The Effect Of Cooperative Learning Activities On Reducing Low-achieving English Learners’ Classroom Anxiety

In recent years, the researchers abroad have attached great importance to the study of Cooperative Learning and the Anxiety in foreign language learning. The researchers have constructed different CL models and designed different methods to examine the models. It is widely acknowledged that CL is of great significance in reducing anxiety, promoting interaction, increasing motivation, self-confidence and self-esteem as well as providing comprehensible input and output, in learning process.. It is widely acknowledged that CL creates a more positive and affective climate in classroom. And some researchers abroad indicate that using CL as a classroom procedure can reduce the anxiety in foreign language classroom.Although the researchers abroad have suggested that CL has positive impact on reducing foreign language learning anxiety, researchers in China have paid little attention to it, and few empirical researches have been done in the field. And most of these studies are concerned with college students instead of middle school students, especially of low achievement English students.This experimental study aims at investigating the effects of CL method on the low-achieving English learners’ anxiety in their English learning in classroom. If cooperative learning can effectively relieve the low-achieving English learners’ anxiety, we can try to design the relevant methods of cooperative learning in middle school. To reduce learning anxiety of the learners and to remove obstacle in their mind may effectively facilitate English learning progress and enhance their self-confidence of learning ability. As a result it will create a harmonious classroom atmosphere, arouse their interest in English.This study is based on the Theory of Cooperative Learning, and the Theory of Anxiety with the focus of the psychological and behavioral characteristics of the low-achieving English learners, aiming at investigating the effect of CL method on reducing low-achieving English learners’ anxiety in their English classroom. The research method includes questionnaire, interview and a series of English tests.The present study is of an empirical research with the low-achieving English learners of Grade Seven as subjects. Horwitz and Cope (1986) of the foreign language classroom anxiety scale (FLCAS) are used in the experiment together with a questionnaire and interview,. Fourteen weeks’ experiment revealed that the anxiety of the subjects was efficiently reduced and the English proficiency was significantly improved. The result indicated that the application of Cooperative Learning may effectively improve the quality of English learning for low-achieving English learners by reducing their anxiety in classroom. It is theoretical implacable for the relief of the students with learning difficulties..