An Empirical Study Of The Effects Of Cooperative Learning On Students' English Proficiency In Senior High Schools

The new English Curriculum Standard (2003) requires that"The primary task of the English curriculum in elementary education is to stimulate and develop the students'interest in learning English, to build up students'confidence, to help students form good learning habits and use effective learning strategies, and to foster their independent learning abilities and the spirits of cooperation."It also advocates"task based teaching approach and the learning styles of experiencing, practicing, participating, cooperating and communicating to develop students'overall ability to use the language."Therefore, how to teach English efficiently has been a crucial issue the English teachers face. Cooperative learning has attracted worldwide attention for its remarkable achievements in the past. It also becomes one of the focuses of China's new curriculum reform. Although cooperative learning approach has been brought into China for many years and is considered a successful teaching strategy, in some high schools, especially in the remote schools, the implementation of cooperative learning in English teaching is unsatisfactory. In order to improve the traditional teaching mathod, explore more effective teaching strategy, and improve students'English proficiency, this study is made to explore the effects of cooperative learning on students's English proficiency in senior high schools.This study adopts empirical research method. The subjects are selected randomly ( N=98), which are divided into 2 groups, one experimental group and one control group. Cooperative learning was used in the experimental group while the traditional teaching method was used in the control group. The study lasts 16 weeks. In the study, there is the combination of both qualitative and quantitative analyses. Data are collected through tests, questionnaires, interviews and classroom observation. And SPSS 16.0 software is used to analyze collected data quantitatively. The result shows that compared with the students in control group who use traditional teaching method, the students in experimental group who use cooperative learning strategy made higher achievement in English learning. Also, the cooperative learning strategy can motivate the senior high school students'English learning and it is effective in improving the students'ability to use English, improving the atmosphere in classes, stimulating the students'interest, enhancing students'creativity, developing students'communication skills, etc.Finally, the limitations and the implications of the research are discussed and suggestions and prospect about the future study are made in the end.