Function Of Cooperative Learning In Fostering First-Year Junior Middle School Students’ Interest In English Learning

With the reform and development of China’economy, students’living conditions have been greatly improved, so that students’ learning needs have changed greatly. The old traditional teacher-centered teaching methods and teaching materials can no longer meet the demands of the students. The new Curriculum Standard emphasizes that teaching should be linked with the students’ life, should enhance the use of knowledge, and should arouse students’ interest in learning. It advocates cooperative and autonomous learning. As one of the three main subjects in junior middle school curriculum, English has been the focus of attention both teachers, students and parents. However, stressing on gathering knowledge, they usually think highly of the score, and ignore the application of the English language. Normally students only recite English words and grammatical rules. Naturally it is common that many students with high scores cannot speak English and communicate with English speakers. This makes learning English very boring and unrewarding. Students easily lose interest in English learning, and English learning becomes very difficult. The new English Standard designates that English learning should be integrated with students’lives, and increase students’interest in English. It advocates that teachers should encourage students to learn by themselves and from each other. It advocates students-centered teaching rather than teacher-centered teaching.Against this background, group cooperative learning is introduced from the Western countries to China, and is getting more and more popular. Group learning is students learning in a group and helping each other. It suits English learning well, because the group can make a language environment for students. They can learn and practice English with other students in the group and become interested in learning English. Many studies show that group cooperative learning can help raise students’ scores of the English subject, and develop students’ ability to communication in English. Some studies show that group learning can motivate students who are relatively poor in learning English. Based on past studies, the present researcher hypothesizes that group cooperative learning can improve her students’ interest in learning English.To verify her hypothesis, the researcher carried out an experiment in her classes. The researcher teaches English to two classes in Grade One of junior middle school. Her students have grasped the basic abilities of English spelling and writing, and the basic methods of learning English. The researcher applied group cooperative learning in one class, as experimental class, and continued her usual teaching method in the other class, as the control class. The experiment lasted about three months. The results show that the scores in English tests of the students of the experimental class were higher than those of the control class, and the students of the experimental class showed greater interest in English learning though their difference is not significant yet. It can be concluded that group cooperative learning can help improve Junior One students’ interest in learning English.