A Study On The Effectiveness Of Autonomous-Cooperative Teaching And Learning Model In Second-level Colleges Attached To Universities

The newly issued"College English Curriculum Requirements"states that the objective of college English teaching is to cultivate students'competence in comprehensive use of English, especially their performance in listening and speaking. Thus college English teaching model should aim at developing students'performance of using language. However, the present situation of college English teaching is not satisfactory in which teachers pay much attention to the teaching of the learner's linguistic knowledge, whereas little attention is paid to the development of their use of language. As a result, quite a few students who have learned English for several years could hardly express everyday notions in target language.Besides, more and more students are enrolled in second-level colleges attached to universities. However, few researchers have done any research related to foreign language teaching in such colleges. Since they will compose a large number of graduates in the near future, to find an appropriate English teaching and learning model for those students to enable them to arrive at the standard of the new"Requirements"is of vital importance. On the basis of constructivism, autonomous learning, needs analysis as well as the previous studies on foreign language teaching in China, the researcher designed a new model, termed as autonomous-cooperative teaching and learning model. This paper just focuses on introducing the new model and testing its effectiveness in teaching English.Within this new model, both in-class learning and out-of-class learning are emphasized. In the out-of-class learning, students'autonomous learning is highly advocated. And cooperative learning is advocated both in class and out of class. Learners become autonomous ones, who actively construct their own knowledge through group working, and are put at the center of learning. The teacher's role is shifted from an authoritative knowledge transmitter to a more approachable assistant, autonomous learner, facilitator, instructor, manger and assessor, whose duty centers on task design, motivating and assisting learners to learn effectively and offering evaluation. Classroom activities are not dominated by the teacher's monotonous lectures but by interactions between the teacher and the learners, or among learners.The teaching practice of the new model was conducted to two classes from the college attached to HUST. Their final examination scores were collected and analyzed. Besides, two questionnaires were conducted at the beginning and at the end of the teaching practice. Interviews also helped the researcher know more about students'learning situation and limitations of the new model.Based on the findings of the study, it is put forward in this thesis that the model can be used to develop students'competence in using language, such as listening and speaking. Some tentative suggestions on implementing the suggested model in teaching students in second-level colleges attached to universities are also provided.