The Use of Comics to Strengthen Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

In this globalized, competitive world, being able to think critically is a crucial requirement to succeed in studies and career. The skill, however, does not come easily for most people, especially when one has to think and explain his/her thoughts in a foreign language. The critical thinking skills are also included in the 2013 Curriculum of Indonesia, where one of the ways is through the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) questions that teachers must develop in the teaching-learning process. Most of the teaching and learning processes, however, are considered burdensome for the students, mainly because they find the lessons boring. This paper proposes ways in which comics can be employed to teach critical thinking while students read and learn language, in this case English, in joyful atmosphere.