A Study On The Cultivation Of Thinking Capacity In English Reading Class

As the focus of the new curriculum standard reform,the key competency of English subject has been widely mentioned and valued by scholars and educators.English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education(2022 Edition)clearly stipulates that English courses in compulsory education undertake the task of cultivating students’ basic English literacy and developing students’ thinking capacity.Thinking capacity is the core of intellectual education,which mainly refers to students’ logical,critical and innovative abilities and the development of higher-order thinking.Reading class is an input course,which is an important source for students to exercise their thinking and acquire knowledge.On the contrary,the research is still in the stage of skimming the reading content and grasping the general idea.With the continuous change of educational environment and reform,English reading class is no longer just to acquire language knowledge,but to pay attention to the cultivation of thinking capacity in junior high school.Based on the Constructivism Theory,Lin Chong-De’s Theory of Intelligence Focusing on Thinking Structure and The Interaction Theory of Language and Thinking,this study conducted a questionnaire survey among 156 the first,second and third grade students of three ordinary junior high schools in Taiyuan.In addition,6 students and 6English teachers were interviewed in order to answer the following two questions:(1)What is the current situation of students’ thinking capacity in English reading teaching of ordinary junior high school?(2)What are the problems existing in the training process of thinking capacity in English reading class of junior high school and what are the factors causing the problems?The research results indicate:(1)The overall level of students’ thinking capacity in the English reading class of ordinary junior high school is low.(2)The author also found that problems existing in the cultivation of thinking capacity in junior high school English reading class as follows: students’ ability to connect the old and new knowledge in English reading is weak;students’ ability of critical analysis of texts is low;students’ innovation consciousness and behavior are poor.The low level of thinking capacity cultivation among junior high school students in Taiyuan is mainly caused by the following factors.First of all,in the background of exam-oriented education,schools and teachers have no time to pay attention to the cultivation of students’ thinking capacity.Secondly,teachers and students themselves are lack of in-depth learning of thinking capacity.According to the research findings,the author puts forward targeted suggestions in terms of schools,teachers and students.First of all,the school should establish a multiple evaluation system,respect the free development of students,not regard scores as sole standard for evaluation and focus on cultivation of students’ thinking capacity.Next,teachers should realize the importance of improving thinking capacity,learn thinking capacity systematically in order to put it into real teaching situation,establish a harmonious relationship with students to improve their critical thinking and implement unique teaching design to promote students’ innovative thinking.Finally,students should change learning attitude,expand reading channels and volumes to improve ability to connect new and old knowledge,increase high confidence,dare to question teachers and textbooks to cultivate critical thinking,and break conventional learning methods and patterns to develop innovative thinking.