비판적 리터러시 활동을 통한 초등학생의 영어 발화 및 비판적 사고력 함양

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of critical literacy instruction on the development of critical thinking ability and productive skills in primary English lessons. Children’s literature was utilized to provide language input and stimulate the development of critical thinking skills. The research questions of the study were as follows: 1) What are the effects of critical literacy instruction using children’s literature on the development of primary students’ English productive skills? 2) What are the effects of critical literacy instruction using children’s literature on the development of primary students’ critical thinking ability? In an attempt to answer these questions, the author selected 31 fifth-grade students and taught the 16-week English lessons using children’s literature. Data from diverse sources were collected and analyzed in a qualitative manner. The data analysis yielded the following results: First, the critical literacy instruction using children’s literature had a positive influence on students’ English learning in terms of improving spoken and written English ability. Using language input-providing and thought-provoking activities, the students were motivated to produce the target language to create meanings at their own ability levels. Secondly, the students were encouraged to enhance critical thinking performance. They proposed ideas and provided justifiable reasons in different and more convincing ways. They raised some issues and suggested solutions, and were also able to understand multiple perspectives. Based on the results, some implications of the study were provided.