English Language Examinations and Thinking Skills

Abstract

There is a growing need in education today to produce students who are independent thinkers and effective problem-solvers. This is mainly due to the onslaught of new problems brought about by modernization in all human endeavours. The need to enhance creative and critical thinking skills as well as language competency through the various teaching and learning processes and through evaluation is increasingly important. To what extent, have the various programmes and evaluations in the English Language currently carried out in schools achieved this objective? This paper will analyze current English Language Papers set by the Malaysian Examination Board for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) to evaluate the thinking skills that are directly or indirectly evaluated apart from testing the students’ competency in the language. This will give English Language examiners some insights into the type of thinking skills that are examined or not examined by these public examinations. English Language teachers will be able to structure their questions to incorporate national aims of English Language education, that is, teaching and testing for language competency as well as enhancing thinking skills.