Using critical thinking activities as tools to integrate language skills

Every day communication is an event in which there is an interactional relationship between interlocutors. This interaction needs whole language in which language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing; associated knowledge of vocabulary, meaning, syntax, etc.; and also, thinking skills are interwoven. This means that language should be kept whole and ＂if language isn＇t kept whole, it isn＇t language anymore＂ （Rigg, 1991, p. 522, cited in Richards ＆ Rodgers, 2001, p. 109）. In English as a Second Language/English Foreign Language （ESL/EFL） learning settings, improvement in one skill can affect the development of other skills. A particular course may highlight certain skills, but if the teacher is creative or specific tasks and problems are used in language learning settings, learners are provided with the opportunity to improve multiple, integrated skills. This paper aims at elaborating on critical thinking approach to language learning and introducing practical ideas for helping teachers to integrate language and thinking skills. It introduces 3 critical thinking activities （Dialogue journals, reading logs and literacy portfolios）, and also discusses how implementing them can serves as a way to integrate language skills. It also maintains that engaging learners in these activities helps them use authentic materials and solve problems of their own interest that in turn has a positive effect on student＇s motivation.

Thinking Skills与英语单词记忆

笔者前不久在通化参加了TEFL-China首届国际学术年会。报告人是英国Nottingham大学的Ronal Carter教授。Carter教授提出英语教学中除了培养学生听、说、读、写等方面的能力,更要注意培养学生的思考能力(Thinking Skills),skill是一种技能,包括想象、联想的能力。这使笔者想起一场有关快速记忆单词的报告。

Skills of Cultivating Critical Thinking in English Speech

English speech is an important way for international cultural exchange in the context of globalization.Meanwhile,the cultivation of critical thinking has been universally recognized as one of the goals of higher education.However,critical thinking,as a top-level cognitive ability,is extremely abstract and complex,so how to put it into English speech is a challenge.Therefore,in order to simplify the issue,inspired by the interdependent relatiomhip between critical thinking and creativity,this article helps to explore some skills of cultivation.

Effectiveness of Computer Assisted Problem based Learning in Chemistry for Enhancing Thinking Skills among Secondary School Students

Experiencing problems that challenges science and the thought, habits of mind and actions associated with trying to solve them is one of the best ways of learning Chemistry. This impels opportunities for authentic, inquiry based learning. PBL （problem based learning） is a student centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the experience of problem solving. The goals of PBL are to help the students develop flexible knowledge, effective problem solving skills, self-directed learning, effective collaborative skills and intrinsic motivation. CAPBL （computer assisted problem based learning） has been created to expand the boundaries of the creativity and the creativity of students beyond the four walls of the classroom. In the present study the investigator tested the effectiveness of the CAPBL material in Chemistry for enhancing thinking skills among secondary school students. The sample consisted of 100 secondary school students. The study revealed that the CAPBL material in Chemistry is effective in enhancing thinking skills such as critical thinking, creativity and problem solving.

Cultivation of Critical Thinking Skills in College English Classrooms

This paper is a qualitative study of the cultivation of critical thinking skill in college English classrooms in China. Critical thinking has long been recognized as an important part of the curricular framework in education western countries. However, the instruction of critical thinking has not gained prominence in Chinese universities. The author does research on how to foster students＇ critical thinking skills in the college English classrooms, and proposes some methods and techniques to facilitate the skills： change teachers＇ concept of language teaching, create a flexible atmosphere in the classrooms, teach students how to raise questions, and teach them to express logically.

Fostering Critical Thinking Skills in the EFL College-Level Classroom Through Online Collaborative Document Tools

This paper explores the potential of applying online collaborative documents to foster critical thinking skills in EFL college-level classrooms.Considering the limitations of traditional teacher-centered approaches and the need for innovative methods,the study examines the integration of online collaborative tools,using Tencent Docs as an example.The discussion highlights the importance of critical thinking in the academic and professional spheres and introduces the concept of online collaborative documents for enhancing this cognitive skill.Through a detailed exploration,the paper presents a model of employing collaborative documents within a college English class,demonstrating how students collaboratively learning an article.Then,the paper discusses the pros and cons of employing this technology in classroom.The conclusion emphasizes the transformative potential of integrating technology into pedagogy and its role in creating a dynamic learning environment.The paper underscores the importance of striking a balance between technology and traditional methods,foreseeing avenues for further research and development.

Nurses'critical thinking disposition and professional commitment:a cross-sectional study

Objective:High-quality and successful nursing care delivery in a variety of situations requires critical thinking training and professional commitment.The present study aimed to investigate critical thinking disposition,professional commitment,and the relationship between these 2 variables among nurses.Methods:As a result of stratified random sampling,201 nurses were enrolled in the present cross-sectional study.Data were gathered using a socio-demographic form,the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory(CTDI),and the Nurses'Professional Commitment Scale(NPCS).Results:Although the critical thinking disposition scores were at a moderate level(115.70±13.55),the mean score for professional commitment was high(91.37±11.77).A positive correlation was found between critical thinking disposition and professional commitment(r=0.67,P=0.001).Conclusions:Nursing managers are urged to employ strategies to enhance nurses'critical thinking disposition and professional commitment.

On Critical Thinking Skill Cultivation in EFL Teaching

Critical thinking has been recognized internationally as an essential skill for high-quality talents.This article analyzes what the experimental researches on cultivating critical thinking skills in EFL teaching have achieved and identifies the three weaknesses to be addressed in the future.Firstly,there are divergences among scholars on the concept and subskills of critical thinking.Secondly,the teaching modes and methods explored by the experimental researches are more personalized than systematic,which reduces their application and guidance value.Thirdly,the reliability and validity of the experiments need to be improved,and the cultivation practices tend to improve the critical thinking skills of some students,without considering the differences among students,especially the students with relatively poor language proficiency.

Analysis of Critical Thinking Skill Training Exercises in EAP Writing Context

Critical thinking,as higher-order thinking,is the use of relatively complex cognitive skills like analyzing,reasoning,making judgments.This paper analyzed the distribution of exercises on critical thinking skills in EAP writing context for EFL students.The data were randomly collected and systematically coded according to the new version of Bloom’s taxonomy of critical thinking cue questions:lower-order thinking(LOT,including remembering,understanding,and applying)and higher-order thinking(HOT,including analyzing,evaluating,and creating).The findings showed that HOT exercises have a higher proportion than LOT exercises in EAP writing context for EFL students.Most cue questions in HOT exercises greatly emphasize the training of critical thinking skills and enhance the effectiveness of promoting learners’critical thinking skills.Therefore,critical thinking skills,as a product of training and practice,tend to be trained to improve students’language learning and development,and especially to facilitate development of cognitive and higher-order cognitive skills.Based on the findings,the training of critical thinking is expected to be improved in English learning for EFL undergraduates,so as to make improvement in cultivating Chinese EFL students’critical thinking skills.

A Study of Perfecting Cognitive Structure and Improving Writing Skills

The paper is purposed to promote students＇ writing skills and help them perfect their cognitive structure at the same time by designing some writing tasks. The tasks are based on the contents of the teaching materials, and students can get involved in the activities by thinking critically.

Critical Thinking Ⅰ: Seeking Conceptual Clarity

this first paper focuses on seeking conceptual clarity;the second paper will focus on how nurses use critical thinking in clinical cases;and the third paper will focus on how advanced nurse practitioners use critical thinking to provide safe and high quality care to patients and families.We welcome nursing colleagues in China respond our paper.

新人教版高中英语必修教材中批判性思维的体现——以“Reading and Thinking”板块为例

"思维品质"作为英语学科核心素养之一,一直备受关注。2019年也正式出台了核心素养版的人教版高中英语教材。该文旨在通过研究新人教版高中英语必修第一册、第二册,分析教材中"Reading and Thinking"板块批判性思维的体现。该文选取了《特尔斐报告》中的认知技能框架,分别为阐释、分析、评价、推理、说明和自我校准,在批判性思维的理论框架之下,结合核心素养版的人教版高中必修教材,着重分析教材里"Reading and Thinking"板块,看批判性思维的各个层次在阅读练习中如何体现。

On Cultivating Intercultural Critical Thinking Ability in English Teaching for Non-English Major Graduates

After discussing the important concepts that guide English teaching in universities in China, the author draws a roadmap of Language and Intercultural Critical Thinking Integrated Approach (LICTIA) for English teaching for non-English major graduates in Central University of Finance and Economics, and then expounds on the particulars concerning the application of LICTIA in English classes. English teaching for non-English major graduates aims to cultivate graduates’ global competence and intercultural critical thinking ability besides the improved language skills.

Computer Skills in Humanistic Discipline： Some Observations

This paper explores the myriad capabilities of that contraption, the computer, and its attendant role in the development of creative thought and logical thinking; skills （we could have used the word ＂knowledge＂ instead of skills; but to avoid the unnecessary ambiguity of the former, we shall drop it and talk of skills instead） which the humanistic disciplines and related disciplines in the social sciences and in natural sciences should inculcate. The process of acquiring these skills assumes that one rational animal-the student develops her/his rational powers by studying the wisdom and folly of other rational animals-the authors of various works and/or disciplines the student is set to study. In a word, what is dealt with specifically in the humanistic disciplines, in swimming and riding bicycles, leave us only when decrepitude invades our minds and bodies. In short, students must learn to think. This is an obvious platitude.

Cultivation of Reading,Writing,and Critical Thinking in the Teaching of Selected Readings in American Literature

Selected Readings in American Literature is a required course for the third year of English major,and it is also a compulsory course for the Bachelor Degree of English Language and Literature at School of Foreign Languages,Leshan Normal University.The course uses the combination of English literary reading and course paper writing to develop students’English reading and writing skills,while focusing on the cultivating critical thinking skills of English majors.

Integral Thinking and its application to Integral Education

After the exploration of different kind of thinking skills oriented to dis-cerning complex issues and phenomena,this article argues about the need to use a new modality of thinking,defined as integral thinking.Based on the holonic theory and on the proprieties of the holons and their part-whole relationships,the paper proposes and characterizes integral think-ing,a kind of thinking that is holistic but also has span and profundity,going beyond conventional Aristotelian epistemic-inspired ways.Integral thinking joins in a single model the assets of premodern,modern and postmodern thinking systems;and helps in going beyond the nowadays syncretism of many perspectives.Integral thinking is the kind of thinking appropriated to the contemporary need to think integrally in science,cul-ture,professions,and arts or about the evolution of personal conscious-ness.It’s useful also to be applied in the diverse professional fields,espe-cially when comprehensive approaches are needed.Integral thinking can be used in holistic education and pedagogies.The use of integral thinking in the educational actuality can help to characterize the integral education practice and agenda.

Discuss the Framework of Edward de Bono＇ s Parallel Thinking Dispositions and Critically Evaluate Its Pedagogical Implications for Teachers in Foreign/Second Language Classroom

The educational orientation in 21 stcentury has shifted from traditional approach that solely driving academic achievement, to a comprehensive orientation that emphasises innovation and diversity. Following this trend, teaching students the skills of thinking such as creative thinking, critical thinking, etc. has been widely recognised as a hot topic in the recent classrooms.Some researches show that Edward de Bono's six thinking hats are affording both teachers and students well-structured framework for thinking skills' training. Therefore, in the EFL/ESL classroom, teachers' teaching targets are likely to promote students' learning outcomes through teaching thinking skills depending on Six Thinking Hats approach and a majority practices show that the results are satisfied.

Critical Thinking Process in English Speech

With the development of mass media,English speech has become an important way for international cultural exchange in the context of globalization.Whether it is a political speech,a motivational speech,or an ordinary public speech,the wisdom and charm of critical thinking are always given into full play.This study analyzes the cultivation of critical thinking in English speech with the aid of representative examples,which is significant for cultivating college students’critical thinking as well as developing their critical thinking skills in English speech.

IMPLEMENTING A THINKING SKILLS INTERVENTION IN ENGLISH CLASSES IN CHINA

This paper is concerned with the impact of implementing a thinking skills intervention on pedagogy and the classroom environment, general problems in implementing thinking skills in China and their suggested solutions. It is conducted by a small scale investigation into a thinking skills class in Year 7 English in England. Discussion is based on existing research in this field and the writer's professional experience. Data is compiled from a teacher interview, a student questionnaire and a video recording of the sample lesson.

Philosophizing in skilled nursing care: Must or nice?

To become a professional nurse requires that nurses learn to think in a right way. Thinker nurses strive to be clear, accurate, logical, complete, precise and faire in their practice and manner. In other words, a thinker nurse is a philosopher who has the ability of reasoning, critical and reflective thinking. In many investigations, the role of critical or reflective thinking is explored, but in this review article, we are trying to introduce a comprehensive concept that involves all these elements of thinking skills. It is philosophizing.