THE ROLE OF READING STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS IN PROMOTING CRITICAL THINKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Keywords:
foreign language education, reading strategies, critical thinking, reading comprehension, task-based learning, language pedagogy, higher-order thinking skillsAbstract
The development of critical thinking skills has become an essential objective of modern foreign language education. In contemporary educational environments, learners are expected not only to acquire linguistic competence but also to develop the ability to analyze, interpret, and evaluate information presented in a foreign language. Reading instruction plays a particularly important role in achieving these objectives, as it provides opportunities for learners to engage with texts in a reflective and analytical manner.
This article examines the role of reading strategies and instructional tasks in promoting critical thinking in foreign language education. The study analyzes theoretical and methodological literature related to strategic reading instruction and task-based learning approaches. Special attention is given to reading strategies such as predicting, questioning, summarizing, and critical text analysis, which encourage learners to engage actively with textual information. In addition, the article explores the pedagogical value of instructional tasks, including discussion activities, problem-solving exercises, and collaborative text analysis, which stimulate higher-order thinking skills.
The findings suggest that the systematic integration of reading strategies and cognitively engaging tasks significantly contributes to the development of learners’ analytical abilities and improves overall reading comprehension in a foreign language. The study concludes that strategic reading instruction combined with interactive learning tasks represents an effective pedagogical approach for fostering critical thinking skills in foreign language classrooms.
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