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Communicative Competence and Critical Thinking: a Crosscultural View of Chinese EFL Learners and Teachers in a University Context

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Communicative Competence and Critical Thinking: a Crosscultural View of Chinese EFL Learners and Teachers in a University Context Communicative Competence and Critical Thinking: a Crosscultural View of Chinese EFL Learners and Teachers In a University Context Lixin Xiao BA, MA, Cert, of Furth. Edu. A thesis submitted for the qualification of Doctor of Philosophy Dublin City University, Ireland Supervisor: Dr. Aileen Pearson-Evans School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies December 2004 Declaration I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. ID No: 50162756 C andidate Date: 3/tf Table of Contents Table of contents i Acknowledgements ix Abstract x List of Abbreviations xi List of Tables xii List of Figures xiv Introduction 1 Chapter 1. A historical overview of EFL education in China 6 Introduction 6 1.1. A brief history of English language education in China 6 1.2. Overview of the present state of English language education for English majors at tertiary level 11 1.2.1. Difference between English education for English majors and that for non-English majors 12 1.2.2. English education for English majors: context and problems 13 1.3. New challenges confronting EFL education in China at tertiary level 16 1.3.1. The NPG survey report 16 1.3.2. The Zhang & Yang study 19 1.4. Comments on the studies of NPG and Zhang & Yang 20 Chapter summary 25 Chapter 2. Literature review: communicative competence and CLT 27 i Introduction 27 2.1. The concept of communicative competence 27 2.2. Historical review of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) 31 2.3. Critiques of CLT 34 2.4. The communicative competence of Chinese EFL majors: The status quo 40 2.4.1 .Inadequate communicative competence 40 2.4.2.Causes of poor communicative competence of Chinese EFL learners 41 2.4.3. ‘The Bucket model’ 45 2.5. Applying CLT in China: the source of great debate 47 Chapter summary 53 Chapter 3. Cultural Impacts on the EFL education in the Chinese context 54 Introduction 54 3.1. Confucianism 56 3.2. Hofstede's 4-Dimensonal Model of Cultural Difference 57 3.3. The Chinese culture of learning and its influence on EFL Education in China 60 3.4. The role of the teacher in class 62 3.5. The notion of a'good teacher'held by Chinese students 64 3.6. Traditional attitudes towards learning 65 3.7. The concept of'face' 66 Chapter summary 68 Chapter 4. Research Methodology 69 Introduction 69 4.1. Research Design: quantitative and qualitative approach 70 4.2. Research aim of this study 71 4.3. Data Collection 72 ii 4.4. Pilot study: questionnaire design 72 4.5. Learning from the pilot study 74 4.6. Formal field survey: student questionnaire design 75 4.7. Teacher questionnaire design 77 4.8. Choosing the university for this study 80 4.9. Interview Design 81 4.10. Classroom observation 83 4.11. Approaches to Data presentation and analysis 84 4.12. Assessment of research methodology 86 4.13. Limitations 8 7 Chapter summary 88 Chapter 5. Quantitative Data analysis: student questionnaire (Part I) 89 Introduction 89 5.1. Definitions of communicative and non-communicative classroom learning activities 90 5.2. Students’ attitudes towards working in group 90 5.3. Students’attitudes towards speaking out in class 92 5.4. Students’ function-based strategy 95 5.5. Nature and strength of motivation among students 96 5.6. Students’ attitudes towards TCA 97 5.7. Students' attitudes towards SCA 99 5.8. Students’attitudes to communicative activities 99 5.9. Students’ attitudes towards non-communicative activities 100 5.10. Students’ attitudes towards culture learning in EFL 102 5.11. Students’ attitudes towards compensation strategy 103 5.12. Students’ attitudes towards social strategy 104 5.13. Students’ attitudes towards authority in class 105 5.14. Major difficulties encountered in students' learning processes 106 5.15. Students’ attitudes towards meta-cognitive strategies 109 5.16. Students’ attitudes towards form-based strategies 110 5.17. Students’ attitudes towards function-based strategy 111 5.18. Students’ attitudes towards dependence on LI. Ill 5.19. Interim Summary 112 5.20. Data comparison: students vs, teachers (Part II) 114 5.21. Areas of correspondence 114 5.21.1. Working in a small group 114 5.21.2. Speaking out in class 115 5.21.3. Culture teaching and learning in class 115 5.21.4. Attitudes towards TCA 115 5.21.5. Non-communicative learning activities in class 115 5.21.6 . Dependence on LI 116 5.21.7. Students’ learning styles 116 5.21.8 . Meta-cognitive strategies 116 5.21.9. Form-based strategies 116 5.21.10. Function-based strategies 116 5.21.11. Impact of EMT-4 & EMT-8 on students 117 5.22. Areas of disparity 117 5.22.1. Working in a small group in class 118 5.22.2. Pre-prepared news reading or oral presentation 119 5.22.3. Culture teaching and learning in English class 119 5.22.4. Student-centred approach 120 5.22.5. Watching English videos and films 121 5.22.6. Doing unassessed tests and planning exam answers 121 5.22.7. Thought-provoking questions in English class 122 5.22.8. Dependence on LI 122 5.22.9. Use of compensation strategy 123 5.22.10. Use of social strategy 123 5.22.11. Long-term goal and motivation 124 5.22.12. Few opportunities for oral practice in class 124 5.22.13. Lack of authentic English reading & listening materials 124 5.22.14. Pressure from job market competition 125 5.22.15. Too much emphasis on grammar & structure 125 5.22.16. Textbook not suitable for communicative activities in class 125 5.22.17. Meta-cognitive language learning strategy 126 Chapter summary 127 Chapter 6. Qualitative data analysis: interviews and open-ended questions 130 Introduction 130 6.1. Design of open-ended questions and interviews 130 6.2. The Methods used to present and analyse the qualitative data 131 6.3. The qualitative data presentation and discussion 132 6.3.1. Students' positive comments on TCA 132 6.3.2. Students' negative comments on TCA 134 6.3.3. Students' neutral comments on TCA 137 6.3.4. Students' comments on SCA 138 6.3.5. Students' positive comments on SCA 138 6.3.6. Students' negative comments on SCA 139 6.3.7. Students' neutral comments on SCA 142 6.4. Students' comments on the major problems encountered in their learning process 143 6.5. Teachers' comments on TCA and SCA 148 6.5.1. Teachers'positive comments on TCA 149 6.5.2. Teachers'negative comments on TCA 151 6.5.3. Teachers'positive comments SCA 153 6.5.4. Teachers's negative comments SCA 154 6.5.5. Teachers'neutral comments on SCA and TCA 158 6.6 . Teachers' comments on the major constraints of adopting SCA in their teaching practice 159 6.7. Discussion of findings 164 6.8. Interim summary 164 Chapter summary 166 Chapter 7. Classroom Observation 168 Introduction 168 7.1. Procedures used for classroom observation 168 7.2. Teachers’ attitudes towards classroom observation 169 7.3. Teacher participants' teaching behaviours in their classes 170 7.4. Comparison between Lan's and Shan's classes 174 7.4.1. Discrepancy 175 7.4.2. Similarities 176 7.5. Comments on Lan's and Shan's classes 178 7.6. Interi m summary 181 7.7. General discussion of classroom observation 185 7.7.1. Traditional methods in Reading class 185 7.7.2. Bottom-up and top-down information processing 187 7.8. Positive scenario: a light at the end of the tunnel 190 7.9. Analysis of the mismatch between what teachers claimed to do and what they actually did in English classes 191 7.9.1. Ignorance of learners' needs 191 7.9.2. The traditional role of the teacher 192 7.9.3. Misconception of CLT 193 7.9.4. Teaching culture in English class 194 7.10. Further discussion 198 Chapter summary 200 Chapter 8. General discussion of the survey findings in this study: An eclectic approach 202 Introduction 202 8.1. The rationale for an eclectic approach for EFL education in China 202 8.2. Adequate attention given to balancing form and meaning 207 8.3. Synthesizing the progression of classroom activities 209 8.4. Pre-reading stage 214 8.5. While-reading stage 216 8.6 . Post-reading stage 218 8.7. Challenges involved in the integration process 222 Chapter summary 226 vi Chapter 9. Cultivating critical thinking ability in EFL Education 227 Introduction 227 9.1. What is critical thinking? 227 9.2. Current state of critical thinking competence of students: the status quo in China 228 9.3. Root causes of deficiency in critical thinking 230 9.4. A new hope in the situation: social changes under way 233 9.5. Rationale for incorporating the notion of critical thinking into EFL education at university level in China 235 9.5.1. Critical cultural awareness 235 9.5.2. Sociocultural competence: 'cultural flexibility' 238 9.5.3. Critical competence 239 9.6. Is critical thinking teachable? 240 9.7. How to teach critical thinking in EFL education? 242 9.8. Content-based teaching in the EFL class 244 9.9. How to assess critical thinking 245 9.10.Comments on this model 249 9.11.The relationship between critical thinking competence and other components of the communicative competence model 251 9.12.
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