The Application of Cooperative Learning in Oral English Teaching of College English

Abstract：The purpose of learning English is to enable learners to use English freely.Cooperative Learning （CL） is a learning strategy proposed in the 1970s.this paper studies the relationship of cooperative learning in oral English teaching，puts forward the following viewpoints，the purpose of group cooperative learning is to cultivate students’cooperative consciousness，innovative thinking and communicative competence.

Key words：Cooperative Learning;learning strategy;oral English teaching

1.Introduction

The concept of cooperative learning has been widely praised by Chinese educators since its introduction to Chinese education field，and some educators have tried to popularize it to oral English teaching of college English，and many related discourses have been applied to practical classroom teaching concepts.With the continuous spread of the concept of cooperative learning，we gradually feel that cooperative learning plays a very important role in college English classes.The cooperative learning in oral English teaching in college English can satisfy the teachers ’ teaching needs，facilitate students ’ exchange and discussion，and can complete the learning tasks smoothly and quickly.

2.The Current Situation of Oral English Teaching

（1）From the teacher’s point of view：Teachers do not attach importance to group cooperative learning methods.On the one hand，with the increasing number of college students，the number of some of the college Enlish class is around 100.So if using cooperative learning methods，it is a little in a mess and make it difficult for a teacher to control? On the other hand，because some of the existing teaching concepts are teachers in peacetime work constantly groping out，let them suddenly change the idea of the use of new teaching methods also have some difficulties.In addition，the college teachers have teaching quality assessment，these many reasons cause teachers in the ordinary teaching of some new teaching methods appear very cautious，which is the result of group cooperative learning methods in college English teaching is not widely used.

（2）From the student’s point of view：Students are not interested in group cooperative learning style.Students in the previous study work has been accustomed to teachers to make “cramming” and “Yiyantang” and other teaching methods，and suddenly the full time to their free control initiative to learn，let them feel rush，powerless.On the one hand，students have not enough experience in learning ways to cooperate with others and lack clear guidance.These reasons ultimately encourage students to spend more time in their own school.Thus，it appears that students do not have much enthusiasm for the new style of study.

（3）From the school perspective：there is a lack of mechanisms for effective monitoring of group cooperative learning practices.Any new teaching method must be obstructed in the process of trial，so it is necessary to set up a complete monitoring mechanism if it is to be carried out smoothly.But in our country’s actual situation，precisely lacks this kind of surveillance mechanism.Although many schools have? groups of classes to allow them to collaborate and discuss each other within a certain period of time，many are symbolically following the reform of the college education system.The students aim to improve their grades，and the teachers aim to improve their class performance，and none of the indicators are really intended to motivate them to try new teaching methods.Therefore，the Group of cooperative learning style is still not well used.

3.The methods of improving college students’ oral English

The best size of the personnel group is 4 to 6，and the team of this size can achieve both the group’s thinking collision and the opportunity and time for each team member’s performance.Under normal circumstances，students volunteered to group，teachers macro-control，as far as possible to achieve homogeneity between groups，heterogeneity in the group.From the group individual point of view，the team members should be “top students，secondary students，learning difficulties” coexist，should try to avoid all the team members of the same gender，English level or similar personality group.Members who are complementary in character and have varying levels of spoken English can form interactive groups.The team leader chooses the group leader to organize and coordinate various learning activities and records，to feedback the learning status of the group members and to make recommendations on the next stage of teaching arrangements.The team leader’s choice can be based on the responsibility，organizational skills，communication skills，language skills and other factors considered by the group members and teachers to determine.

4.Conclusion

By applying cooperative learning to oral English teaching，it can effectively arouse the students’ interest and initiative in learning oral English，and improve the level and efficiency of oral English teaching.

Bibliography

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作者簡介

Zhang Xia（1970.11.23—），female，Han Nationality，associate professor，Lintao County of Gansu Province，Master of English Education，now study for Phd.at Shinawatra University in Thailand.