The Effects of Using Critical Thinking to Enhance Speaking Skills in EFL/ESL Classrooms

Abstract

The following study aims to analyze the effects of critical thinking on speaking skills as well as the techniques used to enhance oral communication. Twenty empirical studies have been analyzed during this research; ten provide information about the effects of critical thinking (CT) and ten are centered on the techniques used to enhance speaking skills in EFL/ ESL classrooms. The researchers showed the positive effects of using CT techniques in teenagers and adult learners to improve their speaking skills. Improvements in speaking aspects such as pronunciation, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, accuracy were also reported. Additionally, this work discusses the CT techniques that presented positive effects on EFL/ESL students: debates, high-order thinking questions, oral presentations about abstract and reflective topics, discussions, etc. The twenty articles show the importance of implementing critical thinking to enhance oral skills in young and adult learners.