On Cooperative Learning in Teaching English英语专业毕业论文.docx

On Cooperative Learning in Teaching English 摘要： 随着我国改革开放的逐步深入，同世界的交流与联系也越来越紧密，更多实用性的外语人才需要越来越大。本文就合作学习理论、合作学习的模式、教师在合作学习中的角色以及合作学习的意义要注意的问题等几个方面对如何开展英语合作学习进行了探讨，旨在合作学习中更好地激励学生主动参与学习，培养合作精神并习得用英语进行交际的能力。关键词：合作学习；师生合作；合作学习利与弊Abstract: As the trend of reformation and opening to the other countries becomes deeper and wider, closer and closer communication requires more practical English speakers. Cooperative learning method is a useful way to cultivate a lot of the persons of ability. This paper will discuss how to cooperate when studying English from the following aspects of cooperative learning theory, cooperative learning model, the roles of teachers in cooperative learning and cooperative learning sense so as to motivate students studying actively, foster the cooperative spirit and get communicative competence in English.Key Words: cooperative learning,；cooperation between T and Ss；advantages and disadvantages1. IntroductionOver years studying and development, English teaching has got a great progress. At the same time it also accumulated a lot of experience, but because we are at an unprecedented stage of development, new things coming out increasingly, the situation of world changing fast, the traditional English education method cant satisfy the present need. English, the world communicative language is being accepted by more and more counties. Considering these, improving English teaching is no doubt necessary. Cooperative learning is the right way to resolve the difficult problem.2. Cooperative Learning TheoryCooperative learning was a study method that rose mainly in America during 1960s and 1970s. At that time, some social teaching advocates thought, there was a link between the formation of cooperative social behavior and the development of skills and knowledge, so they used the forms of cooperative learning which gradually developed into a teaching theory and tactical system based on the following six theories(郑金洲,2005:1-5).First, Group Dynamic theory, which was invented by Germany psychologist K.Lewin, it thought, the group is basically a dynamic group with their members mutual dependence changing continually. Inside, any members condition can cause the changing of other members condition, and the intense inside condition can motivate the group to reach common anticipated aims.Second is Social Cohesiveness theory. It was similar to group dynamic theory. It interpreted the teaching effect of cooperative learning from the aspect of motivation. However, its emphasis is members should care the group.Third, the one was complex learning theory rising in foreign countries: Constructivism. It said knowledge was neither objective nor subjective, and just was a kind of interpretation, and was moving, not static. On the basis of this realization, Constructivism highlighted the students state and function in activities of learning.Forth, cognitive developmental theory from the aspect of cognition, gave special attention to their task that had finished in cooperative learning (every group member improve their cognitive level at the process of getting group aims). The theory thought, it was easier to understand and master some important notions for children under the mutual effect of taking very tasks. The development of children and their social behavior were increasingly formed through the mutual effect and communicative cognition of accompanies.Fifth, American psychologist A.Maslow created needsgraduation theory, which was a theory of studying mens need structure. Class was an activity between one person and a group. It was very important for students development ,not only to satisfy their communication and so on, but satisfy the need for development and egorealization by the way of communication forming social personal relationship.Sixth is classroom instructional technology theory. It thought there are mainly three factors to affect the quality of class studying and social mental environment: task structure, incentive structure, and authority structure. The classroom instructional technology is the unity of the three factors. It has an illuminating significance of cooperative learning.At present, the cooperative learning has been broadly used in schools in many countries, such as USA, Britain, Holland, etc. absorbing the experience of foreign teaching ,teachers in our countries should excavate own potency to make use of cooperative learning.3. Cooperative Learning3.1 Cooperation between Students and Teachers Frankly speaking, the meaning of cooperation between students and teachers is that teachers and students cooperatively work together. It includes many fields, like in the part of class, the cooperation between the teaching style of teachers and the acceptability of students, the cooperation between students whole studying level and the plan of curriculum contents. In the part of class after, whether the task teachers demand students finish get the level of standards teachers ask for. In the part of affection, whether they can get along very well with one another, and whether students often communicate with teachers. In my thesis, there are two parts as far as I am concerned.3.1.1 Teaching Skills Adjusting to StudentsAs we know, teaching is not an easy job but more like an art. Teachers are the creators of the art. If an English teacher wants to liven up a class, and make classes effective and easily be understood, he needs not just enriched knowledge, but the skills of teaching. The definition of teaching method in different work, it had different conception: the early one, like in H.A.Kaupobas“Educational Psychology，he said：“Education that we understood, is affected largely by the students interests and teachers skills”(凯洛夫,1954:154). Chinese ancestors also said, as a teacher, he should transmit wisdom, impart knowledge and resolve problems for students。The firstly should be a conductor of knowledge. Somebody thinks a teacher should have two “arms”- “talk” and “chalk”. “Whatever knowledge an English teacher owns, he needs the capability of teaching. However, in spite of owning abundant knowledge, if he can not conduct it to learners well, he is not regarded as a qualified teacher. Quirk.k said that, Teacher was a gate that the child ponders the past, Will hold the present and passes to a future”( 胡春洞, 1999:145). Usually, students say, that teacher teaches effectively，that one does badly and so on. These comment mainly points at the ability of conduct. A well-done teacher may have a less knowledge than that bad-done one. Here, it refers to the problem about teaching skills. A English-teaching teacher should be good at learning, have a spirit of practice and cultivate versatile capacity，and improve his teaching level. When a teacher give lessons, if he or she adopts an interesting and attractive method in classes, the students would show their interests on what they are learning, and comprehend that easily. On the contrary, teachers and students would walk their own way. Meanwhile, the classroom comes into a dull and dry state. This is so-called failure classes. Nowadays in the condition of society changing, learning foreign language is much more different from learning some other subjects. It requires the learners to put himself or she into some certain scenes to feel and use what he or she learned. Therefore, it demands of reviewing the present teaching tactics. The using of a right teaching skill is not only easy to understand the curriculum context for students, but also increasing the interests of the subjects learning. “An excellent teacher is to inspire students improving themselves, not to instill knowledge into their heads” (伍新春,2004:95). Cognitive psychologists think, if the information input brains is interesting and practical, they will engender excited complex when the knowledge reach the brain process machines, and output brisk acts and ideas. In traditional educational, the most students newly learning English do not understand why “be” in English is versatile, this is because in the mother tongue of China, expressing the same meaning just uses the same character “是”.It does not change at any time or places, whoever uses it. This nature habit gives them deep impression and also becomes a hinder to studying English. It is difficult for them to know when using “am”, “are”, or “is”. Obviously, it is not an easy job to make newly learners understand why “be” is used in that way with a grammar or culture. In order to solve the problem, some teachers make up a jingle in Chinese: 我用am, 你用are, is用于他，她，它。As to the sentence, newly learners are easy to remember themselves of how to use “be”. It provokes the students interests and also builds a good atmosphere. Bernard Show said, we should make children in pursuit of knowledge, not knowledge in pursuit of children. We should make full use of childrens novelty, because it is the most efficacious way to learn for them. For another example, as for “passive voice”,often teaching it to students by using of the exercise of changing between passive voice and active voice, but the effect is not good. But if we choose another way to do that, it maybe have different result. First of all, let students observe a picture of a living room prepared in advance carefully, and then take out a second one which is similar to the first one, but the objects in the picture not in places, color changed. Then, the teacher asks questions: what has been changed in the living room? Such the question attracts their interests of trying to prove whose memory is best. Because of the students interests rising, they must answer enthusiastically: the TV has been put on the sofa. The walls have been painted pink in order to strengthen the knowledge and exercise the ability of students writing. It is necessary to leave the homework that using the “passive voice” to complete “what has been changed in our school or in our city? “For the English activity is linked the reality, students think what they newly learned can be used in reality, so they get a positive experience easily to study”(庾鲜海,2003,5). In the part of studying effect, it is also affirmed. Insomuch, the relationship between the teaching skills and students is very close. A teacher is the guider, who affects a number of the eyes of pursuit of knowledge.3.1.2 The Affection Cooperation between Teachers and StudentsThis means a teacher and students should understand and respect each other, and work in a harmony and friendly environment. Nowadays, education advocates the style of personality first and students as protagonist. A teacher is not stand at high place. He or she should be more like friends, and parents to treat and care students. Especially in some closed type schools. Classmates and friends are one of the most important parts. They together chat, study, courage each other, and play games. In certain way, friends are the necessary part in their life. They can give each other some suggestion when coming across a few troubles. But it is limited for them, because they are at same age stage and both immature. At this moment, a teacher becomes the friends and parents of them. They give the right suggestion and love to students by talking and exchanging ideas in time. A teacher should make good effort to become students reliable and welcomed persons.On the other hand, a teacher should be ready to hear the critic and suggestion from students, and finds the defect and try to improve selves. According to what Wang Fengxian wrote in the book “Learning and Teaching Theory”: scholars at home or abroad ever researched on “the psycho loge of teachers that students like”, the students at home and abroad have a little different attitude on this question, but of all parts, they are the similar ideas. “They all like enriched knowledge teachers with the quality of skill, warm-hearted, friendly, good temper and justice”(王逢贤,2000:189）. They are easy to get along well with students if a teacher occupies these. To the opposite, it is difficult for teachers to do that. A good relationship between a teacher and students is the vital factor that students make progress in studying.3.2 Cooperation among StudentsStudents are the body of learning and schools. Mutual help is an important factor. So, we should not neglect their mutual relationship.3.2.1 Cooperative Learning ModelIn The part, a type of group learning is very noticeable. It is also fit for our national conditions. The meaning of group learning is that in a classroom, dividing a few groups according to some standards. Students are responsible for their group as group members. They mutually get progress under the help of each other. Vygotsky regarded the discrepancy between the ability of resolving problems children get under the adults induction or help and the ability of resolving problems they get at their own as “approximate development district”(王蔷,2000:21). The essence of this concept illustrates that children at their development stage can not clinch some problems on their own, but can realize that with adults induction or help or the same age children of being relative knowledges introduction and cooperation. In this perspective, “approximate development district” that Vygotsky raised has profound sense to the cooperative learning. Piaget schools thought, children could absorb knowledge quickly by mutual effect. They pointed out, with the help of discussing content; students mutual effect in the part of studying would advance them improving their realization. Foreign languages learning is a subject of special character. Its special character asks for a very type to cooperate so as to get good result. Group learning is the right one that some teachers and educationists choose.How to divide a class into groups and take group activities? Here, according to Zheng Jinzhous opinion, there are four types： fixed group，free group，mixed group，basic group（郑金洲,2005:80-84）. This paper chooses fixed group. In line with the feature of the seat settled, students sitting around are organized into a group. Certainly, because of different level of students acceptance, teachers may rearrange groups to balance them, and then settle their seats. “Generally speaking, a group includes four to six members. The content of group activities are: reading, listening, writing, conversation and translation. Britain educationist Harmor thought, group learning could provide great motivation. It is used in oral programs that should be decided, like reading task, listening task, writing task and other things”(陈苏丹,1997,5). 3.2.2 Cooperation and CompetitionThe group learning can be made up of two parts: one is cooperation in a group. Another is competition among groups. Lets first talk about the cooperation in a group. Every group should choose a student as headman. The charge man is not obsolete. Students hold the