Integrating critical thinking into task-based teaching of an integrated course of advanced business English

School of Humanities, Zhujiang College, South China Agricultural University, 510900 Guangzhou, China

^* Corresponding author: amyzhong89@hotmail.com

Abstract

Critical thinking (CT) is conducive to foreign language learning. This paper conducts research of how teachers could enhance CT skills of junior-level university students in an integrated course of advanced business English. It has found that a task-based teaching method helps motivate students to reflect critically, to make use of what they have learned and to acquire new specialized knowledge and skills in practice. Teachers may assign five categories of tasks, including listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating, and they could update teaching materials based on English levels and preference of students in order to engage them in the CT process of analysis, evaluation, inference, observation, reflection and reasoning.