Critical Thinking and Language Teaching

2007-08 University of Oregon Session #1

Critical Thinking and Language Teaching

Deanna Hochstein and Leslie Opp-Beckman, Speakers

http://thaiuo.uoregon.edu/session_01_0707.html

Overview: September 14, 2007

This is the first lecture in a 10-part professional development series for English as a Foreign Language educators in Thailand. University of Oregon (UO) is partnering with the US Embassy in Bangkok, the Royal Thai Distance Learning Foundation, colleagues at Chulalongkorn University, and at ThaiTESOL on this innovative and exciting project.

This is the introductory session on Critical Thinking. The focus for this first session is on some of the theoretical or pedagogical aspects of integrating Critical Thinking into the language learning curriculum. The practical side of integrating Critical Thinking in the language curriculum will be continued in future sessions.

About the Speakers

Deanna Hochstein is a former Director of and currently a Senior Instructor at the UO's American English Institute.

Leslie Opp-Beckman is on faculty at the University of Oregon in the Linguistics Department and the American English Institute. She develops e-learning curriculum and teaches courses on Computer-Assisted Language Learning.

Lecture Guide

Topics, Session 01

· Opening Remarks.

· Activity 1, Warm Up.

· Overview of Critical Thinking.

· Activity 2, Describe-Interpret-Evaluate.

· Wrap Up and Questions/Answers.

Activity, Warm Up, Discuss in Groups:

Choose one person in your group to be a writer and one to be a reporter.

· Names, schools, age of students.

· Identify 5 characteristics of a “Critical Thinker.”

Critical Thinking (CT) Definition

…the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information…as a guide to belief and action. (Scriven & Paul, 1992)

Information and Belief & Action

…evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. (Scriven & Paul, 1992)

Range of Skills

· Gathering information.

· Understanding ideas.

· Applying them to new situations.

· Breaking ideas into parts.

· Creating new meaning.

· Making judgments about ideas.

Bloom’s Taxonomy relates this to:

· Knowledge

· Comprehension

· Application

· Analysis

· Synthesis and Evaluation

Why CT in ELT?

· Ss are better prepared for today’s global, technological society.

· Ss are more interested and engaged and therefore better learners.

· Provides professional development for teachers who also develop critical thinking skills as they teach.

Activity, Practice and in Groups

Step by step, we will practice with a “mysterious” picture:

1. Describe (state the facts).

2. Interpret (CT: What if? Maybe…)

3. Evaluate (CT: In my opinion…)

Image from: http://www.nowthatshumor.com (#299)

Image from: http://www.nowthatshumor.com (#293)

CT in ELT!

· Find CT lesson plan ideas you can adapt. See AskEric>
http://www.eduref.org

· Be prepared to report back on your own class experiences in the next session.

· What worked? What didn’t? Why?

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