3.2. A Link Between Critical Thinking and Language Teaching
As mentioned above, one of the advantages of critical thinking is its flexible and multifaceted nature, which allows for adaptation of critical thinking nearly in every educational discipline. Language learning, in this regard, has open spaces for critical thinking, especially in learning second languages. In fact, there is a huge number of single empirical studies supporting the positive effects critical thinking has on second/foreign language learning, in particular learning English (e.g. Rfaner 2006; Correia 2006; Kagnarith, Theara, and Klein 2007; Tully 2009; Marashi and Tehran 2011; Rafi 2011; Ghanizadeh and Mirzaee 2012; Martínez and Niño 2013; Minakova 2014; Afshar and Movassagh 2014; Kolour and …show more content…
Meiramova supports this idea saying that “the inclusion of critical thinking activities is a call for redesign of instruction” (2017: 26). So, the first reason would be that critical thinking helps learners to improve their thinking which makes it possible for learners to “take charge of their own thinking” (Shirkhani and Fahim 2011: 112). To put it another way, through taking charge of their own thinking learners raise their consciousness and, as a result, can self-regulate their learning more efficiently. The second reason is that “critical thinking expands the learning experience of the learners and makes the language more meaningful for them” (Shirkhani and Fahim 2011: 112). In other words, through critical thinking learners ‘notice’ language and increase their language awareness. And the third reason, as already mentioned in the previous section, is that critical thinking is directly linked to learners’ achievements in the discipline (Rafi
As mentioned above, one of the advantages of critical thinking is its flexible and multifaceted nature, which allows for adaptation of critical thinking nearly in every educational discipline. Language learning, in this regard, has open spaces for critical thinking, especially in learning second languages. In fact, there is a huge number of single empirical studies supporting the positive effects critical thinking has on second/foreign language learning, in particular learning English (e.g. Rfaner 2006; Correia 2006; Kagnarith, Theara, and Klein 2007; Tully 2009; Marashi and Tehran 2011; Rafi 2011; Ghanizadeh and Mirzaee 2012; Martínez and Niño 2013; Minakova 2014; Afshar and Movassagh 2014; Kolour and …show more content…
Meiramova supports this idea saying that “the inclusion of critical thinking activities is a call for redesign of instruction” (2017: 26). So, the first reason would be that critical thinking helps learners to improve their thinking which makes it possible for learners to “take charge of their own thinking” (Shirkhani and Fahim 2011: 112). To put it another way, through taking charge of their own thinking learners raise their consciousness and, as a result, can self-regulate their learning more efficiently. The second reason is that “critical thinking expands the learning experience of the learners and makes the language more meaningful for them” (Shirkhani and Fahim 2011: 112). In other words, through critical thinking learners ‘notice’ language and increase their language awareness. And the third reason, as already mentioned in the previous section, is that critical thinking is directly linked to learners’ achievements in the discipline (Rafi