After-Exams English Language Enrichment Programme Learning Never Stops!02

        Critical thinking is a core competency that students need to develop by the end of their secondary education. Mr Tom Linley provided a critical thinking practice by using the works of Bansky, an anonymous street artist from Bristol who paints thought provoking pieces of artwork, as a point of discussion. Mr Tom showed the students a few of his pieces, and encouraged students to discuss the meaning behind the artwork. He was impressed at some of the responses given by our students. During the Q&A session, Mr Tom was asked what the biggest handicap that would cause someone to be less able to develop critical thinking was, to which he answered ‘narrow-mindedness’. He emphasised the importance of keeping an open mind, while at the same time being able to stand on your own principles and opinions and not be swayed by others too easily. It is alright to agree to disagree. We would like to thank Mr Tom for his insightful sharing and hope that our students can think more critically in the future.

Chong Xin Yi (S2 Toronto)

        The Critical Thinking workshop was extremely interesting and enjoyable for me! I especially loved how the speaker interacted with us students and made the whole experience fun and memorable. It made me want to learn from him. To think critically is to think outside the box, and the picture examples that he provided us with definitely trained my ability to think outside the box more. I was also amazed by the meanings of each picture. I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to be part of this workshop, and for that I want to express my gratitude to UWE and ELC for making this happen!

Yang Kai Xin (S2 Dublin)

        I found the workshop very interesting. What impressed me the most was the part where the speaker took some of the artworks and made us think about them. It was a great experience and eye-opening to hear people share what they had seen from different perspectives. I think this workshop has greatly enhanced my critical thinking.

Ms Sastina (ELC teacher)
        The “Critical Thinking - A look at the works of Banksy” Workshop was beautifully executed to bring together “Artwork” and “Critical Thinking” in language learning. I particularly enjoyed the Q&A session where Mr. Linley used Banksy artwork to tap into students’ imagination, creativity, and intelligence to use the language. Students were given the opportunity to express their thoughts regarding selected artworks. Personally, this indirectly gave me the space to reflect on my own teaching plan settings at school. Learning how to speak a language takes time, but by using artwork to think critically upon speaking, students will engage as fully as possible in the process of becoming fluent.

《兴华月报》2022年10&11月号
https://www.hinhua.edu.my/ebook/2210&11hinhuamonthly/mobile/index.html