The article considers the problem of the formation and development of critical thinking among students studying a foreign language in university. It contains the description of pedagogical experiment conducted with second-year students. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of such elements of critical thinking as analysis, argumentation and interpretation. It has been confirmed that the use of the individual project method increases the level of critical thinking of students. The results of the study showed that the accompanying factors of the educational process, such as necessity, personal interest and creativity, all together significantly contribute to the development of critical thinking. It has been proven that not all elements of critical thinking are developed and applied equally in different contexts. The general recommendations based on the findings of the conducted pedagogical experiment include proposals for developing the curriculum, which contains elements of project-based learning, and regular feedback and self-reflection.