading Strategy Instruction (RSI) in a reading class to promote the critical thinking skills of the second language learners. It aims to find out (1) the critical thinking elements in the questions formulated by the participants before the application of RSI, and (2) the critical thinking elements found in the (a) three selected questions, (b) answers, and (c) reflections written by the participants after the application of RSI. This study included sixteen grade 11 participants of a bilingual school in Jakarta, aged between 16 to 18 years old. The participants underwent two stages (1) before the application of RSI, and (2) after the application of RSI. The RSI applied in this study was a modification of Rothstein & Santana’s (2014) “Question Formulation Technique” and Alder’s (2001) comprehension strategies in answering questions. The collected data were analysed by using the modified critical thinking indicators proposed by Mason (1991) and Henri (1992). The results of the study revealed that applying RSI in the reading class was beneficial in promoting the participants’ critical thinking skills. RSI helped the participants to (i) think differently, (ii) use prior background knowledge, (iii) question the facts given in the text, (iv) identify the issues given in the text, (v) give valid solutions to the problem, (vi) connect themselves with the text and the world, and (vii) justify their arguments using valid examples.

Fostering Critical Thinking Using Instructional Strategies in English Classes

2019 ◽  
pp. 299-316
Author(s):  
Şenol Orakcı ◽  
Mehmet Durnali ◽  
Osman Aktan
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
English Classes

The aim of the chapter is to provide both theoretical and practical ideas about critical thinking development within English language teaching contexts. Encouraging language learners to be critical thinkers is important in teaching English as a foreign language. However, achieving the goal remains a challenge. Using various strategies together seem to be effective when properly implemented. Therefore this chapter outlines these strategies which include communicative language tasks, using authentic meaningful texts, using critical literacy, being aware of whole-brain learning, adopting a reflective teaching, enabling students to become autonomous, using explicit instruction, teacher questioning, using active and cooperative learning strategies, using literature in English classes, using creative drama, and adopting self-assessment. Teachers can enable learners to have critical thinking skills and more efficient English lessons by combining these strategies in a new way or by designing critical thinking activities in the classroom.

scholarly journals An Analysis of Critical Thinking from the Philosophical, Reflective, Cognitive and Cultural Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Chunxia Lu ◽  
Rosukhon Swatevacharkul
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
Chinese College Students ◽  
Cultural Perspectives ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Language Context ◽  
Made In

In English as a foreign language context, to cultivate language learners’ critical thinking skills has become a part of the education goal. In China, great efforts have been made in order to increase Chinese college students’ critical thinking skills, but their critical thinking skills are not satisfying. As to the reasons, lack of sufficient and comprehensive understanding of critical thinking skills is supposed to be one of the reasons. Thus, this paper proposed to analyze critical thinking skills from the philosophical, reflective, cognitive, cultural perspectives hopefully to enhance understanding of critical thinking skills in Chinese EFL context.

scholarly journals The role of teachers’ metacognitive awareness on language learners’ knowledge of grammar and critical thinking skills

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (32) ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Hasan Haghani Zadeh ◽  
Parviz Behrouzi
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Metacognitive Awareness ◽  
Critical Thinking Ability ◽  
Thinking Ability ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Grammar Tests

The present study was an attempt to discover the probable effects of EFL teachers’ Metacognitive Awareness (MA) on Iranian EFL learners’ knowledge of grammar and critical thinking ability. The study aimed to see whether or not teachers’ MA can improve language learner’ knowledge of grammar and critical thinking skill. To this end, 100 EFL teachers were selected and completed Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI). Then, 10 teachers with lowest degree of MA and 10 with highest degree of MA were selected to teach 207 intermediate language learners. The learners selected took a grammar tests and a critical thinking ability questionnaire test before and after the treatment. Collecting and analyzing the data, it was revealed that teachers’ MA affected language learners’ knowledge of grammar, while it did not influence the participants’ critical thinking skills. The findings of the present study might be useful for language teachers and teacher trainers.

Fostering Critical Thinking Using Instructional Strategies in English Classes

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-96
Author(s):  
Şenol Orakcı ◽  
Mehmet Durnali ◽  
Osman Aktan
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
English Classes

The aim of the chapter is to provide both theoretical and practical ideas about critical thinking development within English language teaching contexts. Encouraging language learners to be critical thinkers is important in teaching English as a foreign language. However, achieving the goal remains a challenge. Using various strategies together seem to be effective when properly implemented. Therefore this chapter outlines these strategies which include communicative language tasks, using authentic meaningful texts, using critical literacy, being aware of whole-brain learning, adopting a reflective teaching, enabling students to become autonomous, using explicit instruction, teacher questioning, using active and cooperative learning strategies, using literature in English classes, using creative drama, and adopting self-assessment. Teachers can enable learners to have critical thinking skills and more efficient English lessons by combining these strategies in a new way or by designing critical thinking activities in the classroom.

scholarly journals PEMBELAJARAN FISIKA MELALUI PEMROSESAN TOP DOWN BERBASIS SCAFFOLDING UNTUK MELATIHKAN KETERAMPILAN BERPIKIR KRITIS

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
Muhammad Aqil Rusli ◽  
Prabowo Prabowo ◽  
Wahono Widodo
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Developmental Research ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Student Responses ◽  
Student Activities ◽  
Concept Exploration

This research was developmental research conducted to understanding the effectiveness of instructional physics through top-down approach based on scaffolding to practice critical thinking skills. The data of initial developmental testing consisted of learning processes, student activities, and student responses obtained from observation sheet while critical thinking skills gained from the test of critical thinking skills. The initial developmental testing resulted that student's dominant activities was discussion and concept exploration. Students' response to learning was very well where 60% of students said that it was very easy to understand how teachers teach. For critical thinking skills, students were still in the category of limited proficiency to some proficiency categoryPenelitian ini merupakan penelitian pengembangan yang bertujuan untuk mengetahui efektifitas perangkat pembelajaran fisika  melalui pendekatan pemrosesan  top  down berbasis scaffolding untuk melatihkan  keterampilan  berpikir kritis. Perangakt pembelajaran diujicobakan di SMAN 18 Surabaya sampai tahap uji pengembangan awal. Data hasil uji pengembangan awal meliputi data keterlaksanaan pembelajaran, aktifitas siswa, respon siswa, dan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa yang diperoleh dari lembar observasi. untuk tes keterampilan berpikir kritis diperoleh dari tes. Dari hasil uji pengembangan awal diketahui bahwa proses pembelajaran terlaksana dengan baik, dengan aktifitas siswa yang didominasi oleh diskusi kelompok dalam melakukan eksplorasi konsep. Selain itu respon siswa terhadap pembelajaran sangat baik dimana 60% siswa merasa sangat mudah memahami cara guru mengajar dan 90% siswa sangat berminat jika materi diawali dengan identifikasi fakta dari permasalahan. Namun untuk keterampilan berpikir kritis, siswa masih berada pada kategori tidak terampil sampai agak terampil.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Visual Mind Mapping Strategy for Improving English Language Learners' Critical Thinking Skills and Reading Ability

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-150
Author(s):  
Wafa’ A. ◽  
Moath Khalaf
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
English Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Mind Mapping ◽  
Mapping Strategy ◽  
And Control

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study investigated the effectiveness of visual mind mapping as a reading strategy for improving English language learners' critical thinking skills. Students from two general English courses were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. California Critical Thinking Test was used to assess participants' critical thinking skills. The findings revealed a statistically significant difference at (p < .005) in the mean scores of the experiment and control groups in the post-test due to visual mind mapping strategy in favor of the experimental group with a positive and significant impact on participants' critical thinking skills. The findings also showed that the experimental group’s scores were significantly improved in all indicators of critical thinking. The study results showed that visual mind mapping strategy affected the increased of critical thinking skills and reading comprehension ability. The study's findings revealed that using a visual mind mapping strategy had a significant improvement impact on English language learners critical thinking skills and reading ability.</p>

The Relationship Among Vocabulary Size, Grammar Proficiency, and Critical Thinking Skills of Adult Language Learners

2020 ◽  
pp. 104515952095947
Author(s):  
İhsan Ünaldı ◽  
Erkan Yüce
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Adult Language Learners ◽  
The Relationship

This study aims to determine the possible relationships among foreign language vocabulary size, foreign language grammar proficiency, and critical thinking skills. To this end, 126 adult language learners were examined in terms of vocabulary size, grammar proficiency, and critical thinking skills. The results revealed that participants’ grammar proficiency levels and their vocabulary size scores correlated significantly with certain aspects of critical thinking skills. However, unlike their vocabulary size scores, grammar proficiency level scores of the participants correlated significantly with their overall critical thinking skills scores. These results will be discussed in relation to adult language learners.

scholarly journals The Effect of EFL Learners’ Critical Thinking on their Skill of Interpreting Information as Reflected in their Writing

sjesr ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-36
Author(s):  
Dr. Muhammad Din ◽  
Dr. Riaz Hussain ◽  
Sana Tahir
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Critical Writing ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Writing Test ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Research Tools

A good thinker distinguishes his interpretations from evidence, considers alternative interpretations, and reconsiders them under following the changed conditions and new evidence. Critical thinking enables and helps students to evaluate, judge, and make choices regarding everyday information so that they may obtain, believe and use the information to take action accordingly. This quantitative study aims to know EFL learners’ attitude towards critical thinking skills of interpreting information and the effect of EFL learners’ critical thinking on their skill of interpreting information with specific reference to their critical writing. The present study also aims to explore how m and universities any universities foreign language learners reflect critical thinking ability in writing skills while interpreting information. The researcher has used three research tools to this end. These research tools include critical thinking inventory (CTI), Watson-Glazer’s (2002) critical thinking test for interpreting information (CTII), and critical writing test (CWT). The subjects of the present study are the B.Sc. (Bachelor Level) students from different colleges. The results of this study demonstrate that university students have a very positive attitude towards critical thinking skills interpreting information but their performance in reflecting critical thinking in the critical writing test does not match with the attitude towards critical thinking skills of interpreting information.  This study also makes some academic implications for the development of EFL learners’ critical thinking particularly in the context of Pakistan.

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