Abstract:Critical thinking is a purposeful, self-regulatory judgment, which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based. No matter in western countries or in China, critical thinking ability has always been claimed and emphasized as one of the most important goals of education in the information age. Being considered an essential capacity, critical thinking ability has turned scholars’attention to English majors who are believed lack the ability.
When we observe the histories of speeches, it is quite obvious speech plays an important role in communicative efficacy, comprehensive quality, sharp observation, excellent analyzing ability, quick thinking ability and so on. It needs not only the solid foundation in language and excellent psychological quality but also the independent thinking and ingenuity of speakers. The process of speech is a process of thinking critically. Pointing to the reality that English majors lack the critical thinking ability ,the present study aims to testify the relationship between critical thinking skills of English majors and English speech by a case study. The research instrument of this study is designed based on “the objective measuring tool for student's skills of critical thinking”(Wen Qiufang et al. 2009). Chen Jiehao, the winner of the twenty-first Century Cup National English Speaking Contest is selected by method of date analysis to take the test.
Problems to be solved include:
(1) What Kind of Critical Thinking Skills( Wen’s Model of Critical Thinking Skills (Wen et al., 2009)) are Used in the Speech?
(2) How the Critical Thinking Skills( Wen’s Model of Critical Thinking Skills (Wen et al., 2009)) are Reflected in the Speech?
After testing what critical thinking skills are use in Chen Jiehao’ speech, main findings of this study can be summed up as follows:
(1) The results suggest that reference of skills is the main skill to be used in prepared speech, and analysis is the main skill to be used both in impromptu and Q&A Speech.
(2) In impromptu and Q&A speech, people are intended to be more logic and flexible than in prepared speech.
(3) Skills are often be used in prepared speech. However, standards is the main skill to be used both in impromptu and Q&A Speech.
(4) Cognitive skills are more often used than affective skills and critical thinking skills is the main skill to be used in speech compared to metal critical thinking skills.
The research results enlighten educators that more advantages of English speech should be concerned and more chances of speaking in the public for students should be provided so that we can improve students’ critical thinking skills.
Keywords: critical thinking skills; English speech; a case study
摘要:批判性思维是一种基于充分的理性和客观事实而进行理论评估与客观评价的能力与意愿，它不为感性和无事实根据的传闻所左右．近些年来，批判性思维能力作为信息时代的重要教育目标之一，无论是在西方国家还是在中国，均被倡导和强调．在批判性思维被视为人类发展必备能力之一的社会背景下，我国英语专业大学生的批判性思维能力受到该领域专家的批评和质疑，即所谓的“批判缺席症”．
回顾过去演讲的发展历程，不难发现演讲作为一种沟通方式，对演讲者的口语表达能力、综合素质能力、敏锐的观察能力、深刻的分析能力、敏捷的思维能力等方面都发挥着重要的作用，不仅需要演讲者具备扎实的语言功底和良好的心理素质，还需要演讲者能够独立思考，随机应变，这个过程就是演讲者充分发挥其批判性思维能力的过程．本研究将针对英语专业学生批判性思维能力差的实际问题，采用个案分析的方法，以“我国外语类大学生思辨能力客观性量具”（文秋芳等 2009）为理论框架，运用数据对比分析的方法，选取全国21世纪杯英语演讲比赛冠军陈洁昊为研究对象，验证英语专业学生批判性思维和演讲的关系．
研究的主要内容包括：(1) 运用文秋芳的思辨能力的量具理论原理分析演讲中都运用了哪些批判性思维；(2) 这些批判性思维在演讲中是如何体现的．
在测试了全国21世纪杯英语演讲比赛选手陈洁昊是如何运用文秋芳的思辨能力的量具理论获得比赛冠军的基础上，取得的研究结果总结如下：
在命题演讲中，主要运用推理的思辨能力．在即兴演讲和论辩演讲中，主要运用分析的思辨能力．
在即兴演讲和论辩演讲中，选手更具灵活性和逻辑性．
在命题演讲中，主要运用技巧的思辨能力．在即兴演讲和论辩演讲中，主要运用标准的思辨能力．
在演讲中，认知技能的运用要远远的大于情感技能的运用，同时，思辨能力的应用要远远大于元思辨能力的应用．
本研究的研究成果启示教育工作者应该更多的关注演讲课程给学生带来的益处，让学生更多的参与到演讲之中，从而提高学生的批判性思维．
关键词：批判性思维能力；英语演讲；个案分析
