摘要
The paper compares and contrasts how Chinese ESL students and American students work on a same descriptive English writing assignment that requires critical thinking. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the similarity and difference between English composition teaching in China and English composition teaching in America in regarding to incorporating critical thinking, as reflected in the use of this assignment. The study uses descriptive analysis of student writings as well as quantitative analysis of questionnaires, student grades given both from the author and several other researchers who are invited to participate in the study. The cognitive abilities in critical thinking basically consist of logical thinking, dialectical thinking, and creative thinking abilities. The study reveals that Chinese students＇ works generally flow well and they use a language that is coherent and clear. However, the study also reveals that Chinese students have difficulties in implementing critical thinking at English composition learning, and the difficulties lie in creative and dialectical thinking. To cultivate critical thinking, we need to employ affective strategies, meta-cognitive strategies-macro-abilities, and cognitive strategies-micro-abilities. The paper concludes by giving concrete examples in the area of cognitive strategies-micro-abilities in order to cultivate critical thinking.
通过比较中美学生完成同一则运用批判性思维描写的英语写作情况，探讨中美两国英语写作教学中运用批判性思维的异同，研究方法既有对学生作文进行文本分析和描述研究，也有对学生问卷调查数据和学生作文得分的量化研究，还邀请了其他教师对中美学生作文的评分，并对他们的给分进行统计研究。批判性思维的认知技能基本体现在逻辑思维、辩证思维、创新思维适三种思维能力，本研究显示，中国学生作文基本做到逻辑清楚，而中国英语写作教学中运用批判性思维的薄弱环节是创新思维能力和辩证思维能力：培养批判性思维可分解为情感策略，元认知策略—宏观技能和认知策略—微观技能三大类。结合相应的问题．本文侧重从认知—微观技能给出培养批判性思维的具体策略范例，从而在写作训练和批判性思维的培养之间建立紧密联系。
基金
本论文系北京外国语大学2008年校级自选课题“授人以渔--英语写作教学教案设计与培养学生批判性思维”的研究成果（项目编号：08027）
