Critical Thinking and English Writing
应用外语教学中心
主讲人: 张烨
4/21/2017
思考：
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Based on your learning experiences and everyday
life, think about:
What is critical thinking?
How can you improve your critical thinking
abilities?
In what ways can the quality of writing and your life
be improved by thinking critically?
Outline
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An overview of critical thinking
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Facione’s model (1989)
Paul and Elder’s model (2002)
Wen Qiufang’s model (2009)
5 steps for improving critical thinking
competencies
Common problems and strategies for
writing critically
What is Critical Thinking?
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the process of actively and skillfully
conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing,
and evaluating information to reach an answer or
conclusion
disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, openminded, and informed by evidence
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reasonable, reflective thinking focused on
deciding what to believe or do
includes a commitment to using reason in the
formulation of our beliefs
the skill and propensity to engage in an activity
with reflective skepticism
an appraisal based on careful analytical
evaluation
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thinking about one's thinking in a manner designed
to organize and clarify, raise the efficiency of, and
recognize errors and biases in one's own thinking.
Critical thinking is not 'hard' thinking nor is it
directed at solving problems (other than 'improving'
one's own thinking). Critical thinking is inwarddirected with the intent of maximizing the
rationality of the thinker. One does not use critical
thinking to solve problems—one uses critical
thinking to improve one's process of thinking.
Facione’s model
Critical thinking is the 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.
Facione, Peter A. (2011). "Critical Thinking: What It is and Why It
Counts" (PDF). insightassessment.com. p. 26.
Facione (1989)
Facione’s model
Cognitive Skills
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Interpretation
Analysis
Evaluation
Inference
Explanation
Self-regulation
Affective Dispositions
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open-mindedness
Self-confidence
Inquisitiveness
Curiosity
Honesty
…
Paul and Elder’s Model
Critical thinking is the process of analyzing and
assessing thinking with a view to improving it.
Critical thinking presupposes knowledge of the
most basic structures in thinking and the most
basic intellectual standards of thinking. The key to
the creative side of critical thinking is in
restructuring thinking as a result of analyzing and
effectively assessing it.
Paul & Elder (2016)
Paul and Elder (2002)
The Elements
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Purpose
Question at issue
Information
Interpretation
and Inference
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Concepts
Assumptions
Implications and
Consequences
Point of view
Universal Intellectual Standards
Logic
Clarity
Accuracy
Significance
Precision
Relevance
Depth
Breath
Fairness
Intellectual Traits
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Intellectual integrity
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Confidence in reason
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Fair-mindedness
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Intellectual courage
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Intellectual humility
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Intellectual empathy
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Intellectual perseverance
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Intellectual autonomy
Wen’s model (2009)
Summary: what is critical thinking?
2
1
Facts
Analyzing
Inferring
Evaluating
Affective Features
3
Judgment
5 steps for improving
critical thinking competencies
Formulate
questions
Gather
information
Explore other
points of view
Apply the
information:
concepts,
assumption,
interpretation
Consider
implications
Asking essential questions
What?
What is it all about?
What is the situation really like?
Why?
How?
So what?
Common Problems of students’ Writing
 Incomplete structure of argument
 Ineffective thesis statement
 Logical fallacies
 Lack of supporting details
Stephen Toulmin’s structure of argument
(2010)
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Take a stance
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Data
Warrant
Claim
We need the capacity effectively to urge
contradictory positions … not so that we may
adopt either of the two (it is quite wrong to
persuade men to evil), but that we should be
aware how the case stands and be able, if our
adversary deploys his arguments unjustly, to
refute them.
--- Aristotle
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Structure of Refutation
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Reference
Response/Counterclaim
Support
1) Although some people think it may results in lack
of communication between classmates or it gives
burden to the university, yet it is also brings
convenience to someone.
2) As a matter of fact, renting a house outside is
unwise. … Although many people say that renting
a house allows them to enjoy more freedom, yet
this freedom would just lead to an undisciplined
and irregular life.
3) Opposing voices argue that a student running a
business on campus will have less time for study
and thus result in poor academic performance.
However, running a business can be beneficial for
students. Shortened time does not necessarily
result in failures in academic study. Students who
run a business have to push themselves to
acquire better time management ability, which will
improve their efficiency and help them learn to
achieve balance between work and study.
4) I don’t say categorically that it is impossible to
use television as a carrier of coherent language or
thought in process. There are programs, such as
“Meet the Press” or “The Open Mind”, which
clearly strive to maintain a sense of intellectual
decorum and typographic tradition, but they are
scheduled so that they do not compete with
programs of great visual interest, since otherwise,
they will not be watched. The single most
important fact about television is that people
watch it , which is why it is called “television.”
Strategies of Refutation
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Refute the opponent’s reasoning
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Induction
Deduction
Causal reasoning
Reasoning by analogy
Refute the opponent’s evidence
1) Physical tests should be abandoned since it
brings burdens to students.
2) Cars are as deadly as guns so that cars
should be abandoned.
3) Most of the tests nowadays test students’
memory rather than ability. They only make
students anxious and worried. Therefore,
cheating in exams is acceptable as it is not of
much use to memorize too many details.
Practice:
1) Dating a Classmate
2) Gay marriage
3) Retirement homes for elderly citizens
Ineffective thesis statement
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According to Wyrick (1999), a thesis statement is
the writer’s clearly defined opinion or position on a
certain topic.
A thesis statement can usually answer the
following questions:
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What is the specific topic of the essay?
What is the writer’s opinion about it?
What purpose does the writer intend to achieve in the essay?
Wyrick (1999)
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A good thesis asserts one main idea;
A good thesis has something worthwhile to say;
A good thesis is limited to fit the assignment;
A good thesis is clearly stated in specific terms.
1) There are many problems with the Chinese
system of education.
2) I am going to discuss environmental problems
in this essay.
3) What kind of qualities should a good teacher
have to accomplish these two important tasks?
4) Here I want to give a general opinion about
renting a house outside the campus from two
aspects: both advantages and disadvantages.
…
All in all, think twice before you start to rent a
house. Hope you can get a good choice and live
a happy life.
Logical fallacies
一个人群被圈入到两三个字内，比如富二代、官
二代、小三、捞女，取其共性，而忽略个体的差
异性，这样的话你往往提前会预设立场，判断结
果也会缺乏理性，你可以三言两语的来概括一个
人，但是不应该受流性思维的诱导，不要从众，
应该基于自己的思考，做出独立判断。
《欢乐颂》
Hasty Generalization
Bandwagon Appeal
Hasty Generalization
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Don’t say all when you mean most.
Don’t say most when you mean some.
Don’t say some when you mean a few.
Don’t say a few when you mean just one.
Bandwagon Appeal
The fact that an opinion has been widely held is
no evidence whatsoever that is not utterly
absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the
majority of mankind, a wide-spread belief is
more likely to foolish than sensible.
--- Bertrand Russell
Walking under the stairs or breaking the mirror
will bring about bad luck.
Post Hoc
Reporter: Mr. Secretary, why won’t the President
admit that he wrote those memos with his
signature on them?
Secretary: Why are you reporters always
attacking the President and defending his
opponents?
Red Herring
A: We should relax the laws on beer.
B: No, any society with unrestricted access to
intoxicants loses its work ethic and goes only
for immediate gratification.
Strawman
It was a little cocker spaniel dog, in a crate he had
sent all the way from Texas, black and white,
spotted, and our little girl Tricia, six years old,
named it Checkers. And, you know, the kids, like
all kids, loved the dog, and I just want to say this
right now, that, regardless of what they say about
it, we are going to keep it.
Strawman
1) Hunger is the result of overpopulation, if people
had fewer children they would not be hungry.
2) “Well, aren’t you going to stand up for our
country? I thought you were a patriot.”
3) Life is the childhood of our immortality. --- Goethe
Lack of supporting details
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Examples
Statistics
Expert opinions
Textual evidence
What are good evidence?
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Credible
Sufficient
Accurate
Best order of evidence
1) In my opinion, it is not a good decision that
they make. Firstly, I think to rent an apartment
outside can be more expensive than in school’s
students’ apartment. For a poor family, it may
be a loan for their parents. Secondly, …
On
July
19, 2016,
a tourist
coach
crashed
into
2)
The
Chinese
government
pass
a law
of
Road
traffic
accidents
are should
the eighth
leading
a
highway
barrier
and
caught
fire
on a
death
penalty
to punish
drunk
drivers
in biggest
order
to
cause
of death
worldwide
and
the
highway
near
Taoyuan
Airport,
killing
26
prevent
thedeath
killingfor
of innocent
people 15
on
the
cause of
aged between
androad.
29,
people
on board
driver
himself,
Some
people
isWorld
too cruel
and
according
tomayincluding
thethinkUNit the
Health
who
was but
laterIwhich
foundestimates
to death
be drunk
when
the
inhuman,
think
this
penalty
istraffic
very
Organization,
that
road
accident
necessary
to make
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responsible
their
accidentsoccurred.
will
become
the fifth
cause offordeath
On
30 June,
2009,
a
drunk
driver
killed
5
behavior
and
make
the
safer
for everyone.
by 2030
if nothing
is roads
done
to improve
driving
people
safety. and wounded 4 in Nanjing in a
distance of 250 meters.
3) Firstly, people in a multicultural group may
have some misunderstandings during work. They
are not educated in the same environment. Thus,
they don’t have a ‘tacit agreement’ as among
familiar partners.
For example, one person holds one opinion, but
his partner consider it in his own way. Probably
they will come to different conclusions. However,
in a homogeneous group, one person may just
speak out a few words instead of pointing out his
entire view, and the others have already got his
point. Isn’t it a beautiful feeling? Such a nice
picture is difficult to find in a multicultural group.
Practice
Revise the following composition:
An ideal teacher must be knowledgeable. Since
the most important task of a teacher is teaching.
Students are eager to learn knowledge. If a
question a student cannot solve, he would turn
to teacher for help. In this point, teacher should
not stop learning.
In addition, an ideal teacher should be
optimistic. His words and action influence
students. Students’ attitude towards life haven’t
been shaped. Teacher should lead them to
shape their value. An ideal teacher also should
have good quality, this is very important.
In addition, an ideal teacher should have
dedication. Because teaching is a long and big
thing. Teacher should be responsible for every
student.
In short, an ideal teacher should have
intelligence, good quality and dedication.
References
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Lesley A. Rex, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas and Steven Engel [J]. Applying
Toulmin: Teaching Logical Reasoning and Argumentative Writing. The
English Journal, 2010 (99), 56-62.
M.Neil Browne & Stuart M. Keeley. 1997. Asking the Right Questions
(5th edition) . Prentice Hall.
（《学会提问》吴礼敬译，机械工业出版社，2013）
Richard Paul & Linda Elder. 2002. Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking
Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life. FT Press.
《思辨与立场：生活中无处不在的批判性思维工具》 李小平译，中国
人民大学出版社，2016）
References
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Richard Paul & Linda Elder. 2016. Thinker’s Guide Library. Foreign
Language Teaching and Research Press，2016.
（《思想者指南系列丛书》，外语教学与研究出版社，2016.）
Whit, Fred D., and Simon J. Billings. The Well-crafted Argument: A Guide
and Reader. 5th ed. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2014.
崔绚丽，李娟. 《高级英语写作教程-思辨能力进阶》[M]. 清华大学出
版社，2016.
文秋芳. 构建我国外语类大学生思辨能力量具的理论框架[J]. 外语界，
2009 （1）:37-43.