Critical thinking is a term often thrown around the teacher’s lounge. You often hear, “Of course, teaching critical thinking is essential.” However, in that same space, we may also hear the question, “But how?”
Teaching students to think critically involves helping them to develop a critical mindset. What exactly does that mean, and how can we do that?
Critical thinking is a complex process that involves students reflecting, analyzing and evaluating ideas. Building a community of critical thinkers in our classrooms involves going beyond the cognitive domains and building the affective domains.
The cognitive domain concerns subject knowledge and intellectual skills, whereas the affective domain involves emotional engagement with an idea or learning material.
This deliberate teaching of critical thinking needs to be part of our teaching toolkit. We need to develop a mindset around it in and out of our classrooms.
Consider all the questions we pose to students during our classes. Do we expect a yes or no answer, or have we established a classroom environment where students offer considered reasons for their responses?
By following some guiding principles, we can get into the practice of naturally expecting deeper answers:
Provide a set of vocabulary terms or grammatical structures on the board (or pictures for true beginners). Ask your students to gather in pairs or small groups and have them categorize the list. Ask them to be creative and see how diverse the categories can be.
Example:
Desk, computer, pencil, stove, dishes, forks, novel, cookbook, sink, shelf
Provide students with a short reading or listening and have your students define a problem they read or hear.
Tomas ran up the steps into Building A. The door was closed, but he opened it up. He was very late. He took his seat, feeling out of breath.
Present a problem or situation. Consider the problem presented in strategy #2 above: Ask the students to evaluate the situation from Tomas’ point of view, then, from the teacher’s point of view, and then from his classmate’s point of view.
This activity generates many conversations, and even more critical thinking than you can imagine!
Provide students with a list of topics or themes they have studied or are interested in. Place one in the center, and ask them to draw connections between each one.
Afterward, they should explain their ideas. For example:
“Energy and environment are affected by sports. Most sports do not harm the environment, but if you think about auto racing, it uses a lot of fuel. It can negatively impact the environment.”
Play students an audio clip or provide them with a reading text. Draw students’ attention to a particular grammatical structure and ask them to deduce the rules.
Show your class an image and put your students in small groups. Give each group a task. For example:
The Jamestown settlement in the United States
“A famous historic site is the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia. People from England were the first people to live in Jamestown. When did they arrive? They arrived in 1607. They built homes and other buildings. They looked for gold, silver and other materials. They sent the materials back to England. It was a hard life. Jamestown wasn’t a good place to settle. The winters were cold, and the settlers didn’t know how to protect themselves. After some time, they traded with the Native Americans, including tools for food. This helped the hungry settlers. Did many people die? Yes, many of the first settlers died. Later, more settlers arrived in Jamestown. It wasn’t easy, but in the end the settlement grew.”
Ask questions like this:
There are many other wonderful strategies that can help build a classroom of critical thinkers. Getting your students accustomed to these types of tasks can increase their linguistic and affective competencies and critical thinking. In addition to these on-the-spot activities, consider building in project-based learning.
Project-based learning often begins with a challenge or problem. Students explore and find answers over an extended period of time. These projects focus on building 21st Century Skills: Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking.
They also represent what students are likely to encounter when they leave our English language classes.
Consider this project: Our cafeteria is outdated. It does not allow for food variety, or for guests to sit in groups of their desired size and activity level. Survey students who use the cafeteria. Follow up the survey with interviews. Determine how your group can reimagine the cafeteria. Prepare a proposal. Present your proposal.
You can imagine the amount of language students will use working on this project, while, at the same time, building a critical mindset.
Teaching critical thinking is all about building activities and strategies that become part of your teaching toolkit, and your students’ regular approach to problem-solving.
If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that educators who lead with heart, ingenuity and resilience help students thrive. Your creativity drove the momentum. Your learners set the direction. Our role at Pearson was to support your journey with tools that save time, create impact and open more opportunities for your students.
Here’s your Educator Wrapped for 2025.
In international education, admissions are just the beginning. While securing a place at a university is a massive milestone for a student, measuring success continues for them from the moment they arrive on campus. Institutions know that academic performance, engagement and retention are shaped long before the first lecture begins, and one of those critical factors is English language proficiency.
Students who begin their studies with the right level of English are better equipped to participate fully in academic life. They understand course material, contribute to discussions and complete assignments with confidence. This foundation does not support individual achievement; it also strengthens the entire learning environment.
That is why reliable proficiency testing is more than an admissions tool. It is a strategic investment in student success.
Universities have long understood the connection between language readiness and academic outcomes. When students are placed correctly, they are more likely to thrive. Misplacement, on the other hand, can lead to frustration, disengagement and even dropout.
Reliable testing helps institutions avoid such pitfalls. It ensures that students are matched to the right level of study, reducing the need for remedial support and improving retention rates. For universities, this translates into stronger performance metrics and a cohesive student experience overall.
The Pearson English Express Test is designed to support this journey before day one. With fast, secure and trusted results, it gives both students and institutions the clarity they need to move forward with confidence.
It delivers certified scores within 48 hours, allowing universities to make timely decisions and students to begin their academic journey without delay. It is AI-powered scoring and alignment with CEFR and GSE frameworks ensures accuracy, while remote proctoring and identity verfication protect the integrity of the results.
This combination of speed, precision and security makes the Pearson English Express Test more than just a test but a strategic tool for long-term success
For universities, adopting the Pearson English Express Test is not just about streamlining admissions; it is about strengthening the entire student lifecycle. By ensuring that potential students are linguistically prepared, institutions can reduce academic risk, improve retention and enhance their reputation for supporting international learners.
The Pearson English Express Test helps universities to demonstrate a commitment to quality and care. It shows that they are not just admitting students, they are setting them up for success.
In a competitive global education market, institutions need solutions that go beyond the basics. The Pearson English Express Test offers a smarter, more strategically driven approach to language assessment. One that not only supports them getting into university, but also from application to graduation.
By choosing the Pearson English Express Test, universities are investing in outcomes that matter: academic success, student satisfaction and long-term institutional positive impact.
Across classrooms, holidays show up as stories, songs, recipes, colors and customs. For English educators, they also offer language tasks that build communication, intercultural understanding and community. The key is to celebrate in a way that’s inclusive, academically rich, and respectful of diverse beliefs and backgrounds. Here are some activities you can do this festive season with minimal fluff and maximum impact, each tied to clear language objectives.
