創造有思辨能力要素的外語課程

Abstract

大學生缺乏思辨能力是不爭的事實，因為歷經入學考試後，精神解放了，但是僵化的大腦並沒有因為學習場域變更寬大而變得靈活；用人的企業單位也表示他們找不到具思考力、有自信、有責任心的畢業生，進而質疑大學生到底在學些甚麼。一般強調思辨能力的課程通常是用母語或某一精熟程度的外語，才有可能在課堂現場有效實踐。外語科系的學生初兩年聚焦於基礎語言技能，很難真正有思辨的空間與時間，即便到了高年級，也由於東方國家學生較不習慣主動發言、缺乏自主思考的動機，教師想要在課程中實踐思辨能力的學習活動，都會因遭遇許多困難而最終作罷。究竟該如何突破呢？本文首先論述大學外語科系的教育以學習外語為主軸，也應該以「用外語學習」為追求的目標，然後針對近年外語系學生大部份因意志的鬆懈、思想的貧乏、缺少自主正確思考和客觀判斷的能力，造成學習成就低落的現象為論點基礎，探討外語教育的困境及如何跳脫固有的課程框架，走向「用外語學習思辨與研究能力」的理想目標，以培養出具思辨觀且能為企業所重用的大學生。

The university students after their big Entrance Examination Test, are happily relaxed for their further learning, but the brain training is not enough for the studying skills due to the lack of Critical Thinking. Many employers complain of the lack of responsibility, confidence in communication and, specially, the ability of critical thinking of the university graduated workers. Our foreign language courses only have focused on the language skills, but not on the ＂thinking skills＂ because our students are always keep silent in classes instead of speaking out and asking questions. This article intends to discuss how the students of the Foreign Language are less motivated and unwilling to think, and propose several potential directions for putting Critical Thinking Elements into Conversation class and materials in order to cultivate more qualified employee for the business society. We also hope that our research could be utilized as a reference in the field of teaching Conversation as a good instrument of Critical Thinking.