Preparing English Department Students for Industry 4.0 Era through Critical Thinking Skills Development

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to shed light on how to build critical thinking skills as one of the necessary skills that all students in higher education level need to be able to compete in the Industry 4.0 era. To ensure success, the worldwide industries in the fourth industrial revolution require their workforce to have not only technical skills but also soft skills, particularly critical thinking skills. With this new trend, English Department students are challenged to develop their critical thinking skills to supplement their English competences to be able to meet the ever-growing needs of the industry. Through a study of literature, this paper proposes some instructional strategies that the English Department could implement to build the students critical thinking skills and ultimately create a workforce ready for the tough competition in the Industry 4.0 environment.

Indonesian Students’ Attitudes towards EFL Learning in Response to Industry 5.0

“…In terms of the teaching and learning process, responses given by 157 participants (72.7%) showed that the lecturers' performance in teaching did affect the results of their learning process. This finding is in a similar vein with those of previous studies (Abidin et al, 2012;Adachi, 2015;Al-Sobhi et al, 2018;Anggraeni, 2018;Burgos & Pérez, 2015;Mbato & Kharismawan, 2018;Nduwimana, 2019;Sulistiyo & Haswindy, 2018;Yosintha & Arochman, 2020). Burgos and Pérez (2015) claim that students tend to prefer lecturers who use both their first language and English when teaching and thus providing them with richer exposures to authentic English.…”

“…In addition, to ensure success in Industry 5.0, this study found that effective cooperation between education institutions and the world of industry is fundamental as suggested in a plethora of studies in various fields Mbato & Kharismawan, 2018;Silalahi, 2017;Wichmann et al, 2019;Yosintha & Arochman, 2020). Students should be equipped with the competencies instrumental in Industry 5.0, not only competencies specific to their field but also those required for successful employment in general.…”

“…Other than speaking skills, students taking part in this study also found critical thinking and teamwork skills crucial to succeed and progress at work. In the current Industry 4.0 era, these are often mentioned as the skills instrumental in fulfilling the needs of this ever-growing industry, and thus the development of these two skills is significantly fostered through the teaching and learning process (Anggraeni, 2018;Yosintha & Arochman, 2020). Knowing the importance of critical thinking and teamwork skills at the present, these students believe that they will need these skills even more in the next Industry 5.0 competition.…”

Integrating Environmental Education into Maritime English Curriculum for Vocational Learners: Challenges and Opportunities

“…As the maritime industry increasingly focuses on sustainability, integrating environmental education into Maritime English aligns with industry trends and future workforce needs. This alignment can make graduates more attractive to employers and contribute to the industry's efforts to reduce its environmental impact [9,13].…”

Critical Thinking Ability of German Literature Departement’s Students of Universitas Negeri Malang in Writing Thesis

“…According to Ardiyani et al, (2020) critical thinking is also one of the abilities that should be possessed by graduates who are ready to work. This ability is defined as the ability to think clearly and rationally concerning a problem or situation and then find the best solution (Yosintha & Arochman, 2020).…”