The Relationship between Critical Thinking and Language Learning Strategies of EFL Learners

Critical thinking (CT) is being increasingly discussed in language learning and teaching. Discussions around CT are particularly influencing English for Academic Purposes (EAP) which the teachers’ aim for the students is to help them learn all of the skills necessary to succeed in the university career. Accordingly, the study mainly surveys the effect of receiving critical thinking trainings on degree students through the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program. Participants of the study included 256 freshmen students from four departments at a leading university in China. The experiment group studied EAP, while the control group studied General English within one academic semester. In addition to CT assessment, the two groups were also compared in regards with Language Learning Strategy (LLS). The significant contribution of the study might be to reveal the possible relationship between CT and LLS. The results and discussions would be conducive for language practitioners and administrators.