关键词: 英语专业; 读写危机; 思辨缺席; 研究能力; 英语教学; 人才培养; 本科生

Abstract:

This paper argues that strengthening the cultivation of capacity to conduct research is an effective way to handle the reading and writing crisis and the absence of critical thinking among English major undergraduates in Chinese universities. It mainly discusses two questions: (a) why should English major students’ capacities for research be cultivated in their undergraduate years, and (b) how should this be done? The author contends that because the discipline of English is part of humanities and the aim of English major education is to produce high-quality talents with creative minds, it is necessary to emphasize the cultivation of students’ research abilities. The author suggests that educational administration, teaching methods and students’ learning styles should be reformed. At the level of educational administration, it is necessary to reform the administration philosophy, the curriculum, the methods of evaluation and the management of university students’ scientific research training practices. At the level of teachers’ teaching, it is important for the teachers to implement research-oriented teaching methods, enhance their own research abilities and shift the focus of supervision to the cultivation of students’ research capacity. At the level of students’ learning, it is suggested that students adopt a research-oriented learning style and thus gradually form a sense of academics.

Keywords: English major; reading and writing crisis; absence of critical thinking; the capacity of research; English teaching; personnel training; undergraduate