Teaching Writing and Grammar through Critical Thinking in a Genre‐Based Upper‐Level Undergraduate German Class

Abstract

Language instructors are grappling with the question of how to teach writing effectively in upper‐level undergraduate world language classes. At that point, students still have to master aspects of grammar; they often work on general writing skills in their native language and hope to improve their skills to effectively bring forth arguments in written and oral communication. This article suggests that instruction in critical thinking can help students improve their language skills. It offers a syllabus of an upper‐level undergraduate genre‐writing class in German that uses explicit instruction in critical thinking following Paul and Elder's Critical Thinking Competency Standards (). These standards enrich language acquisition with the goal of improving the students' stylistic, textual, and grammatical skills. The article also presents a sample lesson outline for one of the genres. The shared experiences with this new approach can encourage educators to utilize different methods of critical thinking in writing instruction. By making students aware of such strategies, this approach supports them in their efforts to engage with new material in a way that allows them to become life‐long learners.