Literature as a Medium for Developing Critical Thinking in EFL Classroom: the case of First-Year Licence Students at Ghardaia University and the Continuing Education University of El Meniaa

Abstract

This research aims to explore the role of literature instruction in enhancing and developing critical thinking skills among students in the Department of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The study highlights a fundamental relationship between literature and critical thinking, emphasizing that literature serves as an effective tool for fostering analytical and inferential abilities. It is based on observations that many students struggle with analytical skills due to reliance on memorization rather than deep comprehension of texts. A mixed- method approach was employed, including an online questionnaire distributed to students and semi-structured interviews conducted with instructors. The findings reveal that integrating literature into teaching significantly contributes to the development of critical thinking skills by promoting analysis ,interpretation,evaluation, and inference. The study concludes that literature is a powerful instrument for fostering critical thinking and recommends incorporating literature-based teaching strategies into English language curricula to enhance higher-order thinking skills among students Literature, Critical Thinking, English as a Foreign Language, Literary Texts, Analytical Skills, Teaching Strategies.