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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 17. Number 2, June 2026 Pp.126 -144
Professor Mykhailo Hetmanets Department of Theory and Practice of the English Language and Foreign Literature, H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Professor Leonid Ushkalov Department of Ukrainian Literature and Journalism,
H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Department of Modern Teaching Methods, Municipal Higher Educational Institution
“Kharkiv Academy of Continuing Education”, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Foreign Languages Department, Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts,
Kharkiv, Ukraine
Foreign Languages Department, Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts,
Kharkiv, Ukraine
Department of Foreign Languages, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy, Ukraine
This article explores the development of critical thinking in English as a Foreign Language instruction through the analysis of manipulative discourse. In the context of digital transformation and the growing influence of persuasive media content, language education must prepare learners for critical engagement with ideologically and emotionally charged texts. The study addresses the question of how manipulative discourse analysis can be integrated into EFL instruction to strengthen learners’ critical thinking and information resilience. Accordingly, the aim of the study is to provide a theoretical justification for incorporating manipulative discourse analysis into EFL education as a pedagogically grounded tool for fostering critical literacy and cognitive autonomy. The significance of the study lies in conceptualizing manipulative discourse analysis as a pedagogically grounded tool for strengthening learners’ critical literacy, cognitive autonomy, and resistance to informational influence in contemporary digital environments. The study is theoretical in nature and is based on literature analysis, system analysis, comparative-analytical methods, elements of critical discourse analysis, and theoretical modeling. The findings show that manipulative influence operates through the interaction of lexical, syntactic, and narrative mechanisms that activate cognitive schemas and interpretative frames. Logical, psychological, and rhetorical forms of argumentation are identified as key dimensions of persuasive communication. The study proposes pedagogical practices such as discourse-analytical modules, comparative frame analysis, examination of AI-generated content, and argumentative-reflective tasks to foster analytical and metacognitive skills. It concludes that integrating manipulative discourse analysis into EFL instruction strengthens linguistic competence, promotes cognitive autonomy, and supports learners’ ability to critically interpret contemporary media texts
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Victor Chetveryk, PhD in Philology, is a Senior Lecturer at the Professor Mykhailo Hetmanets Department of Theory and Practice of the English Language and Foreign Literature at H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine. His research interests include foreign language pedagogy, discourse analysis, digital technologies in language education, and critical thinking. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2137-2095
Tetiana Veretiuk, PhD in Philology, is an Associate Professor at the Professor Leonid Ushkalov Department of Ukrainian Literature and Journalism, H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Her research interests include literary studies, comparative literature, academic writing, and interdisciplinary approaches in higher education.
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3985-1529
Oksana Rumiantseva-Lakhtina, PhD in Philology, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Modern Teaching Methods, Kharkiv Academy of Continuing Education, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Her research interests include innovative teaching methodologies, teacher professional development, and linguistic education in lifelong learning. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7588-3395
Yuliia Laptinova, PhD in Philosophy, is a Senior Lecturer at the Foreign Languages Department, Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Her research interests include philosophy of education, intercultural communication, and foreign language instruction in higher education. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4175-0858
Liudmyla Babaievska is a Senior Lecturer at the Foreign Languages Department, Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Her research interests include foreign language teaching in non-linguistic higher education, professional communication, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in the arts. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1278-0086
Yuliia Shcherbyna is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Foreign Languages, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy, Ukraine. Her research interests include English language teaching in professional contexts, communicative competence development, and language education in agrarian and technical higher education. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1646-0867