Abstract Summary
The present study explored the critical thinking skills exemplified in the English public speaking course of science and engineering college students. A qualitative analysis of their English speeches revealed two categories of problems: external and internal ones. Teaching methods corresponding to each category were discussed.
Abstract :
Much research has contributed to the development of critical thinking competence of Chinese college students of foreign language majors in terms of the significance (Sun 2011), the measurement (Wen 2008, 2009; Sun 2014), and the predictive power (Jin & Pu 2018), etc. However, there have been relatively few studies focusing on Chinese college students of non foreign language majors. Wen (2010) & Ren (2013) compared and contrasted the critical thinking skills between the foreign language majors and other liberal arts majors, yet it is still unknown how the critical thinking ability is embodied in the English output of science and engineering majors. On the basis of Wen’s (2008, 2009) conceptual framework and Sun’s (2014) analytical framework of critical thinking sub-skills in EFL public speaking, the present study examined how the critical thinking skills of science and engineering majors was represented or underrepresented in English public speeches of science and engineering majors. In a qualitative analysis of problems of critical thinking skills reflected in public speech scripts, problems were classified into two categories, external vs. internal, with the former referred to problems which could be amended by raising awareness and adjusting speech design procedure, while the later to the gap in competence which, together with language assistance, need to be gradually scaffolded by instructors. Suggestions for teaching methods corresponding to each category were provided to elicit discussions on critical thinking pedagogy.
