Cooperative Language Teaching
Conclusions
Cooperative learning is group learning activity organized so that learning is dependent on the socially structured exchange of information between learners in groups and in which each learner is held accountable for his or her own learning and is motivated to increase the learning of others.
Cooperative language learning also encourages students in their critical thinking, because in cooperative environments, different approaches to certain topics occur and the students have to think and consider the whys and hows.
Therefore they have to analyse possible solutions, which is another reason why heterogeneous groups are an advantage rather than a disadvantage in cooperative language learning environments.
Teacher and learner role
The Teacher
Is to provide the material, to set the classroom settings, to set goals for the students, to structure the classroom and the activities and to help and monitor students in the work phase.
The learner
Is primarily to work collaboratively with each other and develop and practice social skills. It is important to accept new ideas from other students, because the students have to share ideas, accept criticism and they have to learn to make use of the foreign language also when the teacher is not around.
What is it?
Is part of a more general instructional approach also known as Collaborative Learning (CL).
Cooperative Learning is an approach to teaching that makes maximum use of cooperative activities involving pairs and small groups of learners in the classroom.
Theory of learning
Is based on the idea that second language learning can be best done in heterogeneous groups, when all students work collaboratively and cooperatively for one common goal.
It replaces the idea that students have to work competitively against one another.
On the contrary, it rather supports the idea Vygotski claimed in his Sociocultural (S-C) Theory, which states that “Interaction not only facilitates language learning but is a causative force in acquisition.” (Saville-Troike 2006: 111)
Five Basic Elements
Positive Interdependence
Individual and Group Accountability
Interpersonal and Small Group Skills
Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction
Group Processing