Introduction. The article identifies and describes the signs of critical thinking as one of the aspects of functional literacy. Specific cognitive skills in which critical thinking is implemented are identified. The factors for the development of critical thinking among students of a pedagogical university in the disciplines of the linguistic cycle are named.

Materials and methods. The main research methods are general scientific procedures of analysis and synthesis. The factors influencing the process of formation of critical thinking were analyzed. As a result of the experiment, types of educational actions that can activate this process were identified. As a result of the analysis and synthesis of students' reactions to educational situations, a typology of factors in the development of critical thinking among students of a pedagogical university in the disciplines of the linguistic cycle was formed. To identify the pedagogical conditions and pedagogical results of the experiment, diagnostic techniques were used, including observation, description, conversation, questioning and testing.

Results. The signs of critical thinking are: the ability to differentiate phenomena on various grounds: external and essential, main and secondary, constant and dynamic, proven and unproven (or unproven); the ability to establish relationships between phenomena, facts, theories: relations of contradiction, mutual complementarity, cause-and-effect, hyponymic-hyperonymous, inclusion, etc.; the ability to select facts, circumstances and objects to solve a given problem. Cognitive procedures for the implementation of critical thinking include: analytical (implementation of logical procedures of all types), constative (establishing circumstances, inclusion or non-inclusion in the picture of reality); modeling (designing the optimal content and logic of actions under certain conditions, taking into account many factors). The following factors for the development of critical thinking in the disciplines of the linguistic cycle in a pedagogical university are identified: differentiation of fact and convention; understanding of dynamic processes in language; comparison of the content of information from different sources.

Discussion. The present study identified three factors for the development of critical thinking. The pedagogical community should expand this list. Also debatable is the issue of forming a harmonious combination of doctrinal and critical components of the future teacher’s thinking.

Conclusion. Critical thinking is a component and the highest manifestation of reading literacy (critical thinking is manifested, of course, not only in speech activity, but in this material we are talking about this vector of its manifestation). Comparison of texts, identification of common and different, separation of factual and nominal, establishment of factors of internal and external dynamics is the path to the formation of critical thinking in the disciplines of the linguistic cycle in a pedagogical university.

We consider the following developed skills to be signs of critical thinking: the ability to differentiate phenomena on various grounds; the ability to establish relationships between phenomena, facts, theories and the ability to select facts, circumstances and objects to solve a given problem;

To develop critical thinking, it is necessary to develop the skill of implementing cognitive procedures for implementing critical thinking, aimed at moving thoughts on a time scale from the past to the future: analysis and synthesis of available facts; establishing circumstances as a result of comparing information, overlaying it with background knowledge, modeling upcoming actions based on the assessment and interpretation of established circumstances of the past;

In order to develop the designated cognitive skills, which are the basis for the development of critical thinking, in the disciplines of the linguistic cycle at a pedagogical university, we consider it necessary to give tasks that lead to the differentiation of fact and convention; understanding dynamic processes in language, comparing the content of information from different sources.

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