In the conditions of globalization, digitalization, and rapid socio-economic change, modern education systems are required to prepare learners who are capable of independent thinking, informed decision-making, and effective communication. Critical thinking has therefore emerged as a socially significant educational outcome. English language education, due to its communicative, cognitive, and intercultural nature, provides a particularly effective context for developing these skills. This study substantiates the social necessity of developing students’ critical thinking skills in English language classes and empirically examines the effectiveness of critical thinking-oriented teaching technologies. A mixed-methods approach combining pedagogical experimentation, testing, observation, and statistical analysis was employed. The results demonstrate statistically significant improvement in students’ critical thinking and communicative competence (p < 0.01), confirming the social and pedagogical value of integrating critical thinking into English language instruction.