Cooperative

Learning in the
ESL class
 What is Cooperative
Learning?
• It’s an educational approach whose goal
is to organize the class into small
groups to maximize the learning
experience of each of the members.
Students must work collectively to
complete tasks and achieve academic
goals. All members are successful when
the group succeeds.
Elements of Cooperative
Learning
1. Positive interdependence

• Students must fully participate and put forth

effort within their group. Each group
member has a task/role/responsibility
therefore must believe that they are
responsible for their learning and that of
their group
2. Face-to-face promotive interaction

• Members promote each other's success.

Students explain to one another what they
have or are learning and assist one another
with understanding and completion of
assignments
3. Individual and group accountability

• Each student must demonstrate mastery of

the content being studied. Each student is
accountable for their learning and work,
therefore eliminating “social loafing”
 4. Social skills

• Social skills that must be taught in order for

successful cooperative learning to occur.
Skills include effective communication,
interpersonal and group skills:
• Leadership
• Decision-making
• Trust-building
• Communication
• Conflict-management skills
 5. Group processing

• Every so often groups must assess their

effectiveness and decide how it can be
improved
Types
 Formal Cooperative
Learning
• It’s facilitated and monitored by the
teacher. Is characterized for being
structured. It is used to achieve goals
through time. Any theme can be
adapted for group work. Groups can
vary from 2-6 people.
 Informal Cooperative
Learning
• The groups are temporary and can
change from lesson to lesson, generally
groups of two people, and incorporates
group learning with passive teaching in
form of discussions.
 Base Group Learning

• are long term groups, in which the

support, motivation and caring.
Members are in charge of teach the
person absent in a lesson.
 Strategies
• The content to be taught is identified, and criteria
for mastery are determined.
• The most useful cooperative learning technique is
identified, and the group size is determined. 
• Students are assigned to (or may choose to join)
groups.
• The work space is arranged to facilitate group
interaction. 
• Group processes are taught or reviewed as needed
to assure that the groups run productively.
• The teacher develops expectations for group learning and
makes sure students understand the purpose of the
learning that will take place.
• The teacher presents initial material as appropriate, using
whatever techniques she or he chooses. 
• The teacher monitors student interaction in the groups,
and provides assistance and clarification as needed. The
teacher reviews group skills and facilitates problem-solving
when necessary. 
• Student outcomes are evaluated. Students must
individually demonstrate mastery of important skills or
concepts of the learning.
 Limitations
• teachers may become confused and can lack of a
complete understanding of the method
• Teachers also can be relying only on the
cooperative learning, as a way to keep students
busy.
• Students that are slow or have some difficulties
may experience hostility for the rest of their
classmates
• Besides, there is a chance that not all of them will
be full committed with the group.