The Application Of Cooperative Learning To English Writing Teaching And Learning In Chinese High School

Cooperative learning (CL) first rose in the USA in the 70s of the 20th century, and it had made great progress and became a popular teaching theory and strategy by the mid 80s. It is a teaching strategy that promotes positive interaction and learners'autonomy as well. It involves learners'participation in a small group. They work together toward a group goal in which each member is individually accountable for part of an outcome that cannot be completed unless the members work together. The group members under CL are positively interdependent, and the classroom study team promotes teaching quality because teacher-centered thinking could be lessened while student-centered learning is encouraged.CL was introduced into China in the 1990's. It immediately got positive response among the education circles as it echoed the promotion of"quality-oriented"education reform in China. Since then, many researchers and teachers have been studying and practicing this teaching and learning approach. The results of the study and practice of CL are encouraging.The present paper reports on a study of CL in English as a foreign language teaching and learning in China. It involves one experimental group, which is exposed to CL instruction, and one control group, which receives traditional teacher-frontal instruction. The purpose of this study is to explore 1) whether cooperative learning has effect on English writing teaching and learning in the Chinese high school, If yes, whether it is positive or negative; 2) whether the learners from Chinese high school who have experienced cooperative learning can perform better than those who have not; 3) what attitudes students in the Chinese high school adopt toward cooperative learning.Based on the findings drawn from data analysis with both quantitative and qualitative study, the paper concludes that cooperative learning has positive effects on English writing in Chinese high school English writing teaching and learning. It is feasible as well as necessary to introduce CL into classroom in Chinese high school context, because students in Chinese high school generally take a positive attitude towards CL. The major findings are summarized as follows:1. CL has positive effects on improving the learners'English writing. Quantitatively, there are no significant differences between EC and CC in the pre-test. After CL has been implemented in the English course in EC for 20 weeks, the results of the post-test in EC is higher than that in CC. Qualitatively, in English writing teaching, the researcher finds the climate of EC is more lively than before and that the subjects participate in English writing practice more actively and confidently.2. The subjects'attitudes towards CL are mainly positive. They thought it was very flexible and offered them more than one way to write. With diversified input instead of just the teacher's input, their minds are broadened. As a result, CL is greatly beneficial to the development of divergent thinking in students. After the group work in CL, students must rely on themselves to judge, select, make decisions, all of which help them to perceive their problems and improve their writing. Individual accountability is developed with the introduction of CL into the writing process.3. The subjects, especially those who speak positively of the effects of CL on language learning and teaching in a Chinese high school context, admit that CL, in addition to its academic effects, is also helpful in improving interpersonal relationships. It can help them to develop mutual tolerance, acceptance, closeness and solidarity. Their social skills and communication strategies have developed through CL.4. Field-dependent and more tolerant students will get more than others from CL. They seem to have learned better and more efficiently than their peers. On the contrary, field-independent students may show over-dominance in the group work when CL is adopted in writing instruction, or they may show little commitment to group work. Therefore, teachers must be careful to balance the composition of the group if they intend to keep CL well functioning in class and beneficial for all students.5. Alternating three ways of revision every other week in the mechanical way did not lead to optimum results for peer revision into full, which led students to the conclusion that the CL approach was a bit monotonous and ineffective. The conclusion drawn was that teachers'skillful interference is needed and that the form of peer revision should be reconsidered.With these findings, the author of this paper suggests that CL should be introduced into English writing classes in Chinese high schools. Integrated with other teaching and learning approaches, CL can improve writing skills, help improve social skills, and, finally, build up communicative competence. When practicing CL, the teacher must understand that he should provide necessary support and proper guidance if he wants to make it more effective.