Advantages and Disadvantages of Cooperative Language Learning 英语专业毕业论文

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cooperative Language Learning

Abstract

This article briefly introduces the Cooperative Language Learning (CLL), analyses its advantages and disadvantages, and finally points out the difficulties in practicing the Cooperative Language Learning in Chinese classrooms.

Key Words: Cooperative Language Learning advantage disadvantage

I. Introduction

With the fast development, the increase of international communication in technology, science, and culture, people begin to realize the importance of studying English in China. Thus, there is a huge demand in learning English without fulfilling. But traditional language teaching methods in China dominated by the teacher-oriented, book-centered grammar-translation methods obviously can no longer satisfy their needs. Therefore, the Cooperative Language Learning began to change our language teaching and learning classrooms. It is a current educational reform that changes traditional teacher-centered teaching model into student-centered learning in classroom. As one of the most popular teaching methods in western countries, CLL is receiving wide attention in educational circle in China. However, there are also some problems when it is applied to practice in China which makes us confused. Is CLL really applicable in Chinese classrooms? This paper is going to analyze the CLL with these questions through this article.

II. A Brief Introduction to the CLL

2.1 The history and definition of CLL

Cooperative Language Learning (CLL) 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 cooperative activities such as pairs and small groups of students in the classroom. CLL has become established as a major teaching methodology. It is a teaching procedure that enhances both academic and social skills. It provides a stage for

students to develop effective learning strategies and interpersonal cooperating skills. “two heads learn better than one”said David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson in 1960s, who are Professors at the University of Minnesota and Co-Directors of the Cooperative Learning Center. They have done more than 40 books, 350 research articles. For sure, we can call their research as a milestone of cooperative learning. Also, there are a lot of different definitions about this theory. Here is one of them:

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. (Olsen and Kagan 1992:8)

From those above, we can know that the CLL is a kind of advanced teaching model and strategy system. The application of CLL in English class for example, may change the teacher-oriented teaching model, which is so called inefficient and old fashioned teaching system. With the CLL, teacher can make full use of the role as an instructor, while students will be able to study together and make learning progress in a kind of relax and harmonious studying atmosphere. With this method, students not only develop their abilities of perception and strategy and effectively increase the quality of English learning, but also educate their cooperative consciousness and their creativity.

2.2 Types of Cooperative Learning activities

Like we have a lot of different definitions about CLL, there are many types of different cooperative learning activities has been introduced and developed by researchers through these years. Some of them are following:

Student Teams

Student Team Learning Methods are developed by Robert Slavin in 1990s.

These methods incorporate the concept of individual accountability and equal opportunity to succeed, also include the use of team rewards. Because of the rewards are available to all team members from the group?s main objectives, team members will work together to a common goal and also to their different goals at the same time. All they have to do is work together, and achieve their own goals with the help of other team members.

Group Investigation

This method was introduced by Yael and Shlomo Sharan. In this method, they claimed that their version of CLL has four interrelated elements that begin with the establishment of a significant question, challenge or problem that may offers various options for solution. To success, students have to be assisted in finding appropriate resources and introduced to cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies. Plus, students have to use their higher-order thinking skills like contrasting, evaluating and comparing. They have to integrate a range of ideas, concepts and findings. Finally, with the guidance of their teacher, students may reflect upon and consider their work and their skills.

The Structural Approach

The structural approach to cooperative learning was devised and developed by Spencer Kagan, the director of Kagan cooperative learning in California.

He describes a structure as a content-free way of organizing the interaction of individuals in a classroom. There are many ways a teacher can structure a lesson. In a general sense structures are the …how?of instruction and consist of a series of elements or steps. Some structures are competitive, some individualistic and some of them are cooperative. He also divides the teaching-learning process into three parts: structures, content and activities.

III. Advantages of Cooperative Language Learning Method

As a widely accepted teaching and learning method, the CLL has its obvious advantages. Like Slavin said: “cooperative learning promotes academic achievement, is relatively easy to implement, and is not expensive. Children?s improved behavior and attendance, and increased liking of school, are some of the benefits of cooperative learning”, it is advanced, easy to implement and beneficial. Now, I would like to give some examples of its advantages. As I know, advantages of this method can be divided into two parts: academically and psychologically. More details as follows:

3.1 It is a good way to develop friendship with pleasure

We all can?t deny Johnson?s words like: “without the cooperation of its members society cannot survive, and the society of man has survived because the cooperativeness of its member made survival possible…” This means, if there is not such a thing called “cooperation”, there would be no society. From these words, we can know how important the cooperative learning and the cooperation are. Especially for students who have to deal with others in everyday study or life. Perhaps, due to the one-child policy, children in recent years, more or less shows their terrible selfishness and carelessness not only in their daily life, but also in classrooms. As consequence, our students seldom have real friends even they don?t really want to talk to each other. The traditional teacher-centered teaching methods should take the responsibility of this phenomenon. In that kind of learning environment, students may feel anxiety because of the pressure from competence and endless examinations. As a result, our students may become more individual but selfish and more tough but numb. Teachers often concern about those students who lack of social skills, who can?t relate to other students, who are aggressive and who don?t seem to care about others. In traditional teaching methods, most of our class time is devoted to helping teachers arrange

appropriate interactions between students and materials and how teachers should interact with students, but how students should interact with one another is almost ignored. It is so hard to change this phenomenon unless we use the CLL in our classroom to teach them how to cooperate with each other. With cooperative learning groups, we can offer them a very good way to try to overcome these problems. Students may have the chance to come together and finish a task with a common purpose. After a successful example, the sense of security, trust and friendship may occur among group members. After a while, those group members are probably become close friends. Our students may no longer lonely. This method can be used for students of any age, in any subject area.

3.2 It is significantly different from traditional learning group.

According to Johnson (1989), there are a number of differences between the typical use of traditional learning groups and cooperative learning groups. We may consider those differences as advantages of the CL. These differences are:

CL groups are based on positive interdependence among group members.

Since goals are structured, group members need to concern about the whole performance of all group members as well as their own.

In CL groups, there is such a clear individual accountability that each student?s mastery of the assigned material is assessed; each student is given feedback on his or her progress, and the group is given feedback on them too. So that it is easy to know who probably needs to help and encourage.

In CL groups, membership is typically heterogeneous in ability and personal characteristics, while it is homogeneous in traditional learning groups.

In CL groups, the responsibility for performing leadership actions is shared by all group members, while it?s often appointed on one person in traditional learning groups.

In CL groups, responsibility for each other?s learning is totally shared. Group members may encourage others and help others to ensure all members can do the assigned work. But in traditional learning groups, there is not such a thing.

Everyone making their own business.

In CL groups, learning and relationships among members are highlighted, while in traditional learning groups, members often only focus on completing the assignment.

In CL groups, the social skills students need in order to work collaboratively are taught directly. But in traditional learning groups, interpersonal and small group skills are assumed-most often mistakenly taught or totally ignored.

In CL groups, the working process is emphasized by teacher or others. But in traditional groups, working or not is not a big deal.

To summarize the differences between CL group and TL group activity, here is a table:

As we can see from above, there are several differences between traditional

group and CL group. We can point out some obvious advantages from these differences. For example, in CL learning group, responsibility for each other?s learning is totally shared. Group members may encourage others and help others to ensure all members can do the assigned work. This makes the learning environment friendlier and reduces stress. But in traditional learning groups, group members are making their own process. Though they are in one learning group, they don?t really want to concern about other group members? learning process or relationship among group members. Besides, in CL groups the social skills students need in order to work collaboratively are taught directly. This may improve our students?interpersonal intelligence skills. But in traditional learning groups, those kinds of social skills are mistakenly taught or totally ignored. This shows another advantage of CL.

IV. Disadvantages of Cooperative Language Method

Just like coins have two sides, like other teaching or learning methods, the CLL is also a double-edged sword. Still, it has some disadvantages and problems by itself. About this method, some have questioned its use with learners of different proficiency levels, suggesting that some groups of students, for example, intermediate and advanced learners, may obtain more benefits from it than others. Also, teachers may have difficulty adapting to the new role required to them since this method places considerable demands on them. Especially in China, it is quite difficult to reform our traditional teaching method-based, teacher-oriented classrooms with this or any other advanced teaching methods. Here are some basic problems:

4.1 Students can’t accept their new roles easily

As I mentioned above, the CLL needs to change the role in classroom. That means, teacher should not take the oriented role anymore, but handle it to students.

Probably, especially in lower-level classrooms, it is hard to be done. The reasons are: When the sudden role-changing is occurred, the learners may feel anxiety and unsecure about the changing environment. They would like to rely on teacher?s instruction rather than decide the learning strategies by themselves.

Students don?t really trust each other?s ability. They would like to trust teacher?s words rather than pick up their group member?s good advices.

The traditional teaching methods influenced students deep enough, so that when they changed their learning habits and strategies, they feel unsecure and may show more or less lost of interest.

4.2 Some bad habits may occur among students.

As we know, the CLL emphasizes team works. But we can?t ignore a fact that, some of our students may find themselves in quite pleasant environment that they don?t even need to try equally hard and also be able to share others?victory. As a result, they may lose their ability to think independently and work independently. Another side effect is, after one example happened in classroom or among group members, other group members may reject him or her and probably lose trust to him or her. This may result a kind of suspicious feeling among students. They don?t trust each other anymore.

4.3 Teachers also may feel difficult to adopt this method

CL is greatly enhanced when teachers have opportunities to work together and learn from each other. When teachers observe and teach each other, they may provide essential support to ensure that they could acquire the methods and develop new strategies according to their own situations. But the problem is, in China, most of our teachers have grown up without cooperative training, which means, even our teachers,

still don?t have any idea about cooperative work. How it is possible to them to adopt such a method without even really knowing what …cooperate? means to them?

4.4 Student s’ writing and reading skills may be weakened

Cooperative learning usually means that students will have enough time to communicate with each other. Perhaps it is good to improve their speech ability and listening comprehension skill. But at the same time, the improvement of their writing and reading skills are out of consideration. At the result, students? writing and reading skills may be weakened or remained without improving.

4.5 Learning process and quality can’t be guaranteed

In CLL classroom, students make their own group or team. They can decide who the leader of the team is and also they can make their own process. This means, they are teaching each other and making their own learning process. In this situation, without any directions from an experienced teacher, the learning process and quality of learning can not be guaranteed. As a result, team members may learn nothing from their teammates or the process may be poor with low quality.

V. Conclusion

With Cooperative Learning Method, learners may enjoy the team spirit that either helps them grow as a real person or helps them become attentive in class. Learning in cooperative learning class, students may feel free and relaxed. Also, the CLL may provide very good opportunity to improve students? relationship and their interpersonal communicating ability. However, it is not totally designed for our Chinese class. Unless teachers pay enough attention to carefully mixing this method with other traditional teaching methods, it is hard to say that the CLL brings a real

reform or benefit to our teachers and students.

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