The article is devoted to the current problem of the development of critical thinking technology; the methods of forming critical thinking that contribute to the formation of foreign-language professional competence are considered; innovative technologies for the development of critical thinking are considered, consisting in the practical implementation of a personality-oriented approach in teaching: the student himself constructs the learning process, determines specific goals, tracks the directions of his development and evaluates the final result. It is noted that the most effective form of teaching students critical thinking is the implementation of group work, which allows them to develop the qualities of independence, curiosity, the ability to make an independent assessment, to argue their opinion, to prove or refute their decision.