Who is the speaker?

Marwa Ali Seif, a TEFL/TESOL certified C1

level teacher of English and a teacher educator
in the British Council professional development
programs for teachers of English ( TEA and
AATAGs), is so much passionate about getting
her community equipped with the latest trends
of education through sharing what she regularly
learns. She has got a bachelor of Education and
a pre-master's diploma in English literature.
She has been teaching English for preparatory
and secondary school students for 16 years so
far. She has been a speaker in Educast First
International Online Conference held in
February 2023. She has attended hundreds of
methodological and linguistic trainings,
workshops and conferences throughout the past
few years and fully supported her professional
development. Her motto is “ If you want to
learn something very well, teach it”.
 - To introduce the concept of CLIL and
Why critical thinking is important in CLIL
classes.

- To explore some critical thinking Exploring Some

techniques such as SCAMPER, Lotus
Blossom, mind maps, reverse Critical Thinking
brainstorming and open-ended questions
that can be used in CLIL lessons. Techniques in
- To provide practical activities and CLIL
examples of how to incorporate these
critical thinking techniques into CLIL
lessons.
Presenter: Marwa Seif
Quote of today
 What is CLIL?
CLIL stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning, which is an approach
. that combines the teaching of subject matter with the teaching of a target language.

Why is critical thinking so important in CLIL classes?

When students are learning subject matter in a language that is not their native
language, they are often faced with more complex and challenging tasks than they
would be in their native language. Critical thinking is not just about coming up with
the right answer, but about understanding the reasoning behind it. By incorporating
critical thinking skills and techniques into CLIL lessons, students can become better
problem solvers, more independent thinkers, and more effective communicators.
Developing critical thinking skills is essential for students to be able to process this
information, make connections between different concepts, and ultimately, to
understand and learn the subject matter.
 • SCAMPER • Lotus Blossom
Technique

• Mind maps
• Open-ended
Questions
• Reverse
Brainstorming
The SCAMPER technique is a powerful tool for developing creative
thinking skills, and it can be used in a wide range of CLIL contexts. For
example, you could use this technique to explore the impact of new
technologies on traditional industries, to generate ideas for reducing
waste in a manufacturing process, or to explore the impact of climate
change on urban infrastructure. The acronym stands for:

Substitute
Combine
Adapt
Modify
Put to another use
Eliminate
Reverse
❖ Substitute involves replacing one
element of an idea with something
else. For example, if we're discussing
renewable energy sources, we
could substitute solar panels for wind
turbines and see how that affects the
overall idea.

❖ What could you replace in the

product to make it better? Could
you use a different material or
technology?
• Combine involves bringing together two or
more ideas to create something new. For
example, if we're discussing the impact of
technology on the environment, we could
combine ideas about renewable energy
with ideas about sustainable agriculture to
see how they might work together.

• What other products could you combine

with this product to make it more useful?
Could you add a new feature or function?
• Modify involves making changes to an existing
idea to improve it. For example, if we're
discussing transportation infrastructure, we
could modify ideas about public transportation
to make them more efficient and sustainable.

• What changes could you make to the existing

product to make it more efficient or user-
friendly? Could you improve the design or
functionality?
 Put to another use involves taking an existing
idea and applying it to a new context. For
example, if we're discussing the benefits of
community gardens, we could put those ideas to
another use by applying them to urban planning
or community development

Could this product be used in a different way

than originally intended? Could it be repurposed
or adapted for a different market?
❑ Eliminate involves removing an element from an existing
idea to see how that affects the overall concept. For
example, if we're discussing ways to reduce waste in a
manufacturing process, we could eliminate certain steps to
see if that improves efficiency.

❑ What features of the product are unnecessary or

redundant? Could you remove them to streamline the
design?
 Start with a central idea
 Add branches
 Add sub-branches
 Connect and cross-link
 Review and refine

There are many software and online tools available to

create mind maps, such as MindMeister, XMind, or
Coggle. These tools offer various templates, features
and integrations that can help you create more
advanced and interactive mind maps.
The Lotus Blossom technique is a brainstorming tool that can be used to
explore a central idea and generate related ideas. It is a visual and
structured technique that is great for helping learners organize their
thoughts and ideas. Lotus Blossom technique is a great way to encourage
critical thinking and creativity in learners. It is a structured approach to
brainstorming that helps learners organize their thoughts and generate
new ideas. Plus, it's visually appealing and fun to use!

As an example, you could use the Lotus Blossom technique to brainstorm

ideas for a project on renewable energy. Your central idea could be
"renewable energy sources" and your eight first-level petals could be "solar
power," "wind power," "hydropower," "geothermal energy," "biomass
energy," "tidal power," "wave power," and "hydrogen fuel cells." From there,
you could add eight more petals around each of those ideas to generate
more specific ideas and concepts related to each renewable energy
source.
The Open-Ended Questions Technique is a powerful tool for promoting critical thinking
and inquiry-based learning in CLIL contexts. Unlike closed-ended questions, which
typically require only a brief factual answer, open-ended questions encourage students
to think more deeply, reflect on their experiences, and generate their own ideas and
insights.

Here are some examples of open-ended questions that can be

used in CLIL lessons:
 How does the concept of photosynthesis relate to other topics we've studied in this
class?
 What are some real-world applications of the principles of photosynthesis?
 What are some possible reasons for variations in the rate of photosynthesis among
different plant species?
 How can we test the hypothesis that light intensity affects the rate of
photosynthesis?
 What ethical issues arise when we consider the impact of photosynthesis on the
environment and human society?

By asking open-ended questions, teachers can foster a more engaging and

interactive learning environment, where students are encouraged to share their
own perspectives and insights. Open-ended questions can also help students
develop higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and
creativity.
Practical Activities using Open-Ended Questions Technique

The Open-Ended Questions Technique can be used in a variety of practical

activities to promote critical thinking and inquiry-based learning in CLIL lessons.
Here are some examples:

Socratic Seminar

Think-Pair-Share

Fishbowl Debate

By incorporating these and other practical activities that use the Open-Ended
Questions Technique, teachers can create a more engaging and interactive
learning environment that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and inquiry-based
learning.
A memory game
Thank you
References
-Brumfit, C., & Johnson, K. (Eds.). (1979). The
communicative approach to language teaching.
Oxford University Press.

-Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language

acquisition. Oxford University Press.

- Geranpayeh, A. (2012). Critical thinking in

language education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 69, 1107-1113.
Email:
memarmemar050@gmail.com

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