阅读不仅是重要的语言输入方式，而且是语言学习的必要技能。《普通高中英语课程标准》中强调思维品质是英语学科的核心素养之一，这就要求学生拥有批判性思维，进行批判性阅读。然而，传统的阅读课堂强调以教师主导的学生被动阅读，学生阅读的主动性和兴趣受到压抑，批判性思维的培养欠缺。处于青春期的高中生处于具体思维到抽象思维过渡的关键时期，他们迫切想要运用批判性思维认识自我和外部世界。
为了提升学生的英语阅读兴趣，培养学生的批判性思维，改善英语阅读教学的效果，本研究引入“文学圈”教学法。“文学圈”教学法以学生为中心，关注学生的阅读兴趣和自主性，强调合作学习的重要性。本论文采用质性研究和量化研究相结合的研究方法，以笔者所教授的两个班96名高中生为研究对象，对一个班学生运用传统的阅读教学方法，另外一个班学生运用“文学圈”阅读教学法。经过一个学年，对两个班级学生的学习结果进行对比，研究了在英语课堂上“文学圈”教学法对于高中生批判性思维培养的影响，以及对学生的英语阅读水平的影响。最后，研究还探究了学生对于“文学圈”教学法的态度。
研究发现：第一，“文学圈”教学法对培养高中生的批判性思维有积极影响。其中，就批判性思维技能而言，“文学圈”主要有助于培养学生阐释、自我调节和解释的技能；就批判性思维倾向而言，“文学圈”主要有助于培养学生在阅读前和阅读中使用批判性思维的意识；第二，“文学圈”教学法有助于提升高中生的英语阅读水平，主要提升的阅读能力有：做出推理和判断、理解文章主旨和根据上下文推断单词或短语的含义上；第三，绝大部分学生不仅对“文学圈”教学法持积极的态度，而且随着实验的进行越来越喜欢这一新型的英语阅读教学方式。

Reading is not only an important way of language input but also an essential language skill. English Curriculum Standard of General High School emphasizes that thinking quality is one of the English key competencies, which requires people to read critically using critical thinking (CT). However, the traditional reading class attaches importance to students’ passive reading with the teacher’s instruction, and their reading activeness and interest are repressed, thus lacking the cultivation of CT. High school students are adolescents who are eager to learn about themselves and the outside world using CT. 
To develop students’ interest in English reading, cultivate their CT and improve the effectiveness of English reading teaching, this study brings in Literature Circles (LCs). LCs focus on students, paying attention to students’ reading interest and freedom, and the significance of group learning. This thesis adopts a combination of qualitative research method and quantitative research method and investigates among 96 high school students from two classes taught by the author, who teaches one class English reading using the traditional reading teaching method, while in the other class applying LCs. Comparing the results of two classes after one-year teaching, the author studies the influences of LCs on students’ CT cultivation and their reading competence as well. Finally, the study explores what students think of LCs.
The results from the study are as follows. Firstly, LCs can effectively contribute to the students’ CT cultivation, of which interpretation, self-regulation and explanation improve the most in CT skills and students are most likely to use CT during the pre-reading and while-reading periods. Secondly, students’ reading competence is fostered in LCs reading teaching, of which making inferences and judgements, understanding the main idea and inferring the meaning of words or phrases through the context are well developed. Thirdly, most participants possess positive attitudes towards reading classes using LCs, and adore LCs more with the experiment going on.