Short Story Teaching as Resource in the Development of Critical Thinking Skills in Grade 11 English First Additional Language Classroom in Bochum East Circuit, Capricorn North District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Critical thinking skills are key components of knowing and learning English First Additional Language (EFAL). Mastering critical thinking skills boosts learners’ confidence and improves their thinking ability. The purpose of this study is to explore the teaching of short stories as a resource to develop Grade 11 EFAL learners’ critical thinking skills. A qualitative approach was employed to draw responses from all the participants. Ten learners and three EFAL paper two teachers were purposefully sampled from a secondary school in the Bochum East circuit. The researcher collected data using observation method, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Teachers and learners were interviewed and short story lessons were observed while the assessment activities given to learners were analyzed. The collected data was analyzed using thematic data analysis method. The findings indicate that critical thinking can be promoted during an EFAL paper two lessons through asking open-ended questions that will lead learners to share their knowledge, opinion, and views or come up with a solution of a given problem. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers integrate all levels of cognitive questions from Bloom’s Taxonomy and allow learners to be active participants during the lesson rather than relying on the teacher's knowledge and understanding. This study contributes to scholarship by positioning short stories as dynamic tools for developing learners’ critical thinking skills and enhancing both theoretical understanding and classroom practice in English language and literature education.