WHAT MATTERS MOST, LOW-ORDER OR HIGHER-ORDER COGNITIVE SKILLS?

Abstract

This article examines which cognitive skills—lower-order or higher-order—are primarily developed through the Integrated Language Skills textbook for second-year students at Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages. An analysis of the task content reveals that most activities focus on developing lower-order cognitive competencies, such as memorizing, reproducing, recognizing, and applying basic language knowledge (vocabulary, grammar, simple structures). Although some tasks require students to use the learned material in practical situations, these are less common. Tasks that foster analytical, evaluative, and creative skills—such as analyzing context, comparing, critiquing, arguing, formulating, or creating new contexts—are practically absent. A comparison with phenomenon-based learning shows that the traditional approach falls short in cultivating critical thinking, learner autonomy, and the ability to use the language in real-life, interdisciplinary situations. Thus, the article concludes that integrated language courses mainly promote lower-order cognitive skills, limiting the formation of deep and sustainable language competencies necessary for modern intercultural communication.