Infusing Cooperative Learning into An EFL Classroom

Luu Trong Tuan

doi:10.5539/elt.v3n2p64

Abstract

This study sought to investigate student diversities in terms of learning styles and linguistic competence, and the extent to which students change as regards participation, interaction and achievement through Cooperative Learning activities embracing their diversities. 77 first-year EFL students from from the two reading classes, one treated as the experimental group (EG) and the other as the control group (CG), at the Faculty of English Linguistics of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City (USSH-HCMC) were invited to participate in the study. The findings substantiated that Vietnamese learners are open to change and Vietnamese EFL teachers should create effective activities for learners to immerse themselves in talking cooperatively instead of talking individualistically in the classrooms.

Highlights

Learners bring their age, gender and culture, and their own individual approach, talents and interests to the classroom. Laird (2005) refers to learner diversity as an asset to be capitalized on to promote profound, meaningful learning. Sarasin (1999) acknowledges the values of learner diversity: “We improve our courses because our classes benefit from the diversity of our students, [...]” whereas most Asian teachers ‘ignore’ learners’ ways (Renandya et al, 2001)
The participants in this study were 77 first-year English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students from the Faculty of English Linguistics at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City (USSH-HCMC), 54 females and 23 males, ranging between 18–26 years of age, who were attending a 14-week Reading 2 course. The selection of these classes, class D and class E which were treated as the control group (CG) and the experimental group (EG) respectively, out of the six first-year EFL classes was predicated on their near analogy in terms of student interaction and reading proficiency level investigated through the repeated informal observations of the six classes during Reading 1 course and the results of Reading 1 course achievement test with the permission of their teachers, two of whom, were my close colleagues, who helped connect me with the others by the snowball sampling method (Robson, 1993)
The students in the experimental group were exposed to Cooperative Learning activities whereas the students in the control group were still immersed in lecture approach alternating with pair work and group work

Summary

Introduction

Learners bring their age, gender and culture, and their own individual approach, talents and interests to the classroom. Laird (2005) refers to learner diversity as an asset to be capitalized on to promote profound, meaningful learning. Sarasin (1999) acknowledges the values of learner diversity: “We improve our courses because our classes benefit from the diversity of our students, [...]” whereas most Asian teachers ‘ignore’ learners’ ways (Renandya et al, 2001). Sarasin (1999) acknowledges the values of learner diversity: “We improve our courses because our classes benefit from the diversity of our students, [...]” whereas most Asian teachers ‘ignore’ learners’ ways (Renandya et al, 2001). Most teachers are attending to their learners’ diversities by using classroom activities pleasing most of the learners, leaving a few learners feel left out. Whether they are working alone or in a group, learners are learning individually and even competitively with other learners. Vietnamese EFL teachers are changing seating arrangement to cluster learners, but not changing the way learners interact with each other as they learn. Cooperative Learning (CL), one of the buzz words in new paradigm of teaching, can produce this sort of effect through cross-ability grouping which maximizes complementary learner strengths (Bell, 1991)

Methods

Results

Conclusion