The Relationship between english proficiency, academic reading comprehension, and critical thinking in university students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/3fjv8h87Keywords:
dominio del inglés, comprensión lectora académica, pensamiento crítico, lectura crítica, estudiantes universitariosAbstract
The present study aims to examine the relationship between English proficiency, academic reading comprehension, and critical thinking in university students. A systematic literature review was conducted through the selection and analysis of 20 studies related to English language proficiency, second-language reading comprehension, academic vocabulary, reading strategies, critical reading, and critical thinking in higher education. The methodology made it possible to organize the evidence into thematic categories in order to identify trends, contributions, and research gaps The findings suggest that English proficiency plays an important role in university academic performance, as it enables students to understand scientific texts, identify main ideas, interpret arguments, and evaluate information critically. In addition, academic reading comprehension was found to depend on linguistic, cognitive, and metacognitive factors, such as vocabulary, grammar, prior knowledge, and the use of reading strategies. Finally, the study concludes that critical thinking can be strengthened through academic reading activities in English that promote analysis, reflection, argumentation, and evidence evaluation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Diego Alejandro Fernández Cando, Cecilia Crespo Cortés, Leslie Sabine Gavilanes Guerrero, Javier Patricio Ortiz León, Jefferson Javier Poveda Taipe (Autor/a)
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