THE NEED FOR TEACHING CRITICAL THINKING TO STUDENTS OF ENGLISH: A RATIONALE

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to offer a rationale for the need of introducing critical thinking education to Yemeni [and Arab] schools and colleges. The paper began with the assumption that education in the Arab World [Yemen included] is still dominantly traditional. It does not prepare learners to cope with increasing demands and challenges of the modern age, which requires that an individual be well equipped with different mental, personal and social skills among which the critical thinking skills. Then the paper proceeded to give some background of the concept and it history. Next, the paper offered justification (a rationale) for the idea behind this proposition. The paper concluded by presenting a rough outline for a course in critical thinking that can be adopted to be taught to students at college level precisely for the students of the English Department as a trial.