In the following paper I will summarize the article "Critical Thinking Crucial to Global Success" written by A Chaedar Alwasilah (2002, May.2).Throughout the paper I will be discussing how the author dealt with the following critical thinking elements: Perception, Assumption, Emotion, Language, Argument, Fallacy, logic, issue/problem and resolution.
Chaedar starts out the article with the argument from Malik Fajar. Minister of Education "On many different occasions Minister of National Education, Malik Fajar has blatantly described Indonesian as a boring school subject. The method of teaching is monotonous, the teaching material is old, and the teacher has no vision. The subject, accordingly, does not provide students with the required knowledge and skills to develop themselves". This argument is simply Malik's claim used to persuade others that something should be done about the following issues: Our students language education should be modified to their counterparts in other Asian countries, we need to modernize our ways of teaching both national and foreign languages at all levels of education. Language teaching at present should be aimed at meeting global challenges, specifically to develop literacy for global competition.
Chaedar then gives his perception of the issue at hand is that of "It is the teacher, not the technology that matters most". According to Chaedar most likely through his translation of his experiences the essence of updating language teaching is reconstructing the perspective of and having a new awareness of the fundamental nature of language education, especially on the part all teachers and educational bureaucrats. Basic to innovation in language teaching is a complete understanding of language. It is also his perception that language is the medium of other school subjects, a tool for thinking, and a tool of civilization in general. This logic deduction suggests that professionally designed, language teaching will considerably advance the teaching of other subjects, improve students' intellectual ability, and shape human civilization.
