CRITICAL THINKING IN LANGUAGE LEARNING FOR CHINESE EFL COLLEGE STUDENTS
Keywords:
Chinese college students, critical thinking, EFLAbstract
The information revolution is shaping education nowadays, especially higher education. In the information age, critical thinking has become crucial for students for their academic and future career success. The Chinese academia is aware of the importance of critical thinking and the shortcomings of the traditional English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching in China. This research accentuates the need to transform the EFL classrooms for Chinese college students. First, the relationship between critical thinking and language learning is studied. The origin, definition, categorization and practical assessment tools of critical thinking are reviewed for a better understanding of critical thinking. Then the relationship between critical thinking and language learning is explored. Studies have shown that critical thinking can not only be taught and learned in the language learning process, but also affect language learning in a positive manner. In order to examine the status quo of the Chinese EFL college students’ critical thinking, a questionnaire survey involving 1078 Chinese EFL college students was conducted. Participants of the survey were enrolled in a provincial pedagogical university in southeastern China. Results have shown that most participants hold an ambivalent attitude towards critical thinking, and it is necessary to improve students’ critical thinking disposition, especially in analyticity, systematicity, critical thinking self-confidence, and inquisitiveness. The survey has also revealed a weak correlation between participants’ critical thinking disposition and their College English Test results. Finally, feasible measures to facilitate critical thinking in the EFL classroom are provided based on the results and discussions. This research serves as a reference for EFL policymakers, educators, and learners to reflect on and enhance their own teaching or learning practices through the integration of critical thinking.
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