TOEFL speaking, writing and critical thinking

I'm David, co-founder of SK2 (TOEFL iBT 119/120). I want to share a philosophy question from the French baccalaureate exam a few years ago (👉click here for the question).

—

We often hear people insist that “Taiwanese students need stronger critical thinking” and that “TOEFL and GRE writing test your critical thinking.” But what exactly is critical thinking?

This question is a good reference point. You'll also notice it's somewhat similar to TOEFL independent speaking and academic discussion writing prompts.

“The importance of first clarifying and defining specific words”: this echoes my last post, “Hard TOEFL speaking questions: how to answer purpose and attitude questions.” In speaking, too, if we define things clearly first, we can avoid vague, weak answers.

—

It reminds me of my college years, when through some exchange programs I discussed political and cultural issues with quite a few international students.

Often we'd go back and forth for several rounds before suddenly realizing we'd been talking about completely different things from the start. Take “What do you identify with?”: is that about cultural identity? Political identity? Some other identity? Or “freedom”: whose freedom, exactly?

Only later did I realize: if we had clearly “defined” things from the start and knew we were talking about the same thing, we could have had a real “debate.” Otherwise each side just talks past the other, thinking the other side simply “doesn't get it.”

—

Students have asked us after class: “Why does SK2 use relatively complicated definitions and a Word Bank system to prepare for the TOEFL, interviews and application documents?”

Because we hope that when you seriously build the Word Bank for “student” and think about what matters to a student, you'll start reflecting: “Am I the ideal student I have in mind?” You'll think about which habits you might want to change after going abroad.

When you write the Word Bank for “university” and think about how universities make decisions, you'll start to understand: “Why do schools make decisions that seem absurd?” Then you'll ask yourself: “What do I expect from a university? What kind of school do I want to study at? Or do I not want to study anymore at all?”

When you write the Word Bank for “you,” you'll start to truly understand: “What do I care about? What values do I use when I make decisions?”

That is what the Word Bank is for.

—

I still remember one student whose English was good but who always felt the class material was too hard. At first he was indifferent in class and never came to a study group.

A few years later he came back to take the class again, and this time he stayed after class to talk to me. He said he'd changed jobs many times over those years, and while figuring out his direction in life, he finally understood why we had spent so much time back then discussing logic and definitions.

He said: “It wasn't just about a high TOEFL score. It was about figuring out why the world is the way it is, and how I can change it.”

Later he came back as a teaching assistant for half a year. I remember that whenever he spoke in front of the class, he'd go on and on about the importance of critical thinking, with example after example.

I think he wanted to use his own experience to tell the younger students: I hope you figure things out sooner, so you waste less time going the wrong way.

—

Students also often ask me: “Teacher, can I memorize someone else's Word Bank / reasons? Or just memorize a few sample answers?”

I tell them honestly:

You can, and you might get a high TOEFL score that way. But in classes, at work and in daily life abroad, when you're questioned or challenged, you won't know what to do.

If we knew that would happen and still let students learn that way, we'd be failing at our job.

—

In Taiwan, we're less used to voicing disagreement, and less used to taking on other people's views head-on.

Education abroad isn't like that. So even though this path isn't easy, and even though the Word Bank is hard to grasp and takes time, we still choose to stick with it.

Because we believe critical thinking is the piece missing from Taiwanese education. If we get the chance, we hope to fill in that piece, at least in SK2 intensive-course classes.

—

If the TOEFL speaking section ever asked this question:

Agree or disagree: All high school students should take philosophy classes.

I would answer without hesitation: I agree.

Because the right path is often not the easy one.

—

Take some time to think carefully about the philosophy question in this post. For now, set aside whether France's exam grading is fair, or whether schools just teach students to memorize templates.

I only learned to think seriously once I got to college, which may have been a bit late. But I believe that as long as you're willing to start, it's never too late.