An Empirical Research On The Cultivation Of The Ability To Think In English In High School English Class

Language and thought are intimately related to each other, thus the differences in eastern and western thinking patterns bring about those in Chinese and language. At present, the majority of the English teaching and learning in senior middle schools is basically concerned about language ability, and ignores the significant position of English thinking abilities in language learning. Consequently, the training and cultivation of English thinking ability has been weakened. Meanwhile, the result of language learning and teaching will be half with twice the effort.Even though time has witnesses the ample academic achievement in the research on second language acquisition both at home and abroad and many scholars has begun to study how to cultivate English thinking ability. However, the subjects of studies have only been restricted to adults and children, and to only the cultivation of English thinking ability on one aspect of the language skills.This experimental research lasts for one semester, with 119 students in class two and five, senior one of Xi'an Middle School of Shaanxi Province being the subjects. It aims to explore the English thinking ability cultivation-oriented teaching mode which can be applied in class. Based on the relationship between language and thought and combining the current situations of English teaching and learning in senior middle school, this research integrately adopts the literature review method, experimental research, questionnaire and interview research, and class observation. It also tries to verify the feasibility and practicability of English thinking ability cultivation in senior middle school and draw the relevant pedagogical implications. Meanwhile, the author also put forward her own opinions of cultivating students' English thinking ability.The research is conducted concentrating on the following questions:(1) The real reasons for the low efficiency of English teaching and learning and the current situation of senior middle school students' thinking ability in English (2) What is the relationship between senior middle school students' thinking ability in English and the proficiency of language teaching and learning? (3) The process and way of cultivating students'thinking ability in English in the real classroom. This research consists of two participants, one is the control class where the traditional teaching mode is still adopted; the other is the experimental one where the English thinking ability-oriented teaching mode is used. After one-semester experimental research, such conclusions have been drawn by comparing these two classes:(1) The degree of English thinking ability is not only the prerequisite of English acquisition, but also the result of English acquisition. (2) The cultivation of English thinking ability is verified to be feasible, and students' English thinking ability has positively correlation with their language proficiency, that is to say, it is worthy to pay attention to the cultivation of English thinking ability during language acquisition.(3) The cultivation of English thinking ability should not be restricted to one specific skills, but be extended to every aspects including listening, speaking, reading and writing. (4) Only by directing students from the perspective of the differences existing between English and Chinese thinking patterns can students write more English native-like passages. That is the real improvement in writing level. Because of the restriction of such objective conditions as time and the author's academic ability, there still exist some shortcomings which will be listed in the last chapter to provide some referable suggestions for further research.