An Application Of Cooperative Learning In Senior High School English Writing

It is known to all that writing is an important part in language acquisition. But in everyday senior English teaching, both teachers and students do not lay emphasis on English writing, they stress other learning skills: such as listening, speaking and reading. The model of English writing class is dull and teacher-centered. The reasons above lead to the fact that more and more students are lack of enthusiasm in English writing, which contributes to students'low level in English writing.To change the present situation, arouse students'interest in English writing, and improve their writing abilities, a new teaching method—Cooperative Learning is introduced into English writing class. Cooperative Learning is an instruction as well as a teaching strategy that involves students learning in teams to accomplish a common goal. Meanwhile Cooperative Learning is a hot topic of our national basic educational curriculum reform. It is clearly stated in English new curriculum that affective factors have an important effect on students'English learning. And Cooperative Learning plays an important part in students'English learning.Reading through the development of Cooperative Learning, the researcher knows that Cooperative Learning has been done early abroad, while Cooperative Learning in china has started only in recent decades. Cooperative Learning covers many fields, from teaching to social life. But the research of Cooperative Learning in English writing hasn't been widely carried out. This paper is intended to show that the application of Cooperative Learning has an important effect on English writing. The dissertation starts first with an introduction to the significance, background and purpose of the research. Based on the theories of cognitive psychology, humanistic psychology, community collaboration, learning motivation and communicative language teaching, the writer attempts to testify the hypothesis:1) Are students active in English writing?2) Is it beneficial for students to use Cooperative Learning in English writing? If so, what are the benefits?3) Is it feasible to carry out Cooperative Learning in English writing in high school? The period of the research was from September, 2007 to January, 2008, which right covers one semester. The experiment was carried out in class 5 and class 6 (Grade 2) of ZhuoZhou Middle School. The former class was the experimental group, in which Cooperative Learning was implemented in English writing class. The latter was the control group with the traditional teaching method in English writing class. The procedure of the research is as follows: First, the researcher learned about the present situation of students'English writing by carrying out the pre-test, Questionnaire One and an interview among the students. Considering the problems in students'English writing, the researcher implemented Cooperative Learning strategies in the experimental group, namely: scientifically divide the students into groups; design activities; make different seat arrangements; make appropriate evaluating methods, assign different writing tasks and so on. Then the researcher testified the effects of Cooperative Learning by analyzing the post-test scores, interview and data from the second questionnaires. The results show that Cooperative Learning can reduce anxiety, promote positive attitude towards English, help the students to develop their learning styles in English writing, raise students'confidence in English writing and therefore Cooperative Learning can help the students to improve their writing abilities. Meanwhile, it is found in the result that teacher's roles and students'roles have obviously changed in Cooperative Learning. The teacher acts as a designer and facilitator instead of a commander. And students no longer act as passive listeners in Cooperative Learning English writing class, they become active participators. The English writing class is from teacher-centered to students-centered.At the end of the thesis, the writer makes some related teaching suggestions and improvements on Cooperative Learning according to the findings of the research. The researcher emphasizes that it is empowering that really counts in teaching. Empowering is to teaching what love is to life: the more one gives, the more one gets.