Content and technological components of a model for teaching critical thinking in English classes
The research examines the development of students' critical thinking in English language learning in the context of information overload and increasing demands on the quality of higher education. The relevance of this study is determined by the growing role of critical thinking as a key educational outcome and universal competency of graduates, enshrined in the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Education, as well as the need to find methodologically sound solutions for its development in foreign language education. In the context of foreign language teaching, critical thinking is particularly important, as language serves not only as a means of communication but also as a tool for developing critical thinking. The aim of this study is to describe and characterize the substantive and technological components of a model for teaching critical thinking to students studying English at a university. This theoretical and methodological study is based on the analysis and synthesis of domestic and international psychological, pedagogical, and methodological literature, a content analysis of scientific publications, and a logical-structural analysis. As a result of this study, a model for teaching critical thinking was developed. It includes substantive and technological components. The substantive component focuses on analytical work with lexical and grammatical material, problem-solving tasks on types of speech activity, and the sociocultural context. The technological component includes a set of methods, forms, tools, and teaching techniques aimed at developing critical thinking skills. The practical significance of this study is in the potential use of the proposed model in designing English language courses and teaching materials at universities.