introduction

It emphasizes the interrelationship between language and thinking, and points out that the new curriculum standards incorporate the cultivation of thinking qualities into English teaching objectives. Introduced the research of experts such as Cheng Xiaotang and Ge Bingfang, who explored the development strategies of thinking quality in English teaching from different perspectives. At the same time, it points out the shortcomings of the current research status, such as the lack of systematic sorting and unclear research directions. This study conducted a qualitative analysis of the development of thinking qualities in English teaching in primary and secondary schools by searching relevant literature on CNKI, aiming to provide a framework and direction for future research.

The Relationship between Language and Thinking

Explored the relationship between language and thinking, including two perspectives: thinking determines language and language determines thinking. Marxist philosophy and Piaget believed that thinking precedes language, while Bussmann and Sapir believed that language influences ways of thinking. Vygotsky proposed the Heterogeneity Theory, Dynamic Development Theory, and Internal Verbal Thinking Theory of language and thinking, believing that there is a separation and interaction between language and thinking, and the interactive part is called verbal thinking. In the field of foreign language education, understanding the dynamic interaction between language and thinking has practical significance. Traditional English teaching has neglected the development of thinking. After the new curriculum standards proposed the development of thinking qualities, the cultivation of thinking qualities has received attention. However, there is a problem of teachers excessively pursuing cognitive development while neglecting language proficiency. This study focuses on the development of students' thinking qualities in English teaching in primary and secondary schools since the promulgation of the new curriculum standards six years ago. It explores the topics covered and the guidance provided for teaching, and pays attention to research trends.

research design

The design method of this study was introduced by searching 350 relevant papers from 2018 to 2023 on China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), using content analysis and bibliometric methods, and drawing a knowledge graph with CiteSpace software to analyze the frequency of research keywords, topic relevance, and research path. The research aims to answer the characteristics, development trends, and relationship between language and thinking in the study of thinking quality. The node size and font size in the graph represent research frequency and centrality, respectively, while color and line thickness reflect temporal changes and thematic correlation strength.

Research findings and discussions

By analyzing the research on promoting the development of students' thinking qualities in primary and secondary school English teaching from 2018 to 2023, this study reveals the characteristics, development trends, and exploration of the relationship between language and thinking in this field. Research has found that keywords such as "thinking quality", "reading instruction", and "problem design" appear frequently in research, indicating that the research focus involves dimensions such as theme, carrier, learning stage, and method path. The analysis of learning stages shows that the research frequency of "junior high school English" is higher than that of "elementary school English" and "high school English", but the latter two show stronger correlation. In terms of themes, "critical thinking," "creative thinking," and "logical thinking" are closely related to "reading teaching," and research often focuses on exploring specific methods.

conclusion

Summarized the research on promoting the development of thinking quality in primary and secondary school English teaching, analyzed the research characteristics and trends from 2018 to 2023, proposed three research paths, emphasized the mutual promotion relationship between language and thinking, and constructed a three-dimensional model to guide future research.