Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter one
The research process
I. The quest for an improves learning environment
II. Our research questions and objectives
A. Main question
B. Related questions
C. Objectives
III. The path to find the answers to our questions
A. The corpus of our research
B. Data collection and analysis procedures
IV. The context of our research and our participants
A. The students
B. The teachers
Chapter two
The core concepts of our project
I. Critical thinking: towards a definition
A. The value of critical thinking and the role of education
B. What critical thinking entails
C. The art of questioning and critical thinking
D. Argumentation
E. The compatibility of critical thinking and the EFL classroom
II. Making sense of the world: meaning construction
III. A determining factor for meaning construction: classroom interaction
A. The initiation-response-evaluation model (IRE)
B. The initiation-response-feedback model (IRF): critical issues
C. Input adjustment
IV.The role of metacognition
V. Language competence: an evolving construct
A. Grammatical competence
B. Discursive competence
C. Socioppragmatic competence
D. Strategic competence
VI. Reflection
Chapter three
A. driving force didactic units
I. Needs analysis
II. Our attempt to become course developers
III.Instructional support
A. Teachers working together
B. The tasks and the materials
IV. Some reflections
Chapter four
Critical thinking and English language learning: a room with a view
I. Making associations and interpretations using background knowledge
A. Using knowledge from their field of study
B. Using professional beliefs, feelings, values and experiences
C. Using global and local knowledge
D. Spanish permeating constructions
II. Embryonic critical thinking
A. Expressing comprehension by means of one- word utterances : (entry point level I)
B. Lttempting to view issues critically
III. Emphasizing self-regulation processes
A. Teachers facilitating monitoring
B. Impromptu learning strategy use
IV. Prioritizing feedback: prompting students speech and critical reasoning
V. Asymmetry of interaction
VI. Adjusting language input to facilitate communication
VII. The evolving nature of language competence
Chapter five
Improving EFL learning environments: findings and implications
Bibliography
Appendixes
Tables
1. Female and male distribution
2. Taxonomy of Socratic questions
3. Common fallacies in argumentation
4. Diestler’s classification of fallacies in argumentation
5. Interaction modifications
6. Learning strategies
7. Repertoire of additional strategies
8. Categories resulting form the analysis
Figures
1. The components of good thinking
2. Bloom’s taxonomy
3. Critical thinking skills
4. Meaning construction framework
5. Metacognition model
6. Bachman’s model of language competence
7. Model of EFL competence
8. The study of pragmatics
9. Framework for course development
10.Syllabus grid
11.Types of tasks
12.Critical thinking and meaning construction
13.Capitalism
