Using English Fairy Tales to Develop Critical Thinking in Young Learners

Аннотация

This article examines how English fairy tales can be effectively used to nurture critical thinking skills in young learners. Fairy tales are more than just entertaining stories; they are rich with imaginative scenarios, moral choices, and complex characters that naturally encourage children to think deeply and reflectively. When incorporated into English language lessons, these stories provide a meaningful context in which students can explore questions, make predictions, analyze the consequences of characters’ actions, and evaluate different perspectives. By engaging with fairy tales, learners are invited to move beyond simple comprehension and actively participate in discussions, problem-solving activities, and creative role-playing exercises. These methods not only make the learning process more interactive and enjoyable but also promote essential cognitive skills such as reasoning, comparing, inferring, and drawing conclusions.