Critical Thinking and Writing Ability of Iranian EFL Learners

The present study aimed to investigate whether involvement in the process writing affect Iranian EFL learners CT. The participants were 80 undergraduate English major students at Islamic Azad University, Rasht andLahijan Branches. The researchers homogenized the participants on their general language proficiency levelusing BABEL English Language Placement Test. The participants took Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test(1985) and Writing Test in order to ensure that they were homogeneous in terms of critical thinking and writing abilities. Subsequently, they were divided into two groups of experimental and control. The participants in theexperimental group practiced the elements of critical thinking through writing process for three subsequentsemesters. The control group, however, received conventional classroom instruction which was based onprocess-based approach on essay writing. Then the researchers evaluated the learners scripts in both control and experimental groups. The results revealed that critical thinking ability was strongly associated withwriting. The researchers also figured out a statistically significant difference between the critical thinkingability of those who practiced the elements of thinking via writing process and those who merely put writingprocess into practice

Critical Thinking and Writing Ability of Iranian EFL Learners Keywords:

Critical Thinking , Elements of Thinking , Think-aloud Protocol , Writing Process