Abstract:

In this presentation I explain the results of four years of classroom research on the theory and practice of critical thinking in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. First, I offer a pedagogical justification for conducting an EFL course in a framework informed by the principles of critical thinking. I review the history and contested nature of the term before defining it for use in EFL instruction. Next, I describe critical thinking in pedagogical terms, demonstrating how the principle informs a specific curriculum, which will be presented in detail. A list of transferable critical thinking skills is presented, along with methods of instruction in the EFL classroom. Most importantly, a method of creating a classroom dynamic that encourages the “critical stance” is presented. Strategies for identifying and responding to logical fallacies are also presented. Session participants will learn not only the pedagogical and practical issues raised by critical thinking in the EFL context, but also specific activities they can use in their own classrooms.

Keywords:

English as a Foreign Language, Critical Thinking, Pedagogy, Theory and Practice.