A Study On Critical Thinking Of Senior High School Students In English Class

Recent development in education increasingly puts a stronger importance on critical thinking all over the world. The High School English Curriculum Requirements in China requires the cultivation of students’ critical thinking ability. While empirical studies of critical thinking in language teaching have begun to emerge at home, it is suggested that some changes in English teaching method can improve students’ critical thinking. This research is conducted to clarify the current situation of students’ critical thinking ability in senior high school and give some suggestions in cultivating critical thinking in English class. To achieve the goal above, three research questions are designed as follows:(1) What kind of Critical thinking skill do high school students have and what do they not have?(2) What may possibly cause the lack of critical thinking skills?(3) What can be done to cultivate students’ critical thinking in English class?In order to explore these three questions in a scientific way, a revised CCTST in Chinese will be used to test the critical thinking ability of senior high school students. Through English class observation and interview with course teacher and students, the possible causes will be found out. In the end of the research, some suggestions will be made and experimental class will be shown to cultivate students’ critical thinking in English class.Through the data analysis of the test score and both teacher’s and students’ talk in English class, the major founding are able to give the public a glimpse of the current situation. Firstly, the students’ critical thinking ability in senior high school have reach to the medium level, while their score are not equal in different critical thinking skills. Secondly, students in English class seldom think critically or use some critical thinking skills in English class. The possible reasons are firstly, English teacher in class only use a very few questions to inspire the students’ critical thinking. Secondly, both teachers and students have vague idea of the concept of CT. Thirdly, they think critical thinking is not the necessary goal in English course learning. Most importantly, external factors, such as teaching material, teaching schedule, impede students’ critical thinking in English class.Suggestions are made with examples in three aspects: When teachers are doing lesson plan, we’d better set an goal to cultivate students’ critical thinking with a specific topic. English teacher can alter some of the questions made in class to give more opportunity for students to think critically. CCTST and other test relevant to critical thinking can be used to introduce the idea of CT. The above suggestions will be applied in experimental class in this research.