Developing EFL Students’ Critical Thinking Competence in English Reading Class
- 1 School of Humanity, Tiangong University, Tianjin, China
Abstract
The Education Ministry requires that English majors at university level in China should not only achieve a good English language competence, but also a fair critical thinking ability in order to develop their intercultural communicative competence. However, various studies reveal that in China the perceived critical thinking competence of language majors at university level is weak. Given the context, this paper aims at proposing an eclectic paradigm to improve learners’ critical thinking competence in English Reading class, by presenting the status quo and the root causes of weak critical thinking ability of EFL students in China, and drawing on various theoretical concepts.
- Atkinson, D. (1997). A Critical Approach to Critical Thinking in TESOL. TESOL Quartely, 31, 71-94. https://doi.org/10.2307/3587975
- Byram, M. (1989). From Language Education for Intercultural Citizenship. Essays and Reflections. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
- Carrell, P. L., & Eisterhold, J. C. (1987). Schema Theory an ESL Reading Pedagogy. In M. H. Long, & J. C. Richards (Eds.), Methodology in TESOL: A Book of Readings (pp. 218-230). New York: Newbury House Publishers.
- Davidson, B. W. (1998). A Case for Critical Thinking in the English Language Classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 32, 119-123.
- Ennis, R. (1996). Critical Thinking. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
- Gong, L. L. (2019). Basic Readings in Scientific English. Beijing: China Electric Power Press.
- Moore, B. N., & Parker, R. (2008). Critical Thinking (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Nuttall, C. (1996). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language. Oxford: Heinemann.
- Paul, R. (2010). Critical Thinking Competency Standards Essential for the Cultivation of Intellectual Skills. Journal of Developmental Education, 34, 38-39.
- Ruminski, H. J., & Hanks, W. E. (1995). Critical Thinking Lacks Definition and Uniform Evaluation Criteria. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 50, 4-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769589505000302
- Slaght, J. (2019). Reading English for Academic Study. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
- Tang, G. J. (2009). Developing Critical Reading Training in English Reading Class. Journal of Southwest University, No. 35, 181-183.
- Wen, Q. F. (2010). Research on the Trend, Characteristics, Problems and Countermeasures of College English Teachers’ Professional Development. Foreign Language in China, No. 4, 77-83.
- Xiang, O. J., & Wang, Y. M. (1999). Towards a Realization of a Holistic Model of Teaching Reading in the EFL Class in China. Teaching English in China, No. 36, 46-50.
- Xiao, L. X. (2009). A New Paradigm of Teaching English in China: An Eclectic Model. The Asian EFL Journal, No. 1, 273-293.