Focus on Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Are you interested in big ideas, influential authors and interesting discussions?
Framing the issue
As a teacher, my students frequently complain that higher-level exams such as IELTS, FCE, CAE, and CPE are actually testing critical thinking in addition to English language skills. They may have a point, but critical thinking skills themselves are highly useful. Why not study both together and get two for the price of one? So, study critical thinking!
What exactly is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is ‘thinking about thinking;’ the intellectual process of actively developing your reasoning skills. These key critical thinking skills include: observation, experience, reflection, open-mindedness, self-reflexivity, interpretation, inference, explanation, analysis, problem-solving, and decision making.
Why study critical thinking?
There is plenty of academic support for this approach: studying critical thinking in English is a form of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) that commands significant academic support. Here, elements of philosophy and philosophical enquiry have been incorporated as a means of boosting critical thinking. I have selected some of the field’s most influential ideas and thoughts below. Please note: full references are available on request.
"[Critical thinking entails] teaching conceptual content by means of procedural choices (cognitive skills) using specific language derived from the discourse context.” (Ball, Kelly & Clegg, 2015)
“I suggest that in an education fit for the twenty-first century we need to shift the balance more towards the processes of understanding rather than emphasise the acquisition of knowledge alone.” (Hennam, 2006)
"This critical review of controlled studies evaluating the outcomes... [of critical thinking] shows a wide range of evidence for positive outcomes from different countries with different age groups." (Trickey & Topping, 2004)
“It is our view that both language and content are actually vehicles for the development of subject competences [critical thinking] and that language and content are never, as it were, aims in themselves... namely the efficient development of subject competences.” (Ball, Kelly & Clegg, 2015)
So, what does this all mean?
In a practical sense, critical thinking and enquiry allow for interesting learner-centred, discussion-based lessons. These often include lively debates and discussion in class in addition to meaningful engagement with influential ideas and even the ultimate questions regarding matters of existence, life, and death. As well as improving students’ oral and written abilities, it is also well suited for developing argumentative skills that are useful for English exams, university study, and many potential future careers.
How does it actually work in the (online) classroom?
I have developed a new Focus on Learning course covering critical thinking. The concept is really quite simple: short articles – big ideas – interesting discussion. Classes will be delivered using interactive and engaging PowerPoint presentations where you can choose a topic from a wide list of interesting ideas. Each topic has its own short article containing a big idea by an influential author or thinker. This article can be sent to you in advance or read quickly at the start of the class, depending on you and your schedule. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions about the vocabulary or language content, then we will discuss the article together, working our way through a series of structured questions. Afterwards, personalised feedback will be issued, and you can choose the next topic.
Intended learning outcome
By the end of this course you should be able to analyse issues more skilfully, make logical and informed decisions, and understand yourself, your goals, and your motivations through self-reflexivity.
Our catalogue of topics:
References
Available on request.
