Critical Thinking and Iranian EFL Context

The advent of the information diffusion emanating from the information technology of the third millennium along with the revamped concept of literacy and intellectual understanding, and the demand for accountability as one of the prerequisites of modern societies has given birth to a movement resting on the idea that schools should be less concerned with imparting information and requiring the memorization of empirical data. Dealing with the extraordinary challenges of today's information society requires autonomous citizens equipped with "critical competence" (Feuerstein, 1999) whose meta-knowing is to be ameliorated through curriculum. The present study is an attempt to sketch the concept of critical thinking as a viable alternative in language education in Iranian EFL context. First, a number of definitions, along with the dimensions, of the concept from various scholars' viewpoints are put forward. Second, the typical features of critical thinkers and what resources they need are introduced. Third, the relation between critical thinking and learner autonomy is examined. Fourth, the relation between critical thinking and the instructional process is investigated. And finally, the issue from both theoretical and pedagogical standpoints in the contemporary Iranian EFL context is reviewed.