English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies ISSN 2640-9836 (Print) ISSN 2640-9844 (Online) Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls 172 Original Paper A Research on the Teaching Reform of Integrating Cross Culture, Critical Thinking, Value Cultivation and Multiple Competences for English Majors Gao Jinlin1 1 College of Foreign Studies, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, 541003, China Received: November 11, 2023 Accepted: February 12, 2024 Online Published: February 27, 2024 doi:10.22158/eltls.v6n1p172 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/eltls.v6n1p172 Abstract In order to address the long-standing issues in English language teaching, including “focusing on language knowledge and skills”, “weakness in cross-cultural communication abilities”, “prioritizing language over culture”, “absence of critical thinking”, “uniformity in competences” and “separation of knowledge and affection”, a new model has been proposed based on the interpretation of key national policy documents. The model of “Integrating Cross Culture, Critical Thinking, Value Cultivation and Multiple Competences” (ICCVM in short) (Note 1) aims to implement educational reforms from various perspectives, such as talent cultivation, curriculum frameworks, textbook adaptation, teaching methods, and assessment models. Breaking away from the traditional language-centered approach, this model places moral value cultivation at its core. It systematically develops students’ innovative and research abilities, as well as their collaboration and negotiation skills, through cross-cultural linguistic activities and critical thinking language activities. The model strives to achieve an educational goal that integrates value shaping, knowledge imparting, and competence cultivation into one cohesive process. It is anticipated that this will enhance the overall quality of talent cultivation in English major, producing students who possess outstanding English skills and diverse competencies, profound cultural knowledge, as well as both an international perspective and a sense of Chinese identity. Keywords English majors, Values Cultivation, Integrating Cross Culture, Critical Thinking, Value Cultivation and Multiple Competences, Teaching Reform www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 173 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 1. Introduction In the context of globalization, cross-cultural communication and collaboration have become major trends in the development of international society. As a crucial hub for cultivating international talents, English speciality bears the significant responsibility of developing complex talents with capabilities in cross-cultural communication, critical thinking, and innovation. Furthermore, as the most widely used foreign language, English inherently possesses instrumental, humanistic, and ideological qualities. “Language serves as a tool for communication, through which people acquire information, learn knowledge, understand different cultures, and enhance their own humanistic literacy. Thus, language is not only instrumental and cultural but also inseparable from these aspects.” (Cai, 2017, p. 5) Language is both a tool and a product of thought, used for emotional expression, intellectual exchange, and information transmission. It also carries different cultures, rich emotions, diverse values, and thoughts of its speakers. Hence, English teaching is not only instrumental but also has humanistic qualities and functions in value cultivation. English education is a vital component of foreign language teaching, “Foreign language education is naturally cross-cultural, naturally values-oriented, naturally positioned, and naturally interdisciplinary; foreign language educators cannot overlook the cultural values and ideologies inherent in course content.” (Sun, 2021, p. 9). The instrumental, humanistic, and ideological aspects of English have not yet been fully recognized and reflected in the cultivation of English major students, and there are several problems in the current training process of English professionals: 1) English majors have limited abilities in English communication, especially in cross-cultural communication, which is mainly due to the scarcity of authentic cross-cultural activities in the current teaching process, leading to a weakened awareness of cross-cultural communication among students. Moreover, many English majors have a weak foundation in Chinese culture, preventing them from accurately describing and discussing traditional Chinese culture in authentic English, which further weakens their cross-cultural communication skills and their ability to tell Chinese stories and spread Chinese culture in English. 2) There are problems such as “separation of knowledge and affection” and “prioritizing language over culture” in the course teaching process, where knowledge learning is separated from the enhancement of moral value cultivation, classroom teaching focuses on language training while neglecting cultural literacy improvement, and less attention is paid to value cultivation. 3) The “absence of critical thinking” among English majors affects their innovative abilities, research abilities, problem-solving abilities, and the overall quality of English majors. 4) The development of other multifaceted abilities such as literary appreciation, cross-cultural communication, critical thinking, research, innovation, autonomous learning, and communication and cooperation is limited when centered on English language application skills. These problems in English teaching and talent cultivation have attracted scholarly attention. For instance, Lu (2014) pointed out issues such as “language-centrism”, “separation of knowledge and www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 174 Published by SCHOLINK INC. affection” and “prioritizing language over culture” within English majors. Huang (1998) noted that the absence of critical thinking directly affects creativity, research ability, problem-solving ability, and the overall quality of foreign language learners (p. 1). In terms of moral value cultivation, many scholars have made positive attempts. For example, Chen (2020) discussed how to perfectly integrate moral value cultivation with critical thinking in foundational courses on British and American culture to achieve the best synergistic effect. Jiang (2020) indicated that moral value cultivation in speech courses can effectively help students enhance their overall quality, inspire patriotic sentiments, broaden international horizons, enrich knowledge, increase insight, and shape character. Practices by Qin and Liu (2021) show that English courses based on moral value cultivation can effectively achieve collaborative education, cultivate students’ critical thinking and innovative abilities, and improve the quality of education and teaching. Scholars have also explored the relationship between moral value cultivation, critical thinking, cross-cultural ability, and language skills. For example, Huang and Wei (2023) believe that foreign language teachers should prioritize morality while teaching language and imparting knowledge, and on this basis, enhance students’ critical thinking skills, which in turn will elevate morality, with both aspects complementing each other and ultimately achieving a double helix rise. Sun conducted in-depth analyses on the relationship between foreign language education and cross-cultural ability cultivation (Sun, 2016), foreign language education and critical thinking ability cultivation (Sun, 2015), as well as the mutual promotion of cross-cultural ability, critical thinking ability, and moral value cultivation (Sun, 2021). Liu. etc. (2023) pointed out that “in foreign language teaching, the cultivation of moral values, critical thinking ability, and language ability share characteristics of being long-term, progressive, dynamic, practical, and holistic. With language teaching as the explicit approach, the cultivation of moral values and critical thinking abilities serve as the implicit main thread guiding the selection of teaching content and the design of teaching activities.” (p. 58). Building upon the work of the aforementioned scholars, this study aims to contribute to the field of English language education by addressing specific challenges within the training process of English majors. The proposed ICCVM model draws on existing research and incorporates practical teaching experiences to create an integrated approach that aligns with contemporary educational needs. The ICCVM model is designed to enhance the overall effectiveness of English language instruction by incorporating multiple dimensions of learning, including: 1) Cross-Cultural Competence: In an increasingly globalized world, it is essential for students to develop an understanding of different cultures and the ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries. The model emphasizes the importance of cultural awareness and sensitivity in language learning. 2) Critical Thinking Ability: The model encourages students to develop critical thinking skills, which are crucial for analyzing information, solving problems, and making informed decisions. This aspect of the curriculum fosters analytical and evaluative thinking in learners. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 175 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 3) Values Cultivation: The integration of moral values cultivation within the English curriculum aims to instill values, principles, and beliefs that are important for personal development and social responsibility. This component helps students to understand and engage with the world around them on a deeper level. 4) Language Proficiency: The core of the model remains the development of English language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students are equipped with the necessary linguistic tools to communicate effectively in English. 5) Communication and Cooperation: The model promotes collaborative learning and the ability to communicate ideas effectively, both verbally and in writing. This prepares students for teamwork and professional environments where communication is key. 6) Research and Innovation: Encouraging students to engage in research and innovative thinking helps them to develop new solutions to old problems and adapt to changing circumstances. 7) Autonomous Learning: The model supports the development of self-directed learning skills, enabling students to take responsibility for their own educational journey and continue learning beyond the classroom setting. 8) Reflective Abilities: Finally, the model emphasizes the importance of reflection as a tool for personal growth and continuous improvement. Students are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences and the application of knowledge in real-world contexts. By integrating these dimensions into the English curriculum, the ICCVM model seeks to leverage the multifaceted nature of the English language. It recognizes that language is not only a tool for communication but also a means for personal development and ideological engagement. Through this holistic approach, the model aims to enhance the humanistic literacy of students while fulfilling the role of English as a vehicle for value cultivation. The ICCVM model represents a comprehensive framework for English language education that goes beyond traditional language teaching methods. It integrates cultural, critical, and ideological elements with practical skills to prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. 2. Necessity and Feasibility of the ICCVM Model Based on an analysis of the essential characteristics of English majors and the current issues faced, combined with the study and understanding of relevant national documents and educational spirits, this study finds that the ICCVM model is both practically necessary and feasible for implementation. 2.1 The Necessity of the ICCVM Model The National Medium and Long-Term Education Reform and Development Plan Outline (2010-2020) (hereinafter referred to as the Education Planning Outline) states that China’s university education needs to “cultivate a large number of international talents with a global perspective, familiarity with international rules, and the ability to participate in international affairs and competition.”(The Working Group on the Outline of the National Plan for Medium-term and Long-term Education Reform and www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 176 Published by SCHOLINK INC. Development, 2010) In response, in 2018, the National Standard for Undergraduate Teaching Quality in Colleges and Universities (hereinafter referred to as the New National Standard) (Committee in Higher Education, 2018) listed cross-cultural communication and critical thinking abilities as two of the multiple core competencies that English major students need to develop, indicating that “students should possess foreign language application ability, literary appreciation ability, cross-cultural communication ability, critical thinking ability, as well as certain research ability, innovation ability, information technology application ability, self-learning ability, and practical ability.” The New National Standards follow the principle of integrating knowledge and affection, language and culture, proposing goals for the development of multiple competencies, which meets the requirements of talent cultivation in the new era. In 2020, the Guidelines for the Construction of Moral Values Cultivation System in Higher Education Curriculum (hereinafter referred to as the Guidelines) (Ministry of Education of People’s Republic of China, 2020) clearly stated the need to “integrate value guidance into knowledge imparting and ability training, with each course playing its role, blending value shaping, knowledge imparting, and ability training into one.” The cultivation of critical thinking ability in cross-cultural communication activities should not only rely on the “form” of English professional knowledge but also integrate the “spirit” of moral value guidance. Combining the Education Planning Outline (2010), the New National Standards (2018) and the Guidelines (2020), it is evident that cross-cultural communication ability, critical thinking ability, and the level of moral values cultivation are all part of the core literacy of university students. In the training of English language skills, it is necessary to integrate correct value guidance and critical thinking ability training, allowing students to enhance their cross-cultural communication skills while exercising their language and critical thinking abilities, fostering a global consciousness and empathy, understanding the crises facing all humanity, strengthening the awareness of a shared human destiny, and cultivating students’ ability to draw on world experiences for Chinese issues and to provide Chinese solutions for global problems. 2.2 The Feasibility of the ICCVM Model English language skills courses, such as listening and speaking, use multi-modal materials such as videos, audio, text, images, topic discussions, and online resources to cultivate students’ English listening and speaking abilities and critical thinking skills. Multi-modal audio-visual materials can inspire students to engage in critical thinking activities, understand and analyze the information they receive, form their own judgments and evaluations, and externalize their internal critical thinking activities through oral expression. Under the context of Internet+, English major courses, such as reading, writing, and literature and culture, have strong practicality, social relevance, and cultural contrast. The selection of teaching materials for courses has broken through single-modal text materials, and multi-modal materials can be incorporated into various professional courses, facilitating vivid cross-cultural comparisons. In these www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 177 Published by SCHOLINK INC. comparisons, cultural confidence is established, enhancing the ideological and humanistic nature of language teaching while promoting the development of students’ multiple abilities. It is thus evident that implementing the ICCVM model in English majors is indeed feasible. Based on the requirements of the Education Planning Outline (2010), the New National Standards (2018) and the Guidelines (2020), combined with the characteristics of English major courses, these courses can take on the important task of enhancing students’ comprehensive qualities, cultivating their cross-cultural critical thinking abilities, and upholding moral value cultivation. Actively exploring innovative teaching models for English major courses, striving to uncover the moral value elements within multi-modal teaching materials, guiding students to learn and absorb knowledge and positive energy selectively and judgmentally through cross-cultural critical thinking, and continuously developing multiple abilities make the exploration of the ICCVM model particularly significant. 3. Construction and Principal Measures of the ICCVM Model 3.1 Research Methods and Process of ICCVM Model Teaching Reform The research methods of ICCVM model teaching reform typically involve a combination of teaching research approaches to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching model and its impact on student learning outcomes. Here is a general outline of the methods and process in this research: 1) Literature Review: (1) Examine existing literature and government documents on the cultivation of Cross-cultural competences, critical thinking, Value education and the multi-competences in English teaching teaching and reforms. (2) Identify best practices, theoretical frameworks, and previous studies on similar models. 2) Needs Assessment: (1) Conduct surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions with students, peer staff, and industry representatives to identify the needs and expectations for the integrated competences for English major graduates. (2) Analyze the current curriculum and identify gaps or areas for improvement. 3) Curriculum Development and Teaching Model Construction: (1) Based on literature review and the needs assessment, develop an integrated curriculum that combines the cultivation of cross-culture, critical thinking, Values education and multi-competences. (2) Involve students, teachers, and industry professionals in the development process. 4) Implementation: (1) Pilot the integrated curriculum in the course of English Listening, English Reading and Integrated English to implement the model in the cross-course and cross-class teaching reform practice. (2) Provide training and support to teachers and students to ensure effective implementation. 5) Analysis and Evaluation: (1) Based on the collection of student assessments, student feedback, teacher evaluations, surveys, and www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 178 Published by SCHOLINK INC. observations, analyze the students’ performance to evaluate the effectiveness of the integrated curriculum. (2) Compare the results with those from the traditional curriculum to assess the impact of the reform. 6) Feedback and Adjustments: (1) Solicit feedback from all stakeholders, including students, teachers, and industry partners. (2) Make necessary adjustments to the curriculum based on the feedback and evaluation results. 3.2 Construction of the ICCVM Model The essence of the ICCVM model encompasses the integration of cross-cultural, critical thinking, value cultivation, as well as the cultivation of multiple abilities. The specific connotations of this model are defined as follows: Cross Culture refers to the cultivation of cross-cultural communication awareness and competence. English education in China inherently possesses distinct cross-cultural characteristics, involving not only the learning of Chinese and English languages but also the understanding and perception of the cultures they carry. In China’s English education system, cross-cultural teaching is not merely an extension of language skills training but a core component of education. Through English, students can access cultures from different countries and regions around the world, thereby broadening their horizons, enhancing their comprehensive language application abilities, and enabling them to bridge other cultures and expressing Chinese culture in international exchanges, thus strengthening their international competitiveness. In actual teaching processes, cross-cultural communication awareness and competence can be cultivated through the integration of cross-cultural materials, conducting comparative teaching and practical activities, simulation of cross-cultural scenarios, reflective learning, etc. Critical and Value refer to critical thinking and values cultivation, which occupy the core position in English major education. They promote each other and jointly constitute the foundation of the comprehensive quality cultivation for English majors. Critical thinking is “the conscious use of appropriate criteria for evaluation and resulting in a reasoned judgment.” (Paul & Elder, 2006, p. 451) Critical thinking is extremely important for English majors as it “directly affects one’s creativity, research ability, problem-solving skills, and further influences the quality of foreign language professionals” (Huang, 1998, p. 1). Values cultivation guides students through education to establish correct values and worldviews, fostering a sense of social responsibility and mission. Values cultivation in foreign language professional courses is “led by foreign language teachers, integrating the concept of moral values into every aspect of foreign language courses through teaching content, classroom management, evaluation systems, daily interactions, and teacher behavior norms, committed to helping students shape correct worldviews, life perspectives, and values.” (Wen, 2021, p. 48) The cultivation of critical thinking relies not only on the imparting of English professional knowledge but also on the integration of moral value guidance; values cultivation cannot be separated from the cultivation of critical thinking. Only when www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 179 Published by SCHOLINK INC. students possess critical thinking abilities can they discern truth from falsehood, correct their values, and align their perspectives. In practical teaching, it is crucial to integrate value-cultivating materials into the cultivation of critical thinking abilities. This means that while imparting English professional knowledge, teachers need to consciously introduce content related to values issues, such as historical events, social phenomena, ethical and moral issues, etc., allowing students to think deeply and discuss these topics while learning the language. This guides students to discuss and think about the different cultural and social values behind these materials, leading to emotional identification and practical implementation of these concepts. Multifaceted Competences refers to the various competences that English major students should cultivate, such as linguistic competences, critical thinking competences, cross-cultural competences, reflective competences, communication and collaboration competences, international competence, research and innovation competences, etc. The setting for the cultivation of multiple competences in this study is based on the Multiple Intelligence Theory (MI Theory) (Gardner, 1983, 1993, 2011). MI theory posits that intelligence is not a single, fixed measure but a combination of different competences, such as linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, naturalist intelligence, and existential intelligence. The theory suggests that everyone has a unique combination of intelligence, which are independent of each other, with each person having strengths and weaknesses in different intellectual domains. The educational process should be tailored to the individual’s unique intellectual constitution to develop each person’s potential. The New National Standards (2018) also explicitly state that “students should possess foreign language application ability, literary appreciation ability, cross-cultural communication ability, critical thinking ability, as well as certain research ability, innovation ability, information technology application ability, self-learning ability, and practical ability.” Based on MI theory and the New National Standards (2018), combined with the current situation and needs of talent cultivation in English majors in the new era, this study proposes the concept of multifaceted ability cultivation for English majors. In actual teaching, more flexible and diverse teaching activities can be designed, such as interdisciplinary material learning, project-based learning, reflective learning, team collaboration tasks, simulation practice activities, creative and innovative education, etc., as well as the use of information technology means to innovate teaching methods, providing students with a variety of learning experiences. This integration of multiple abilities aims to prepare students for a more comprehensive set of competencies for their future careers and social lives, adapting to the rapidly changing society and complex professional requirements. The core of the ICCVM model lies in the enhancement of students’ comprehensive competencies through the combination of cross-cultural critical thinking and moral value cultivation. In this model, cross-cultural critical thinking, values cultivation, and the cultivation of multiple competences are www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 180 Published by SCHOLINK INC. inseparable. Cross-cultural critical thinking communication activities rely on linguistic ability and are guided by values education to promote the improvement of language competence, ensuring that cross-cultural critical thinking communication activities are carried out in the right direction. Learning abilities, communication and collaboration abilities, as well as research and innovation abilities can be comprehensively enhanced through the conduct of cross-cultural critical thinking and value-cultivating activities. In this model, cross-cultural critical thinking communication is not just the use of language but also a deep cultural understanding and exchange of values. It requires students to critically analyze and understand ideas and social phenomena against different cultural backgrounds on the basis of mastering language skills, thereby enabling effective communication and interaction in a global context. Values cultivation plays an important guiding role in this process. By integrating elements of values cultivation, cross-cultural critical thinking activities are not just an exchange of language and information but also a dissemination of values and an exchange of ideologies. In cross-cultural critical thinking and value-cultivating activities, students are guided to think about and discuss global issues such as social justice, environmental sustainability, and international relations, thereby cultivating their global responsibility and critical thinking abilities. This not only helps students establish correct worldviews, life perspectives, and values but also ensures that cross-cultural critical thinking communication activities are conducted in line with socialist core values. By guiding students to deeply consider the relationship between personal growth and national development, national rejuvenation, Values cultivation helps students form a well-rounded personality and sense of responsibility. In the conduct of cross-cultural critical thinking and value-cultivating activities, learning abilities, collaboration and negotiation abilities, as well as research and innovation abilities are comprehensively enhanced. Learning ability includes not only the acquisition and understanding of knowledge but also critical thinking and innovative application of knowledge. Collaboration and negotiation ability refers to the ability to effectively collaborate communicate, and negotiate with others in a multicultural context, which is particularly important in today’s world. Research and innovation ability refers to the independent thinking and innovative problem-solving abilities demonstrated by students in academic research or project exploration. Under this model, students are able to not only improve their language abilities and cross-cultural communication skills but also, under the guidance of values cultivation, comprehensively enhance learning abilities, collaboration and negotiation abilities, research and innovation abilities, and other multifaceted abilities. This lays a solid foundation for the composite talents adapted to the needs of 21st-century societal development. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 181 Published by SCHOLINK INC. Figure 1. ICCVM Model (Note 2) 3.3 Main Measures for ICCVM Model To achieve the goal of “Integrating Cross Culture, Critical Thinking, Value Cultivation and Multiple Competences”, we propose the following main measures: 3.3.1 Optimizing Curriculum Design and Teaching Content The curriculum should fully reflect the integration of cross-cultural, critical thinking, value cultivation, and multifaceted abilities. For example, offering courses such as Intercultural Communication, Comparative Studies between Chinese and Western Cultures, British and American Literature, etc., to cultivate students’ cross-cultural awareness and competence. In terms of teaching content selection, integrate cross-cultural materials, incorporating a wealth of cross-cultural elements into the curriculum design, such as classic literary works, films, news reports, etc. These materials not only reflect the cultural characteristics of English-speaking countries but also stimulate students’ thinking and interest in cross-cultural differences. At the same time, integrate values cultivation into English major courses, using English articles, movies, speeches, and series of textbooks with value-cultivating significance, guiding students in critical thinking learning, such as Critical English for University Students (Sun, 2018), Understanding Contemporary China (Sun, 2021) series of textbooks, etc. Additionally, focus on cultivating students’ language abilities, critical thinking, communication and cooperation skills, and other multifaceted abilities through designing rich classroom activities and practical projects, enabling students to enhance these abilities in practical operations. 3.3.2 Improving Teaching Methods and Means 1) Adopt diversified teaching methods and means, such as heuristic teaching, discussion-based teaching, role-playing, case analysis, etc., to guide students to actively participate and think critically. In the www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 182 Published by SCHOLINK INC. teaching process, teachers should pay attention to individual differences among students, tailor their teaching to the students’ needs, and stimulate students’ interest and motivation in learning. For instance, organizing comparisons of British, American cultures with Chinese culture, using case studies, role-playing, debates, etc. to stimulate students’ thinking and discussion, guiding them to deeply understand the etiquette, values, and ways of thinking in different cultures, thereby improving their cross-cultural sensitivity and adaptability. By conducting debates, critical thinking training, case analysis, and other teaching activities, encourage students to raise questions, analyze issues, and think independently, cultivating their logical and critical thinking abilities. At the same time, they exercise their critical thinking skills in the process of exploring issues and deepen their understanding of value-cultivating content. 2) Improve teaching means by utilizing modern information technology, such as online classrooms, virtual simulations, etc., to provide a wealth of learning resources and interactive platforms. Create an open and inclusive learning environment that encourages students to freely express their views and respect different opinions and ideas. 3.3.3 Strengthening Practical Teaching and Students’ Autonomous Learning Ability 1) Promote the integration of professional knowledge with practical abilities, encouraging students to apply what they have learned to real-life situations, and deepen their understanding and application of professional knowledge through social practice and hands-on operations. Establish English corners, foreign language cultural exchange festivals, and other activities to encourage students to interact with international students, promoting cultural understanding and respect. 2) Enhance students’ professional skills and practical operation abilities through academic lectures, research projects, internships, etc., Encourage students to participate in various competitions, research projects, etc., to cultivate their research innovation abilities and practical abilities. In the teaching process, guide students with project innovation and promote courses through projects, guiding students to develop good study habits, improving their autonomous learning ability and innovation entrepreneurship awareness. 3) Organize students to participate in community service, international volunteer projects, etc., allowing students to apply their knowledge in practice, cultivating a sense of social responsibility. At the same time, in practical activities, exercise students’ communication skills, teamwork spirit, and leadership abilities. 4) Regularly guide students in self-reflection, considering the problems and challenges encountered in cross-cultural communication, how they overcome these difficulties, learn from experience, and continuously progress, fostering the habit and ability of lifelong learning. 3.3.4 Strengthening the Professional Quality of the Teaching Staff Improving the level of education and comprehensive quality of teachers is key to achieving the goal of “Integrating Cross Culture, Critical Thinking, Value Cultivation and Multiple Competences”. 1) Strengthen the training and guidance for teachers, enhancing their teaching abilities, cross-cultural www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 183 Published by SCHOLINK INC. literacy, and ideological and value-cultivating levels. At the same time, introduce teachers with international perspectives to enrich the structure and connotation of the teaching staff team. Guide teachers to change roles; they are not only conveyors of knowledge but also guides and assistants. They should possess cross-cultural teaching abilities and value-cultivating abilities to provide guidance and support for students. 2) Strengthen the collaborative construction of teaching and researching teams, encouraging teachers and students to participate in research work related to their fields, combining theory with practice, integrating curriculum construction with teaching reform research, building cross-cultural critical thinking education curriculum groups and teaching teams, breaking down course barriers, promoting collaborative construction between courses, resource sharing, establishing an open education resource platform, promoting the sharing of teaching resources and best practices, encouraging intercollegiate collaboration and experience exchange, continuously improving the quality and effectiveness of education. 3.3.5 Improving the Evaluation Mechanism Establish a diversified, ability-oriented evaluation system that focuses not only on students’ language abilities and professional qualities but also on their critical thinking, communication, cooperation, and other multifaceted abilities. Evaluation methods should emphasize process orientation and development, fully reflecting students’ individual differences and potential for development. At the same time, strengthen the evaluation of the outcomes of students’ values education to ensure that students establish correct worldviews, outlooks on life, and values. In reference to relevant important documents and combined with teaching practice and student surveys, adjust teaching evaluation models and methods, adjust evaluation systems, introduce explicit evaluations, implicit evaluations, teacher-student, student-student, self-reflective evaluations, as well as feedback from social practice into the evaluation model reform, ensuring the diversity and comprehensiveness of evaluations. 4. Efficacy and Significance of the ICCVM Model The implementation of the ICCVM model aims to comprehensively enhance students’ overall qualities through the integration of cross-cultural communication education, critical thinking cultivation, and values cultivation. The effectiveness and significance of this model are primarily manifested in the following aspects: 4.1 Efficacy of the ICCVM Model After a series of teaching reform practices, the ICCVM model has achieved the following results: 1) Enhanced cross-cultural capabilities. Students significantly improve their cross-cultural understanding, adaptability, and communicative abilities through participating in internationalized curriculum content, cross-cultural exchange activities, and international projects. This lays a solid www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 184 Published by SCHOLINK INC. foundation for their further learning and work in a global context. 2) Strengthened critical thinking skills. Students exercise their logical reasoning, evidence evaluation, and argument construction abilities through critical thinking training, case analysis, and debates. This enhancement aids students in making wiser and more reasonable decisions for complex social phenomena and issues. 3) Deepened moral value literacy. By integrating moral value cultivation into daily teaching, students not only learn correct values and moral norms but also strengthen their sense of social responsibility and civic awareness. This plays an important role in forming well-rounded personalities and actively participating in social development. 4) Improved comprehensive abilities. The multi-integrated teaching model encourages students to apply knowledge to practical situations, deepening their understanding and application of professional knowledge through social practice and hands-on operations. Additionally, during the multi-integrated educational process, students’ teamwork, leadership, innovation consciousness, and problem-solving abilities are significantly enhanced. The continuous need to think about and solve new problems in the cultivation of cross-cultural and critical thinking skills helps to spark their innovative spirit and improve their problem-solving capabilities. These comprehensive improvements enable students to better face various challenges in future learning and work. Students have achieved excellent results in national professional competitions such as English proficiency and Teaching skills, as well as in national college student innovation projects, the “Internet+” National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and the “Challenge Cup” National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. 5) Teacher team quality improvement. A cross-cultural critical thinking education teaching team for English majors is established to carry out “cross-class, cross-course” collaborative construction, breaking through the traditional model of separate construction of value cultivation projects, sharing and co-building within the team, jointly advancing the construction of a demonstration course group for values cultivation in English major courses, enhancing the efficiency and level of value cultivation. The team has already collaboratively constructed school-level demonstration courses such as English Audio-Visual I (A&B), English Audio-Visual II (A&B), English Reading I (A & B), English Reading & Writing III and Comprehensive English II (A & B), etc. Promoting the idea of “bidirectional empowerment and collaborative progress” in teaching practice and teaching research, following a spiral upward path of “practice-theory-practice-theory”, the team carry out course construction and teaching reform, advancing the” Specialty + Values + Innovation” collaborative education, and has been approved for 10 provincial and school-level teaching reform projects, winning 2 district-level and school-level teaching achievement awards. Teachers have also achieved excellent results in various levels of values education teaching competitions. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 185 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 4.2 The Significance of the ICCVM Model The ICCVM model has not only achieved significant results in improving students’ professional skills but also demonstrates its profound value in the following aspects: 1) Cultivating international talents: In the context of globalization, cross-cultural capability becomes an essential quality for international talents. This model, through cross-cultural exchange and education, enables students to adapt to different cultural environments and enhance their international competitiveness. 2) Promoting critical thinking: The cultivation of critical thinking skills allows students to independently analyze and solve problems, possessing critical thinking that is an invaluable asset for their academic research and future careers. 3) Strengthening values cultivation: By integrating values cultivation, students can establish correct values and a sense of social responsibility, cultivating citizens with a moral sense and social responsibility, which is of great significance for maintaining social stability and development. 4) Enhancing comprehensive literacy: The ICCVM model focuses on the comprehensive development of knowledge, ability, and affection, helping students become comprehensive talents with both profound professional knowledge and extensive humanistic literacy, meeting society’s demand for high-quality talents. At the same time, the comprehensive literacy of the teaching staff has also been improved through teaching reform and research practices. 5) Meeting the needs of social development: With the increasing frequency of international exchanges and the growing demand for high-quality talents in society, this model helps students adapt to a rapidly changing world and meet the needs of society for international and high-quality talents. 6) Driving educational innovation: The ICCVM model is an innovation of traditional educational models, promoting the reform of educational content, methods, and evaluation systems, providing new ideas and directions for the development of higher education. 5. Conclusion The ICCVM model comprehensively enhances students’ overall qualities through the integration of cross-cultural communication education, critical thinking cultivation, and moral value cultivation. Through research and practice, this model has not only improved students’ professional skills but also cultivated their international perspective, critical thinking, sense of social responsibility, and comprehensive literacy, enabling them to better adapt to a rapidly changing world and meet the needs of society for high-quality talents. Additionally, this model has driven the reform of educational content, methods, and evaluation systems, making positive attempts at the reform and development of English major talent cultivation. In the implementation process, this model has achieved significant results, with students obtaining excellent grades in various professional competitions, and the quality of the teaching team has also been enhanced. These achievements fully demonstrate the effectiveness and value of the ICCVM www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 6, No. 1, 2024 186 Published by SCHOLINK INC. model. In summary, the ICCVM model is an innovative educational practice that not only promotes the comprehensive development of student abilities but also provides a scientific basis for the reform of foreign language teaching and the improvement of talent cultivation mechanisms, enhancing the overall quality of students and teachers. In the future, we should further explore and develop this model, extend its results to a broader educational field, to maximize the benefits of talent cultivation, and cultivate more high-quality, well-rounded talents for society. However, we should also recognize that any educational model requires continuous practice, reflection, and improvement. In our future work, we will continue to deepen the ICCVM model, optimize curriculum settings and teaching methods, strengthen the construction of the teaching staff, and perfect the evaluation mechanism to achieve higher quality educational goals and contribute to the cultivation of more outstanding talents. Acknowledgments This work was supported by the following teaching reform grants: Education and Teaching Reform Project of Guangxi Normal University: A Study on the Teaching Reform Practice of Integrating Value Cultivation with Critical Thinking in the Listening and Speaking Course for English Majors (2021SZJG39); Higher Education Undergraduate Teaching Reform Project of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: A Research on the Teaching Reform Practice of Integrating Cross Culture, Critical Thinking, Value Cultivation and Multiple Competences for English Majors (2022JGB132); Construction Project for the Demonstration Course of Value Cultivation in Curriculum: English Listening and Speaking (IIA, 2022, Guangxi Normal University) ; Cultivation Project for the Demonstration Course of Value Cultivation in Curriculum: English Listening and Speaking(IA&B, 2021, College of Foreign Studies, Guangxi Normal University); Cultivation Project for the Demonstration Course of Value Cultivation in Curriculum: English Listening and Speaking (II B, 2023, College of Foreign Studies, Guangxi Normal University). 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