To Assign a Topic or Not: Examining Critical Thinking in English as a Foreign Language Speaking

Research has indicated that self-selected (versus teacher-assigned) topics enhance the linguistic aspects of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' performance in learning activities. However, the impact of self-selected topics on non-linguistic meaning-making skills, such as critical thinking (CT), which are essential for content building, has remained understudied. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the effects of two topic-selection approaches - teacher-assigned versus self-selected - on EFL learners' ability to apply CT in speaking. Forty-two Chinese undergraduate EFL learners were evaluated on their CT in speaking based on their speeches on topics selected using the two methods. The evaluation utilized a six-dimensional rating scale. The results showed that the learners demonstrated significantly higher levels of CT when speaking about self-selected topics than when speaking about teacher-assigned topics. The learners performed better on self-selected topics in five of the six CT dimensions: interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference and self-regulation. There was no significant difference in their performance in the explanation dimension between the two kinds of topics. The findings have pedagogical implications regarding the selection of topics in speaking tasks and can serve as guidelines for EFL teachers in designing activities to enhance learners' CT and speaking proficiency.