Cooperative language

learning
all for one, one for all.

Theory of Language: An interactive view of

language. Lge is a vehicle for the realization of
interpersonal relations and for the performance
of social relations (interaction analysis,
conversation analysis, and ethnomethodology

Definition
Olsen and Kagan, (1992)
define cooperative learning
as "group learning activity
organised 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."

Within cooperative
situations, individuals seek
outcomes that are
beneficial to themselves
and beneficial to all other
group members.
Cooperative learning is the
instructional use of small
groups so that students
work together to maximize
their own and each other's
learning.

Theory of Language 2: Premises

Premise 1: children are born to talk; communication
is the primary purpose of language.
Premise 2: Most speech is organized as
conversation.
Premise 3: conversation operates according to a set
of cooperative rules (maxims)
Premise 4: learning maxims in L1 is through
engagement in everyday interaction.
Premise 5: learning how maxims are realized in L2
is through participation in cooperatively structured
interactions.

Research findings: benefits

of CLL
Research findings in both L1 and L2 contexts suggest that cooperative
learning has benefits for many learners (e.g. Long & Porter, 1985;
McManus & Gettinger, 1996). These studies indicate that, cooperative
learning is more effective in promoting such values as intrinsic
motivation and task achievement. Cooperative learning is also
said to generate higher order thinking skills, improve attitudes
toward the subject, develop academic peer norms, heighten
selfesteem, and increase time on task (Johnson & Johnson, 1985;
Slavin, 1983,1991). When compared with competitive and
individualistic efforts, cooperative learning typically results in greater
efforts to achieve more positive relationships among students
(Cooper, Johnson, Johnson & Wilderson, 1980; Solomon, Watson,
Schaps, Battistich & Solomon, 1990), and greater psychological health
(Bandura, 1977; Schunk, 1987). Among all the positive outcomes of
cooperative learning, the most important outcome of cooperative
learning is enhanced achievement (Slavin, 1995)

relatedness, competence, and

autonomy
to help students satisfy the three
needs of relatedness,
competence, and autonomy in the
classroom.
all for one, one for all.

Slavins review (1995)

listed over 90 experimental studies about
cooperative learning.
the reason cooperative learning succeeds
as an educational methodology is its use of
convergent tasks:
Group goals based on the individual
responsibility of all group members leads
to increased learning achievement,
regardless of subject or proficiency level of
students involved

Teachers role
Making pre-instructional decisions :
. Specifying academic and social skills objectives. Every lesson
has both academic and interpersonal and small group skills
objectives. .
Deciding on group size. Learning groups should be small.
. Deciding on group composition. Assigning students to groups
randomly or select groups. Maximize the heterogeneity in
each group,
Assigning roles, structure student-student interaction by
assigning roles such as "reader, recorder, encourager of
participation, and checker for understanding".
Arranging the room. Group members should be 'knee to knee
and eye to eye' but arranged so they all can see you at the
front of the room. .

Teachers roles 2
Planning materials. Arranging materials to give a 'sink or swim together'
message. Give only paper to the group or give each member part of the
material to be learned.
Explaining task and cooperative structure
Explaining the academic task and the objectives of the lessons, the
concepts and principles students need to know in order to complete the
assignment, and the procedures they are to follow.
Explaining the criteria for success. Students work should be evaluated on a
criteria-referenced basis. Making clear your criteria for evaluating students'
work.
Structuring positive interdependence. Students must believe that they 'sink
or swim together'.
Structuring intergroup cooperation. Having groups check and help other
groups.
The teacher plays a leading role in setting up the cooperative learning
structures as well as in preparing students for the tasks and in facilitating
the accomplishment of the task goals.

Learners roles
Facilitator, time keeper, reporter,
summarizer, recorder.
Counsellor, decision maker,
negotiator, problem solver,
researcher, leader

Other benefits for SLL

cooperative learning provides second
language learners with opportunities to hear
more language and more complex language
during interaction with peers. This increased
complexity of input facilitates language
development. Group activity also increases
students' chances to be exposed to ideas that
may be more cognitively complex.
Complexity and variety of input produce
higher level cognitive development (Bloom,
1964; Bruner, 1966; Sharan et al., 1984).

Basic principles of CLL

activities

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Cooperation as a value
Heterogeneous grouping
Positive interdependence
Individual accountability
Simultaneous interaction
Equal participation
Collaborative skills
Group autonomy

Cognitive SLA theories

Interlanguage (Selinker, 1972): the
objective is to achieve near nativelike interlanguage.
Some theories of cognitive SLA:
Krashens Comprehensible Input
Hypothesis (1982), Longs Interaction
Hypothesis(1983), Swains Output
Hypothesis (1985), and Schmidts
Noticing Hypothesis (1990).

Cognitive theories vs SCT

cognitive theories of second language
acquisition focus on the individual learners
internal cognitive processing of input,
social-cultural theories place the individual
within the larger social or communal
context.
Social-cultural theories (SCT) in educational
practice stem largely from the writings of
Soviet-Era psychologist Lev Vygotsky.

Vygotsky
the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): the limit to
which someone can learn new information with the
assistance of someone else. This could be an expert
such as a teacher or a fellow learner at the same level
or slightly higher level of competence than the learner.
S/he acts as a mediator between the student and the
knowledge the student is trying to understand and
assists the learner in reaching goals not attainable by
the learner alone. Thus, the ZPD defines those
functions that have not yet matured but are in the
process of maturation, functions that will mature
tomorrow but are currently in an embryonic state
(Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86).

Two levels of learning

The intramental plane
The intermental plane

Types of CL groups
Formal cooperative groups
Informal cooperative groups
Cooperative base groups

(1) Timed pair share

See the article on cooperative
structures of Kagan