A Study On Implementing Collaborative Learning Out Of Class In College English Teaching

As known to all, there is a lack of natural English language environments for learners to learn English in China. Hence, English classes are generally regarded as the primary sources for English learning. Unfortunately, at present only four class hours are assigned to College English Teaching (CET) for non-English major freshmen and sophomores in China. Such a limit to English class hours is far from enough for the majority of college students to meet the requirement of English learning. Additionally, researches (Xu Jingfen, 2004) have shown that non-English major college students are generally lack of autonomy in their English study out of class. However, nowadays college English teachers have paid little attention to students' English study out of class. Those are part of the major factors leading to the fact that most college students' English proficiency can not roundly reach the requirements of College English Teaching Syllabus. Prof. Su Dingfang (2004) explicitly points out that CET in class should serve college students' autonomous English study out of class. Zhao Liang (2003) also thinks that it is incomplete for a CET model not to cover college students' English study out of class. As a result, we herein put forward a hypothesis of implementing Collaborative Learning out of class guided and monitored by the English teacher so as to create simulated English learning environments, promote the efficiency of college students' English study out of class and to make autonomous English learners of them.Scholars at home and abroad (eg, Panitz, 1997; Sharan, 1990; Li Qiao, 2003; Nan Bo, 2003) focus their studies of Collaborative Learning on classroom teaching and learning. As for how to implement Collaborative Learning out of class guided and monitored by the English teacher, few researches have ever been done on it. This paper tries to explore thisproblem theoretically and practically.Our research is based on the theories of Vygosky's Zone of Proximal Development, Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, Bruffee's Fundational and Non-foundatipnal Knowledge, the communicative nature of language learning, as well as the learning theory of social constructivism.Practically, we implemented our proposal in college English teaching practice. These practices to a certain extent prove true our hypothesis that implementing Collaborative Learning out of class guided and monitored by the English teacher promotes students' English learning autonomy and efficiency out of class. What's more, the experiment has shown that there are two basic differences between implementing Collaborative Learning in class and doing so out of class guided and monitored by the English teacher.(1) The scope of collaborative learning is different. In class, students' collaborative learning is embodied as off-hand group learning activities; while out of class, it involves the individual study for achieving the sharing goals on the basis of mutual supporting among group members, and regular group learning activities.(2) The teacher's roles and the student's roles are different. In both cases, the teacher acts as mediator and students are active participants, but if we take the whole process of learning into consideration, i.e. to set up learning goals, to make learning schedules, to implement learning schedules and to evaluate learning results, changes will turn up.In class, students can be regarded as passive active participants, and their dependence on their teachers has been enhanced objectively.Out of class, in the process of collaborative learning, the students are active and voluntary participants, responsible for their studies as well as those of the other members of the group. The teacher is not knowledge instructor any longer; s/he acts as the plenary group leader guiding and monitoring the learning groups of the class. In short, in this process, students' English learning is both independent from the teacher and...