Research On Cultivation Of Critical Thinking Of English Major Students

Since the20th century, foreign scholars have made extensive research about critical thinking. The development of critical thinking has been regarded as a core skill in higher education abroad. It not only covers the abstract thinking ability, logical thinking ability, and effective reasoning ability which college students should acquire, but also contains the spirit of independent thinking, proving, innovative spirit, etc. Critical thinking is not only a thinking skill, but also a kind of personality and disposition. However, attention was not paid enough to the development of critical thinking in higher education at home. Currently, there is almost no university regarding critical thinking as a compulsory course for college students. Some experts point out that students commonly suffer from critical thinking deficiency, and have the potential to intensify it. Foreign language students’critical thinking problems cause great concern. Therefore, how to effectively cultivate the critical thinking ability of students majoring in foreign language is extremely important. Based on this, this article adopts the Peng Meici(2004) revised edition of California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version, and Ye Yuzhu(2003) edition of Critical Thinking Skill Test, taking both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the effectiveness of PA (Presentation and Assessment) model of classroom activity played in training foreign language students’critical thinking. The subjects of this study were the89English major students of2010grade in Northeast Forestry University. The researcher conducted the pre-test and the post test by using Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version and Critical Thinking Skill Test to assess students’ critical thinking situation. Secondly through PA model of classroom activity, that is classroom presentation, students’peer assessment and teacher assessment, the researcher performed critical thinking training so as to study PA model of classroom activity pattern’s influence on students’critical thinking cultivation and its feasibility. The results were shown as follows:The quantitative results showed that:1) Students’overall critical thinking disposition was improved. Among seven dimensions, Truth-seeking, self-confidence, inquisitiveness and maturity declined slightly, but open-mindedness, analyticity and systematicity were improved significantly.2) Students’ overall critical thinking skills were improved. Among the five dimensions, assumptions and explanation were reduced, but the other three dimensions were improved.The qualitative results showed that students’self-awareness and systematicity was enhanced, the ability to analyze things was improved and their minds become more open.In conclusion, students’ overall critical thinking was improved, but the teacher and students still need to take every effort to improve the current situation.