introduction

The importance of critical thinking as a core competency for the 21st century was emphasized, and it was pointed out that the curriculum standard requires the cultivation of students' critical thinking in English teaching. However, there are problems in current English teaching, such as unclear understanding of critical thinking and insufficient design of teaching activities. The article explores effective teaching strategies that combine language learning and critical thinking by analyzing the relationship between the connotation of critical thinking and English learning.

English Learning and Critical Thinking

We have delved into the importance of critical thinking in the field of education, defining it as a higher-order thinking ability that includes two dimensions: cognitive ability and emotional traits. Critical thinking involves not only cognitive skills such as interpretation, analysis, and evaluation, but also emotional traits such as curiosity and confidence. The article points out that critical thinking is crucial for accurately evaluating things, rationally viewing problems, and effectively solving problems.

Case analysis of cultivating critical thinking in English teaching

Based on the topic of "conservation" in the high school English textbook of Beijing Normal University, this paper explores how to cultivate students' critical thinking in English teaching through the case of the "de extinction" project. Firstly, an analysis was conducted on the students' English foundation and their understanding of the new knowledge 'de extinction'. Then, the teaching objectives were clarified: to assist students in organizing textual information, analyzing textual structure, understanding different viewpoints, and presenting their own insights. Teaching design includes three stages: 1 Stimulating students' interest through exploratory questions and guiding them to gain a preliminary understanding of the topic; 2. Through speculative tasks, help students deepen their understanding of discourse content and develop critical thinking skills; 3. Establish scientific value judgment standards and guide students to develop critical thinking in language communication. Finally, the task of producing English science popularization short films was designed to promote students' deep learning of the theme. The entire teaching process focuses on the synchronous development of students' language knowledge learning and critical thinking abilities.

conclusion

Emphasis was placed on the mutually reinforcing relationship between students' language proficiency and critical thinking in English teaching. Teachers need to understand the essence of critical thinking, combine language teaching with the cultivation of critical thinking, stimulate students' thinking through designing exploratory and situational tasks, and guide students to analyze the content and meaning of discourse in depth. At the same time, teachers should use appropriate standards to assist students in evaluation, in order to promote the development of students' critical thinking and improve their understanding and problem-solving abilities in language, culture, and practical issues.