Developing Critical Thinking in EFL Learners Without a Linguistic Background

Tetiana Harbuza; Alla Nypadymka; Olena Okhrimenko; Svitlana Mamchenko; Olena Kulazhenko

doi:10.22633/rpge.v29i00.20233

Authors

Tetiana Harbuza State University of Trade and Economics https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2346-5156
Alla Nypadymka State University of Trade and Economics https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3267-6323
Olena Okhrimenko State University of Trade and Economics https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4428-8777
Svitlana Mamchenko State University of Trade and Economics https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2216-9582
Olena Kulazhenko State University of Trade and Economics https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6497-6561

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22633/rpge.v29i00.20233

Keywords:

critical thinking, English as a foreign language (EFL), students of non-linguistic specialities, interactive teaching methods, debate, case analysis, project-based learning, self-assessment

Abstract

Developing critical thinking is an urgent task for modern education, especially in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to students of non-linguistic specialities who need a high level of analytical and communication skills for successful professional activity. The study aims to identify effective methods of developing critical thinking in students. The research methodology is based on an experimental approach, which includes dividing students into experimental and control groups, testing language skills before and after the course. The study results showed that active methods, such as debates, case analysis, project-based learning, and self-assessment, significantly improve students’ critical thinking and language competence. In the speaking category, the performance increased from 48% to 85%, and in the writing category, from 64% to 83%, which confirms the effectiveness of interactive tasks. The developed methods can contribute to improving the quality of education and developing skills that are in demand in the labor market.

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Author Biographies

Tetiana Harbuza, State University of Trade and Economics

PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Modern European Languages, Faculty of International Trade and Law, State University of Trade and Economics.

Alla Nypadymka, State University of Trade and Economics

PhD in Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of Modern European Languages, Faculty of International Trade and Law, State University of Trade and Economics

Olena Okhrimenko, State University of Trade and Economics

PhD in Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of Modern European Languages, Faculty of International Trade and Law, State University of Trade and Economics

Svitlana Mamchenko, State University of Trade and Economics

Senior Lecturer, Department of Modern European Languages, Faculty of International Trade and Law, State University of Trade and Economics

Olena Kulazhenko, State University of Trade and Economics

Lecturer, Department of of Modern European Languages, Faculty of International Trade and Law, State University of Trade and Economics

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