The Application Of Cooperative Learning To The Teaching Of English Reading And Writing In Senior High Schools

Reading and writing have long been considered as two of the most important components of English teaching and learning. Many researches both at home and abroad have proved that the relationship between them is close, supportive, and interactive, and that it is likely to connect them in ELT from many aspects. The results of the researches also give us the implication that it is practicable to integrate the teaching of reading and writing, which will greatly benefit ELT and enable students to learn writing skills in the process of reading and to improve reading through writing. At present, however, it is a common practice for English teachers in senior high schools to teach reading and writing separately. This division prevents reading from being able to profit from writing and writing from reading. Many students are troubled with their poor performance on English reading and writing. Therefore, it is quite necessary to find out an effective way to teach reading and writing in senior high schools.The researches on cooperative learning which has been applied to language teaching can help to solve the above problem. Cooperative learning with its solid theoretical bases has been proved greatly helpful to improve learners'academic achievement, create positive learning environment and develop cooperative spirit. Some cooperative learning methods are worth our introducing to the teaching of reading and writing. Cooperative learning is a complex and multifaceted instructional system, in which some teaching methods like Group Investigation, Jigsaw, Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition, and Student Team Reading and Writing can effectively help the teaching of reading and writing. They have been proved to be more superior to traditional teaching methods. And the application of cooperative learning can also meet the requirement of new curriculum reform, which pays more attention on students'affective factors and the cultivation of cooperative spirit. In cooperative learning groups, students discuss together, write response to what they have read together, help each other, learn from each other, and achieve progress together. Among group members exists the good atmosphere of positive interdependence and engagement in active learning. Therefore, cooperative learning has positive effects on students'improvement of academic achievement, perfection of classroom atmosphere, and cultivation of cooperative spirit.In this thesis, based on the theory of cooperative learning and second language acquisition, a 15-week experiment was carried out in two classes of Grade Two. One is experimental class and the other is control class. During the process of teaching, with the flexible application of cooperative learning methods, the author integrates the teaching of reading and writing effectively in the way of putting more stress on reading and meanwhile involving text-related writing in the process of reading. The forms of two-head group and heterogeneous group are applied to reading activities, and peer revision is the main form applied to writing activities. In the study, two questionnaires and two tests (pre-test and post-test on reading and writing) are employed to better analyze the experiment, and the data of both tests are processed statistically by using SPSS11.0 for windows.The results show that the students'reading and writing academic achievement has been improved a lot in the experiment class, and the English classroom atmosphere in the experimental class has also become more active, relaxed and freer than before. Firstly, the result of paired sample t-test of post-test reading scores between the experimental class and the control class shows no significant improvement on reading in the experimental class. However, from the angle of data analysis of pre-test and post-test reading scores of the experimental class itself, reading of the experimental class has been notably improved whether in terms of Mean, Std. Deviation or the value of p. Secondly, the result of paired sample t-test of post-test writing scores between the experimental class and the control class shows that the experimental class has got significantly higher achievement on writing. Moreover, from the angle of data analysis of pre-test and post-test writing scores of the experimental class itself, writing of the experimental class is also obviously better than that of the control class in terms of Mean, Std. Deviation and the value of p. Thirdly, the result of questionnaires shows that English classroom atmosphere of the experimental class has been improved and become more active and relaxed through the application of cooperative learning. The positive learning atmosphere, correspondingly, helps students be more interested and initiative in English learning and provides them with more chances of exchanging learning experience and cooperating with each other. It is concluded that it is feasible and effective to apply cooperative learning methods to the teaching of English reading and writing in senior high schools. And cooperative learning methods can be greatly helpful to enhance students'reading and writing academic achievement and perfect English classroom atmosphere.