The Role of Syntax in Developing the Higher Order Thinking Skills of EFL/ESL Students

This paper is intended to investigate the role of syntax in developing the EFL and ESL students' higher order thinking skills (HOTS): Application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation / judgment as stated in Bloom’s taxonomy. The researcher maintains that syntax, as the study of the internal structure of sentences, is an effective tool to develop our students’ HOTS, if it is taught adequately and appropriately and if HOTS are internalized within and applied by the faculty members, as all activities and instructional material of this course involve critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving and decision making, all of which include HOTS stated in Bloom’s taxonomy.