Crafting classroom activities for EFL learners using Bloom's Taxonomy

Abstract

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that categorizes different types of thi­nking processes, ranging from lower to higher order. Remembering and under­s­ta­n­ding are associated with lower-order thinking processes, applying is considered a middle-order thinking process, while, analyzing, evaluating, and creating are cla­s­si­fied as higher-order thinking processes. Along with the transfer of subject knowledge, the teacher has a crucial role in promoting the development of higher-order thinking skills in students. Every educator should aspire to guide students in advancing from lo­wer to higher-order thinking. Through providing effective classroom activities ba­sed on Bloom’s Taxonomy teachers can cultivate higher-order thinking skills of stu­dents. By honing higher-order thinking skills, students can formulate hypotheses, po­se research questions, elaborate on answers, solve problems, combine knowledge from different sources, make inferences, form judgments, develop reasoning, bra­i­n­storm ideas, evaluate different perspectives, draw conclusions, and more. Higher-order thinking skills enable students to use learned information in innovative ways, manipulate information, apply knowledge in new situations, devise new solutions, and generate original ideas. Higher-order thinking activities equip learners to be original thinkers, innovators, and creators. By incorporating activities that challenge students to use higher-order thinking skills, educators facilitate their academic growth and prepare them for successful and prosperous futures. The article sheds light on sample classroom activities crafted using cognitive thinking levels of Bloom's Taxonomy for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners, which require students to engage different levels of thinking skills.