On The Application Of Cooperative Learning To Limited Proficiency English Learners In A High School Reading Class

With the reformation of English in high school, English leaning and teaching have been improving stage by stage. However, the existence of limited proficiency students is very common. Limited proficiency students are a special group who have normal intelligence and physical growth but they can’t meet the requirement of the English Curriculum Standard for sorts of reasons. The New English Curriculum Standard describes that the students’reading ability is the most important one of the four skills. Reading is the main way of inputting language. For any language learner, reading plays an important role. Therefore, the problem of limited proficiency students’reading ability is the biggest obstacle to improving the English teaching quality.At present, Cooperative Learning is widely used around the world. Using Cooperative Learning, quantities of counties have reformed their domestic education. Obvious achievements are observed. Cooperative Learning is a typical student-oriented teaching method. Cooperative Learning takes group as the basic form of teaching and learning. It encourages students to take part in various learning activities. In the group, students can study together and help each other. The students are rewarded as a whole.Based on Cooperative Learning theory, the study integrates Cooperative Learning with high school English reading teaching, and aims to test the following hypotheses:1. Cooperative Learning could arouse the English limited proficiency students’interest towards English in a high school English reading class,2. Cooperative Learning could improve the English limited proficiency students’ self-esteem in a high school English reading class,3. Cooperative Learning could enhance the English limited proficiency students’reading academic achievement in a high school English reading classThe study was conducted during November1st,2013to January19th,2014. The subjects were60limited proficiency students of first-grade students in the1st Middle School of Luan Xian, He Bei Province. They were from two classes-class19and class20, which were taught by the author. The instruments were tests, questionnaires and interview. During the experiment, the author applied several models of Cooperative Learning to the high school English reading class. All the statistics were obtained by means of SPSS16.0software.The results of the study indicate that there are significant differences in interest, self-esteem and the academic achievements in reading. Therefore, Cooperative Learning has an obvious positive effect on limited proficiency students’interest, self-esteem and reading achievement. Although the author has made efforts to ensure the validity and objectivity of the study, there are still some limitations and weak points in the study. The subjects involved in the teaching experiment are very limited. Had the time of the study been longer, the results should have been more persuasive. However, the author hopes that the study will offer some enlightenment for the future high school English teaching.