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Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 17:6 June 2017
Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics and Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, Ph.D.
Critical Thinking and English Language Teaching with Reference to National Curriculum of
India 345
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Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 Vol. 17:6 June 2017
UGC Approved List of Journals Serial Number 49042
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Critical Thinking and English Language Teaching
with Reference to National Curriculum of India
Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics
Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, Ph.D.
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Abstract
The present authors will examine the current position of critical thinking in India from
different perspectives in this section. Looking at the historical background of the concept in
India, and long familiarity of the Indians with logical thinking, the authors illustrate the
current status of critical thinking in India from two main perspectives. First, they review the
Educational system which includes curriculum content and framework set for schools, the
practices or teaching methods adopted by the teachers in the system, and finally the way that
students’ achievements are examined. Second, the authors discuss washback of the
educational system, which demonstrates how successful or unsuccessful the present
educational policies are in practice, based upon feedback of employers as one important
stakeholder of the system, teachers, students, and so on. At the end, some suggestions will be
posited on how to heighten the efficiency of Education with regard to English language
teaching and critical thinking. The suggestions relate to areas of student teacher education,
policy making, and assessment system.
1. Discussion
1.1.Historical Background
It has been asserted by some authors that people belonging to the culture of East lack
criticality. Though India has not been specifically named to belong in this group of countries
(e.g. China, Thailand, and so on), its people have similarly been always considered as not to
be noncritical thinkers. However, the advancements happening in India over the past few
decades are all copies of western technologies or the trace of other systems of thought
existing in long past which has been sort of activated as questions to be answered. Studying
the related literature shows that (Hongladarom, 2006) India and China had their own
indigenous traditions of logical and argumentative thinking. Tscherbatsky (1962; 31-34)
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 17:6 June 2017
Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics and Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, Ph.D.
Critical Thinking and English Language Teaching with Reference to National Curriculum of
India 346
showed that India is one of the greatest logical and philosophical civilizations of the world.
He evidenced that the argumentative thinking had existed since ancient times, and that the
fate of entire monastery depended on public debates at the times of Dignaga and Dharmalirki.
As such, Dignaga won his fame and royal support through defeating of the Brahmin
Sudurjaya at Nalanda Monastery (cited in Hongladarom, 2006).
1.2. Status of Critical Thinking in English Language Education System of India
Prior to discussing on the position of critical thinking in the curriculum of Indian
education system, it is needed to have an overview of the development and progress of the
education system since independence. After independence, the Department of Education
under the Ministry of Human Resource Development was established on August 29, 1947
with a mandate to provide and expand educational facilities for the public. After working on
quantity of teaching materials for years, it gradually started working through quality
education. A few drastic actions were thereafter taken in Indian education to get where it is
now, in terms of quantity and quality. National Council of Educational Research Training
(NCERT), was, for one, given the responsibility to develop a National Curriculum
Framework (NCF). It was also assigned to review the framework at regular basis. The
development of NCF provided opportunities for researchers and educationists as well as the
experienced school teachers to reconsider the implemented curriculum, and to react to the
collected and collated feedback based upon its washback.
One major move toward quality education can be traced back to when, for the first
time, National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005, incorporated critical thinking in the
framework. In NFC (2005), a significant shift was made from underlying behavioristic theory
of learning in extra curriculum frameworks to constructivist ones. Thus, in NCF (2005), the
most important aspect of learning are: developing capacity for abstract thinking and reflection
which students learn in a variety of experiences like reading. According to Khirwadikar, 2007
focus on issues, such as connecting knowledge to life outside helps shift from rote learning to
constructing knowledge, providing wide range of experiences for overall development of a
child and bringing flexibility in the examinations. That could be considered a revitalization
of traditional logic which had existed in India at ancient times but waned for reasons.
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 17:6 June 2017
Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics and Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, Ph.D.
Critical Thinking and English Language Teaching with Reference to National Curriculum of
India 347
However, the question arises that how the guidelines set by the NCF brought about
Indian education system in effect. Observation of many Indian educational analysts (e.g.
Neera Chopra) of the mainstream practices in Indian schools and colleges reveals that the
biggest flaw in the education system is perhaps that it incentivizes memorizing above
originality, and Indian education system is still a colonial education system geared towards
generating babus and pen-pushers under the newly acquired garb of modernity. Evaluation
system is also mismatched with critical thinking related guidelines of NCF (2005). The
straightjacket testing practice fuels the teaching and learning practices in India. Much of the
testing forces teachers to overly concentrate on lower-order thinking skills.
According to Neera Chopra (2015), the students cram before the examination and
after the exam they cannot recall a thing. Neera Chopra further adds that teachers teach every
page of a textbook that is prescribed whereas in B.Ed. trainee teachers are also taught that
textbooks are only a teaching tool/ aid. After the elapse of many years from the time that the
stepping stone of changes was laid, Indian school classrooms are now plagued by uncreative
and non-critical thinking teaching and learning practices.
The present circumstances in English language subject classrooms, which turn out to
be the focus of attention in the present study, need to be evaluated in detail. The common
teaching practices in most Indian schools and colleges, particularly in rural and semi-urban
areas, are bilingual method or the translation method (Ponniah, 2007). Dictating notes and
memorizing the dictated notes are common practices in the classrooms (Ponniah, 2007). In
fact, teachers still stick to outdated language teaching approaches instead of adapting to the
recent needs and changes. Moreover, the characteristics of the Indian English language
classrooms are also responsible for part of the problems. The size of the class, the constrained
time of it and the students of highly mixed abilities are just to name a few of these
characteristics, contributing to more ineffectiveness of the teaching. It is obvious that the
existing ESL classroom does not encourage students to think critically or creatively.
The students in Indian schools tend to lack the ability to express their inner words.
That is, they are not able to demonstrate their voice. They mostly learn chunks of language
(i.e. vocabulary, grammatical rules) without trying to use them in real context to meet
communication needs. The students tend not to be able to construct sentences on their own
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 17:6 June 2017
Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics and Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, Ph.D.
Critical Thinking and English Language Teaching with Reference to National Curriculum of
India 348
and express their ideas while writing or speaking. This becomes more evident in their
interaction with other English speakers. In fact, they are more directed to think of what to
learn than how to learn. This undesirable form of interaction can be considered in terms of
varied types of talk presented by Mercer, Dawes, Wegerif, and Sams (2004, cited in Halbach,
2015). The three types of talk are Disputational talk, Cumulative talk, and exploratory talk.
Indians’ speaking performances may fall mostly in categories of Cumulative and
Disputational. Because the Indian speakers may apply their memory and add information
related to the topic come across in an interaction, they are less likely to engage critically and
constructively. The above argument about Indians’ speaking English abilities, mostly
developed in schools both through English subject and content based instruction they receive
in English-medium schools and colleges, can be supported by Wei and Llosa’s (2015) study
that analyzed Indian TOEFL test-takers’ speaking responses. According to Wei and Llosa
(2015), many responses from Indian test takers were rather linear in their rhetorical structure,
which was identified by Indian raters as a feature of Indian English.
In addition to the mismatched teaching methods that are employed in instruction of
various academic subjects, assessment system plays a pivotal role in any education system.
The assessment, as a complementary component of instructional methods adopted, not only
demonstrates students’ achievement through a particular course period but also shows how
the students are taught and what they are expected to learn. The skills and abilities students
demonstrate is one determining factor of how practical the teachers’ teaching and the
students’ learning are.
Studying the assessment system of India shows that students are expected to apply
more memorization and less using higher order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis,
and evaluation. Thus the students are mainly reliant on rote learning. This argument has been
supported by many Indian educationists and researchers. For instance, speaking with The
Times of India (June 19, 2011), former chairman of UGC and the chairman of the NCERT's
National Curriculum Framework 2005, Professor Yashpal told: “No one can get 100% in so
many subjects. Clearly, we can see the emphasis on rote learning, and an exam oriented
approach, which is killing creativity and soft skills. This is a conspiracy of examiners,
schools and coaching industry." Likewise, according to a research paper by a NCERT
official submitted to the International Association for Educational Assessment, the present
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 17:6 June 2017
Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics and Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, Ph.D.
Critical Thinking and English Language Teaching with Reference to National Curriculum of
India 349
system of assessment and evaluation for school education in India is exam-based. The
research paper also states, “Assessment focuses only on cognitive learning outcomes and in
the process, co-curricular domains are neglected, even though co-curricular areas are an
equally important and significant part of child development. Even in curricular areas, the
focus is on rote learning and memorisation, characterised by a neglect of higher mental
abilities such as critical thinking, problem solving and creative ability” (Sahay, 2015). Such
documentation has been provided so as to get a deep insight into present circumstances.
The flaws of such an education system including the teaching practices and
assessment discussed earlier both reflect in the society and undermine validity of Indian
education system itself. One implication of the system encouraging more rote learning than
critical thinking is a large number of college graduates who are not well prepared to do their
social responsibilities in positions they should normally function. According to National
Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) only 10% to 25% of
undergraduates acquire qualifications and specific skills sets based on which prospective
employees are looking to employ. Such problems have also been stated a number of times in
the Indian Media. For instance, The Times of India (13 Jun 2011) states that the skills
deficiency of engineering graduates falls into three main areas, namely: critical thinking,
communication, and the ability to function well as part of a team. However, it is not safe to
make a generalization of this type since there are also many brilliant graduates in different
areas of interest. The uncritical thinking majority we talk about in this study is an outcome of
some mundane cultural and social conventions discouraging students to ever appreciate
exploring the topics, but are directed to mug up the matter and focus on meeting the
requirements of examinations and not to hone their communication skills.
Conclusion
Indian education, particularly in connection with English language education, requires
that some urgent remedial actions be taken so as to heighten the efficiency of Education. As
discussed earlier, deficiency of critical thinking in school and college graduates is a major
problem caused by methodologies adopted by teachers who are not prepared to adjust
themselves with modern aims of education stipulated clearly in NCF, and mainstream college
and schools’ examinations. The teachers who have not been taught in critical thinking
contexts could not adopt apt strategies to develop students’ criticality. Neera Chopra, the
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 17:6 June 2017
Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics and Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, Ph.D.
Critical Thinking and English Language Teaching with Reference to National Curriculum of
India 350
Academic Analyst with 38 years of experience in planning, design, development and project
management, in the website called The Progressive Teacher (March 4, 2015) has stated that
“most teachers do not even know what Bloom’s Taxonomy is, how they will set questions
which Involve thinking skills”. The teachers may also become concerned about the time
constraint considering the number of students in classrooms. Thus, it seems quite necessary
to prepare student teachers in all disciplines using a curriculum which is totally based on
critical thinking instruction. This aim can be only achieved by employment of experts in
critical thinking instruction. Moreover, some courses in all disciplines can be held to train
current teachers how to use critical thinking strategies in their teaching.
The examination system, which presently focuses on the students` liability to learn the
content of textbooks taught, requires a thorough revisit. In fact, the examination system
should be modified so that it could encourage the conceptual learning in students. Then
learners will be directed to deep understanding and application of the knowledge learned in
classrooms.
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References
Chopra, N. (2015, March). School based Assessment. The Progressive Teacher, 0 (0).
Retrieved from http://www.progressiveteacher.in/
Halbach, A.(2015). ‘Thinking together’ and its effect on students’ language performance,
ELT Journal, 69(3), 286-297. doi:10.1093/elt/ccv007 286e
Hongladarom, S. (2006) Asian philosophy and critical thinking: Divergence or convergence?
Manash Pratim Gohain (2011, June 19). Rote learning and exam-centric approach blamed.
Times of India. pp.0.
National Council of Educational Research and Training. (2005) National Curriculum
Framework. India: NCERT.
Packham, B. (2010, January 18). Bullies to show concern: schools to try Euro method that
lets thugs off the hook. Herald-Sun. pp. 6.
Ponniah, R. Joseph (2007). Memorization a constraint for integrating critical thinking skills
into Indian ESL classrooms, Language in Inida, 7(7).
Sahay, K. (2016, March). Satisfactory Association. Education World. Retrieved from:
http://www.educationworld.in/
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 17:6 June 2017
Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics and Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, Ph.D.
Critical Thinking and English Language Teaching with Reference to National Curriculum of
India 351
The Times of India. (2011, June 13). We need critical thinkers. The Times of India.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/We-need-critical-
thinkers/articleshow/8835271.cms
Tscherbatsky, F. Th. (1962). Buddhist Logic. New York: Dover.
Wei, J., & Llosa, L. (2015). Investigating differences between American and Indian raters in
assessing TOEFL iBT speaking Tasks. Language Assessment Quarterly. 12, 283-304.
Sahay,K.(2016, March). Satisfactory Association. Education World. Retrieved from:
http://www.educationworld.in/
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Reza Omidvar, Doctoral Student in Linguistics
Department of Studies in Linguistics
University of Mysore
Mysore 570006
Karnataka
India
reza.omidvar.research@gmail.com
Dr. B.K. Ravindranath, PhD. in Linguistics
Assistant Professor
BOS in Linguistics
Department of Studies in Linguistics
University of Mysore
Karnataka
India
ravindranath.bk@gmail.com
