교양영어와 비판적 사고의 만남

Infusing critical thinking into English education.

This study aims at suggesting the need for infusing critical thinking into English education with educational examples and further inviting critical feedback from readers. It has long been since English gained such a title as ‘a global lingua franca’ and its command became one of the prerequisites in Korean society. However, its command is no longer regarded as sufficient condition for social and educational success. Considering the times when its proficiency enabled Koreans to gain better opportunities for university admission and in the job markets, there seems to be a great paradigm change in Koreans’ perception towards English and its status. That is, English study for understanding western modernization has become less convincing and its study for a better job does not seem to satisfy the aims of University liberal arts education. It is within this context, the writer argues that such paradigm shift should be reflected into English education at university and infusing the teaching of critical thinking into English as a liberal art education needs focusing. This is because such confluence may not only enhance learners’ meaning negotiation skills, and intercultural interaction and communication skills but also allow them to overcome ideological aspects of English and become a creative thinker.