The Dramatic Problematizer Model
an approach towards the development of critical thinking in the EFL classroom
CTIC
ABSTRACT: This paper describes and reflects on an approach towards critical thinking development in the EFL classroom: the Dramatic Problematizer Language Learning Model (DPM). The DPM capitalises on three different classroom instruction “tools”: Process Drama, Task-Based Learning, and Critical Pedagogy. It has been tested with a group of primary school students from an indigenous community in the north of Brazil over a school term. The responses from the participants seem to indicate that the DPM can be a valuable additional strategy for helping EFL learners develop not only proficiency in the target language, but also critical thinking in the way that is suggested by Freirean pedagogy.
KEYWORDS: process drama, mother tongue, meaningful outcomes, language rehearsal, continuous evaluation, task-based pedagogy, critical learning