scholarly journals From Narativity to Criticality: Developing EFL Learners’ Critical Thinking Skills through Short Narratives/Stories Reading

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashkan Pashangzadeh ◽  
Moussa Ahmadian ◽  
Hooshang Yazdani
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Difference

<p class="Default">Regarding the ever presence of narratives/stories in almost all aspects of human beings’ lives and the significance of Critical Thinking (CT) as an important factor in directing students to avenues of success in both educational and non-educational contexts, this study attempted to investigate the effectiveness of reading short narratives in EFL learners’ CT skills development. To this end, 59 undergraduate EFL learners majoring in English translation participated in the study. Taking into consideration the participants’ homogeneity in language proficiency and CT skills, 54 were finally selected and put into two experimental and control groups, namely, Narrative and Non-narrative groups, and 27 participants in each group. Short narrative and non-narrative (expository) texts, as elicitation tasks, were used for Narrative and Non-narrative groups respectively. Using a learner oriented approach, communicative reading strategies were incorporated into the course design for both groups. Statistical results, under the influence of 12 treatment sessions, indicated the out-performance of Narrative group, in comparison with Non-narrative one, from the pretest to the post-test (California Critical Thinking Skills Test, CCTST). Possible explanations for the difference in participants’ CT skills and potential pedagogical implications of the findings for language learning and teaching have been discussed.</p>

scholarly journals The role of critical thinking in developing speaking skills

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-64
Author(s):  
H. Muhammadiyeva ◽  
D. Mahkamova ◽  
Sh. Valiyeva ◽  
I. Tojiboyev
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
University Education ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Speaking Skills

Critical thinking is one of the major and rapidly growing concepts in education. Today, its role in second and foreign language learning and teaching is of great importance. Critical thinking skills and the mastery of the English language are expected to become essential outcomes of university education. To become fluent in a language and must be able to think critically and express thoughts, students need practise speaking activities using critical thinking skills. In this article, we define the concept “critical thinking” and discuss the role of critical thinking in the development of speaking skills through some practical activities that can be used in the classroom for students to practice critical thinking skills.

Promoting Critical Thinking Skills in Language Education through Online Discussions

2012 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Ugur Demiray ◽  
Murat Hismanoglu ◽  
Sibel Hismanoglu
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Teaching Tools

Online discussion has become one of the most effective teaching tools in recent years in terms of its power to promote students’ critical thinking skills in educational contexts. This chapter aims at presenting an overview of recently conducted research studies on critical thinking and online discussions, explaining online discussion as a pedagogical vehicle for maximizing language learning and teaching, identifying problems related to online discussions, as well as some suggested solutions, describing application activities that promote critical thinking skills, illustrating how language teachers and learners can use meta-communication in creating successful online discussions, and stressing the importance of the teacher’s role in designing an effective online discussion environment for students.

scholarly journals Fostering Learner’s Critical Thinking Skills in EFL: Some Practical Activities

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (29) ◽  
pp. 126
Author(s):  
Marsela Harizaj ◽  
Veneranda Hajrulla
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Learning And Teaching

Developing student’s critical skills is one of the major concerns of foreign language teachers. Professional teachers and novice ones try to find ways to motivate their students. Developing communicative competence requires students to develop learning strategies and focus on language function and context. In every course assignments, learners understand and realize better that communication is not an easy thing. Developing accuracy and fluency in foreign language classes enhance students critical thinking too. However, What is critical thinking? What is the perception of learners about it? What communicative activities can foreign language teachers use in the classroom to enhance student’s critical thinking? These are some research questions that this paper brings in focus, from theory to practice. The study is based on observations in EFL classes. From observations, it was found that developing critical thinking skills help learners to enhance their communication, enlarge their vocabulary, and help them to learn how to use language for different purposes in a variety of contexts. Foreign language teachers can help learners develop critical thinking skills. In this paper, some suggestions for foreign language teachers to use practical activities to foster critical thinking will be presented. Thus, in English language learning and teaching contexts, critical thinking becomes more dynamic.

scholarly journals ELABORATING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN TEFL METHODOLOGY SUBJECT

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-158
Author(s):  
Yohanes Gatot Sutapa Yuliana
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Authentic Texts ◽  
Learning Agents ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
Effective Use

Elaborating Critical Thinking Skills in TEFL Methodology subject has become one of the 21st century trends, prioritized in the pedagogic process of language courses. Lecturers as facilitators, motivators, boosters, co-learners and inspirational model are the foundation of innovative creativity to adapt and modify comprehensively, and integrate them in their teaching projects contextually; while, the learners themselves play as the active target of learning agents. This modern TEFL Methodology critically makes use of either authentic texts or real texts that are also confronted by the need to approach texts critically. This was revealed in this research, focused on the learners’ activities that enthusiastically engage critical thinking skills in their learning process. It runs actively, innovatively, creatively, dialogically, democratically and in a critical and interactive atmosphere. The importance of applying critical thinking skills in language learning process can empower learners to maximize the objective of TEFL Methodology learning target both oral and written in accordance with their social context. Learners enter in any task using the target language which contains the elements such as identification, investigation, analysis and problem solving then they must think critically. These kinds of communicative task are commonplace for they engage the learners in authentic communication settings. This is impressive and meaningful for the learners. Thus, recommending success in TEFL Methodology subject – as in life - requires effective use of language practically along with some measure of critical thinking.

scholarly journals Assessing the Critical Thinking Skills of Students at Higher Secondary Level

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 451-462
Author(s):  
Uzma Shahzadi ◽  
Syed Nasir Hussain ◽  
Mubashrah Jamil
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Thinking Skill ◽  
Critical Thinking Skill ◽  
Teaching Methodologies ◽  
Multistage Sampling

The ultimate aim of education is to develop human beings in such a way that they can act beneficial for themselves as well as for the society and can think well and think critically. Development of critical thinking skills is the fundamental aim of education. The present study intended to assess the critical thinking skills among students at higher secondary level in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The study is quantitative in nature. Population of the study comprises students enrolled in higher secondary level in Punjab. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the sample. A self-developed multiple choice item test was used to assess the critical thinking skills among students. Expert opinion was taken to validate the test and reliability coefficient was 0.86. It was found that majority of students did not perform satisfactory on the critical thinking skill test and scored low on all dimensions of critical thinking skills. The study concluded that curriculum and teaching methodologies along with assessment practices are not worth inculcating critical thinking skills among students. The study recommended that curriculum at higher secondary level might be redesigned and development of critical thinking skill through teaching methodologies might take into consideration by the institutes.

scholarly journals Metacognitive Awareness and Critical Thinking Abilities of Pre-service EFL Teachers

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Dilek Cakici
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Metacognitive Awareness ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Efl Teachers

The primary aim of current study was to investigate the possible relationship between Metacognitive Awareness (MA) and Critical Thinking Skills (CTS) in a foreign language learning context. In addition, this research aimed to probe the effect of gender and years of pre-service English language teachers on the relation between metacognitive awareness and critical thinking abilities. 218 pre-service EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers participated in the study. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and Critical Thinking Questionnaire were employed to gather necessary data. Obtained results confirmed that there existed a highly significant positive correlation between MA and CTS. Besides, the results indicated that there was a strong relation between the years of pre-service EFL teachers and their MA and CTS. Seniors were found to be more metacognitively aware and critical thinkers than their counterparts. Conversely, it was revealed that there was no gender effect on both MA and CTS. Finally, certain suggestions were set for tertiary institutions to develop metacognition and critical thinking skills in foreign language classroom settings.

scholarly journals Place of Critical Thinking in EFL

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Irfan Tosuncuoglu
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Great Role ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Mathematics History ◽  
Vital Component ◽  
Shed Light

Developing the ability to think critically is vital component of real, meaningful teaching and learning. Critical thinking helps us solve problems, make decisions and reach our goals. Thinking is not a passive but an active process. If students’ critical thinking skills are activated, for example while writing, very successful results can be attained. It can be said that critical thinking can be considered in two respects: to achieve a goal and to make a decision. As for teaching, there is very little evidence that students at universities acquire the skills of critical thinking in their learning and teaching activities. In accordance with its important place of in learning and teaching periods, it has been a concept recently highlighted in the field of EFL, like in many other fields of education such as mathematics, history and geography. The skill of critical thinking plays a great role and it has been accepted as an important step in every area of teaching and learning, particularly nowadays due to developments cognition and intelligence. So, in order to understand the awareness of the students for critical thinking, an experiment was performed in the fall of AY 2017-18, with 79 students in Karabuk University, Turkey. In this study, the significance of critical thinking and result of the experiments were discussed in detail, it also shed light on the students’ perceptions of it.

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