4.4. Approaches to Teaching Critical Thinking in EFL classroom
A lot was said about the importance of critical thinking teaching in EFL learning. Nevertheless, more important question is how to implement critical thinking in English language learning for the effective and meaningful outcome? What approach would make it possible to teach EFL with the help of critical thinking? A great number of studies has tried to figure out which approach is more appropriate and more effective. Among these studies, the authors have investigated and emphasized the relationship among critical thinking and teaching approaches such as task-based learning (TBL), content-based learning (CBL), project-based learning (PBL-1), as well as problem-based learning (PBL-2) …show more content…
There are multiple reasons that keep critical thinking out of the main focus in language teaching, but the two main reasons seem to be the most essential. These are the lack of teaching materials (e.g. manuals, practical resources, etc.) for teachers to use and irrelevance of critical thinking skills in various international tests, where the learners are not given credit for creative and critical skills (Abednia 2015). Nevertheless, most educators and teachers begin to realize the importance of critical thinking in the modern education and try to adapt it to their teaching context. It is vital, however, to implement critical thinking mindfully and carefully, as a simple transfer of tasks from one context to another would lead to a negative outcome, thus undermining the beneficial role of critical thinking. What teachers should also consider is that critical thinking can be taught through various teaching approaches, most effective of which would be task- and project-based approach as they share a number of common …show more content…
Moreover, in the modern world, when the large amounts of information is easily accessible, they are in crucial need of good ‘filters’ in the view of critical thinking skills to know what to focus on and how to approach a particular piece of information. The learners would benefit from the integration of critical thinking with their L2 learning, as they could remarkably enhance their metacognitive abilities, thus increasing the chances to self-monitor and self-regulate their own learning. Through the actual use of all language skills, the learners will be engaged in real-life tasks and projects, which would considerably facilitate their L2 autonomy. Critical thinking is, therefore, thinking on purpose. If the learners will be able to learn how to think and think good, they would undoubtedly make a good use of these skills in their further education at universities as well as at work. Critical thinking helps to understand and respond; this is a way to conceive the ever-changing world, this is the tools to become more sophisticated thinkers. For that reason, critical thinking is “a trend well worth keeping in fashion” (Beaumont 2010:447). However, more research is needed to uncover the most crucial aspects of critical thinking and EFL teaching to provide language teachers with the information where to direct their attention and
A lot was said about the importance of critical thinking teaching in EFL learning. Nevertheless, more important question is how to implement critical thinking in English language learning for the effective and meaningful outcome? What approach would make it possible to teach EFL with the help of critical thinking? A great number of studies has tried to figure out which approach is more appropriate and more effective. Among these studies, the authors have investigated and emphasized the relationship among critical thinking and teaching approaches such as task-based learning (TBL), content-based learning (CBL), project-based learning (PBL-1), as well as problem-based learning (PBL-2) …show more content…
There are multiple reasons that keep critical thinking out of the main focus in language teaching, but the two main reasons seem to be the most essential. These are the lack of teaching materials (e.g. manuals, practical resources, etc.) for teachers to use and irrelevance of critical thinking skills in various international tests, where the learners are not given credit for creative and critical skills (Abednia 2015). Nevertheless, most educators and teachers begin to realize the importance of critical thinking in the modern education and try to adapt it to their teaching context. It is vital, however, to implement critical thinking mindfully and carefully, as a simple transfer of tasks from one context to another would lead to a negative outcome, thus undermining the beneficial role of critical thinking. What teachers should also consider is that critical thinking can be taught through various teaching approaches, most effective of which would be task- and project-based approach as they share a number of common …show more content…
Moreover, in the modern world, when the large amounts of information is easily accessible, they are in crucial need of good ‘filters’ in the view of critical thinking skills to know what to focus on and how to approach a particular piece of information. The learners would benefit from the integration of critical thinking with their L2 learning, as they could remarkably enhance their metacognitive abilities, thus increasing the chances to self-monitor and self-regulate their own learning. Through the actual use of all language skills, the learners will be engaged in real-life tasks and projects, which would considerably facilitate their L2 autonomy. Critical thinking is, therefore, thinking on purpose. If the learners will be able to learn how to think and think good, they would undoubtedly make a good use of these skills in their further education at universities as well as at work. Critical thinking helps to understand and respond; this is a way to conceive the ever-changing world, this is the tools to become more sophisticated thinkers. For that reason, critical thinking is “a trend well worth keeping in fashion” (Beaumont 2010:447). However, more research is needed to uncover the most crucial aspects of critical thinking and EFL teaching to provide language teachers with the information where to direct their attention and