The use of the interactive forms and methods of syntopical reading approach in the english language senior school classroom

Abstract

This article aims to research the use of the interactive forms and methods of syntopical reading approach in the English language senior school classroom to improve cognitive skills and learners’ competence in reading as well as to develop critical thinking. While the Analytical reading mostly involves the students’ activities such as argumentation, analysis, and evaluation of the certain text through finding examples in the same text, the Syntopical reading develops critical thinking as (long as) it concentrates on the students’ skills to compare and contrast different texts dealing with one and the same topic, to express sophisticated ideas, to integrate or synthesize the ideas from multiple sources and to formulate original arguments. The objectives of the article are to determine the stages of the described learning process, the structure of every proposed stage and to develop the corresponding system of exercises for mastering the mentioned competence skills and develop critical thinking in students. The research draws pedagogical implications for an English senior school classroom, suggesting that language teachers employ explicit teaching of reading strategies that facilitate critical reading and develop critical thinking skills.