PROMOTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THROUGH THE ENGLISH-FOR-THAI TAXI DRIVERS PROJECT
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Abstract
English language ability and critical thinking skills are two competencies considered necessary for the 21st century and Thailand’s national development. However, Thai education in general has not been successful in developing these two competencies in Thai students. Hence, various efforts and interventions have been made to address these challenges. This study reflects an effort to address the two challenging competencies. It aims to promote Thai university students’ English language learning and critical thinking skills through project-based instruction. In this classroom research, a total of 31 students participated in the English-for-Taxi Drivers Project as part of an elective course on cross-cultural communication at an urban university in Bangkok. The project entailed data collection and service learning. This semester-long project started in September and lasted until November 2017. After the project, the students were asked to reflect on their learning experience by answering the questionnaires. Results showed that the majority of the students had positive attitudes towards the project, agreeing that the project has developed their cognitive as well as soft skills. In addition to English language skills, several dimensions of the projects, such as task complexity and demand for cooperation and human relation, have helped promote the students’ critical thinking skills.
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