Teaching Argumentative Speaking Integrating Critical Thinking Skills in a University EFL Context

• In Event: International Views on Literature and Language Development

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to propose a teaching method incorporating critical thinking skils into an existing university EFL listening/speaking syllabus to enhance students’ argumentative speaking. A total of 38 students from two university English intact classes in southern Taiwan participated in the study. During the 9-week teaching interventions, two stages of tasks addressing five types of argumentative speaking skill were conducted. The Argumentative Speaking tests (AST) was designed by the researcher to assess participants’ progress in argumentative speaking skills. The results from the pretest-posttest one-group design were evaluated by paired-sample t-tests. The results confirmed a positive effect of the implemented instruction on learners’ argumentative speaking skills in terms of “delivery”, “language use” and “task accomplishment”.

Authors

• Chih-Ling Cheng, Kaohsiung Medical University

• Ying-Yao Cheng, National Sun Yat-Sen University

• Hsueh-Hua Chuang, National Sun Yat-Sen University

• Hsiao-Chi Ho, National Sun Yat-Sen University

• Chia-chi Wang, National Sun Yat-Sen University