Language and cognition: Is critical thinking a myth in Turkish educational system?

It is a common belief that eastern learners, including Turkish learners, lack critical thinking (CT) skills due to their traditional social structure. They seem to hesitate vocalizing what they really think. This study explores CT levels of Turkish pre-service teachers of English as manifested through written texts both in Turkish (L1) and English (L2). Focusing on language production as language and cognition are tightly related, the main concern is whether this problem is rooted in cultural disposition. This study supports the ongoing discussion on the eastern way of thinking, fostered by such social maxims as social harmony, respect and humbleness. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.