In my mind, critical thinking involves pulling from information and skills you have, and/or have learned to resolve a problem or question.   I co-teach in a auto mechanics course, giving language support to intermediate level-ABED students who can take the course with a lower level of English proficiency because I'm there.  (the IBEST program)  The testing for the auto mechanics lasses includes many questions/problems that involve critical thinking,  pulling together facts, information and skills that they have learned to answer the questions.  

Mikal Steinbacher
Instructor, ABE/ESL/English
Lake Washington Technical College



-----Original Message-----
From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Andrea Wilder
Sent: Thu 7/30/2009 4:33 PM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4696] Re: critical thinking
 
Kearney,

As defined here, critical thinking  isn't different from reading  
strategies, so I conclude  something extra is added for "critical  
thinking" in many people's
minds.

I would welcome a clear useful definition.  Personally, I am  
flummoxed.  There seem to be too many definitions.

Andrea

On Jul 30, 2009, at 6:23 PM, Kearney Lykins wrote:


> Michael,

>

> I wholly support fostering critical thinking skills in an English  

> or ESOL classroom as you have defined it, "reading comprehension of  

> subsurface text features (i.e., implicit vs. explicit) that rely on  

> analyzing, synthesizing, and inferring from information in it."

>

> Thanks for offering this clear, non-political definition.

>

> To all: How is "critical thinking" such defined materially  

> different from "reading strategies"?

>

> Kearney

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Kearney_Lykins at yahoo.com

>

>

> From: Michael A. Gyori <mgyori at mauilanguage.com>

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List  

> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 4:35:27 PM

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4667] Re: critical thinking

>

> Greetings Alisa, Kearney and all,

>

> I think there is a real misunderstanding in some of today's posts  

> about the application of "critical thinking" in education.   It is  

> a cognitive process as in, for example, "critical thinking skills"  

> with reference to measures of reading comprehension of subsurface  

> text features (i.e., implicit vs. explicit) that rely on analyzing,  

> synthesizing, and inferring from information in it.

>

> Critical thinking as a philosophical construct is something very  

> different and usually correlates with sociopolitical stances.

>

> It is really important that we all share a similar understanding of  

> the term; if not, concerns about the imposition of value systems  

> onto our students really can and does become an issue, as your post  

> below exhibits.

>

> Let's avoid a semantic breakdown.  I believe Alisa's post is in  

> line with what is and should be discussed here.

>

> Michael

>

>

>

> <image001.jpg>

>

> Michael A. Gyori, M.A. TESOL

> Owner-Teacher

> Maui International Language School

> Phone 808.205.2101 (U.S.A.)

> Fax 808.891.2237 (U.S.A.)

> E-mail mgyori at mauilanguage.com

> Website www.mauilanguage.com

>

>

>

>

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:englishlanguage- 

> bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Kearney Lykins

> Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 9:08 AM

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4657] Re: critical thinking

>

> Alisa,

>

> It seems to me that the formal discipline that most directly  

> engages in the study of critical thinking is philsophy.

>

> Like Steve, when I have shared with non-subscribers that most  

> literacy teachers on this listserve see their role as critical  

> thinking specialists and agents for social change, they are shocked  

> and yes, appalled.  Would that English teachers teach English.

>

>

> Regards,

>

> Kearney

>

>

>

> Kearney_Lykins at yahoo.com

>

> C: (614) 787-2202

> H: (614) 760-1407

>

>

> From: "Povenmire, Alisa" <apovenmire at necc.mass.edu>

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List  

> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 10:41:23 AM

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4647] Re: critical thinking

>

> Perhaps what we do is not teach critical thinking per se, but  

> instead teach language in such a way as to require students to  

> respond critically and to use language constructs that reflect  

> their thoughts- rather than just rote learning.  I encourage my  

> teachers to incorporate critical thinking into their curricula in  

> order to draw out richer and more thoughtful language from their  

> students.  When I say "incorporate critical thinking", I mean  

> activity such as persuasive essays, reflective journals, verbal  

> critiques, debates, etc.  I encourage teachers to push students to  

> use more language by asking them why? How? Tell me more.  Anyone is  

> qualified to do this.

>

> Is there another, more formal, discipline of "critical thinking"?

>

>

> Alisa Vlahakis Povenmire

> ESOL Coordinator/Counselor

> Adult Literacy and Transition Programs

> Northern Essex Community College, Extension Campus

> 78 Amesbury Street

> Lawrence, MA 01840-1312

> apovenmire at necc.mass.edu

> 978-738-7623

>

>

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:englishlanguage- 

> bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Steve Kaufmann

> Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 10:41 AM

> To: programs at englishcenter.edu; The Adult English Language Learners  

> Discussion List

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4638] Re: learnerempowerment

>

> I am fluent and conduct business in a number of languages. This  

> means that I can read books, newspapers, and listen to radio  

> programs and have business discussions and all kinds of social  

> interaction. I have never studied critical thinking. I believe that  

> a majority of people who speak other languages at this level have  

> had no instruction in critical thinking. I still would like to know  

> why it is only English teachers who feel that they are required to,  

> and qualified to, teach critical thinking.

>

> On Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 11:11 AM, Lynne Wilkins  

> <programs at englishcenter.edu> wrote:

> Hello

> I'm a list lurker but think that Steve Kaufmann has posed a really  

> interesting question about 'critical thinking' and different  

> languages. I'm going to continue to think about this topic but my  

> first response is that if you're learning a language in order to  

> live and work and perhaps study in the country that uses that  

> language, then you need as much fluency in that language as  

> possible and that includes critical thinking. If you're learning  

> the language for travel and some basic social interactions, then I  

> agree that there's little reason to learn how to think critically  

> in that second or third language.

>

> Thanks for an interesting discussion and exchange of ideas.

> Best regards,

> Lynne

>

>

> Lynne Wilkins, Associate Director for Programs

>

> Director, Corporate Training for Industry

> The English Center

>

> 66 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94607-3734

>

> programs at englishcenter.edu

>

> www.englishcenter.edu

>

> (510) 836-6700, ext. 105

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:englishlanguage- 

> bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Steve Kaufmann

> Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 8:48 AM

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4628] Re: computers for families programs 

> +learnerempowerment

>

> I am curious to know why teachers of ESL feel that they should  

> teach critical thinking. I do not think that teachers of Spanish,  

> French, Chinese or Russian, for example, feel that this is a part  

> of their task. Is there something different about learning English?

>

>

> Steve Kaufmann

> www.thelinguist.blogs.com

> www.lingq.com

> 604-922-8514

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Adult English Language Learners mailing list

> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to  

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage

> Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com

>

>

>

> -- 

> Steve Kaufmann

> www.thelinguist.blogs.com

> www.lingq.com

> 604-922-8514

>

>

> <image001.jpg>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Adult English Language Learners mailing list

> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to  

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage

> Email delivered to andreawilder at comcast.net



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