A STUDY ON COOPERATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING: THE IMPACT OF CLL APPROACH ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY OF EFL LEARNERS

Authors

  • Fatemeh Zarrabi PhD researcher, Monash University, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.38

Keywords:

Cooperative Language Learning (CLL), English language proficiency

Abstract

The current research investigated the impact of cooperative language learning (CLL) approach on English language proficiency of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The participants were 150 intermediate female EFL learners who were randomly selected from various private English language institutes of Tehran, Iran. First, FCE (First Certificate in English) test was administered to all 150 participants as a means of homogenization which brought down the number of the students to 135. Then, the homogenized participants were taught English through CLL approach for 20 sessions, each for 90 minutes. A pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design was employed to investigate the impact of CLL approach on English language proficiency of the EFL learners. The results were analysed through a one-way ANOVA and paired-samples t-test statistics. The outcomes revealed that CLL has a significant positive effect on English language proficiency of EFL learners.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

Author Biography

  • Fatemeh Zarrabi, PhD researcher, Monash University, Australia
    Fatemeh Zarrabi graduated in MA degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in 2013. She started her PhD at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia in education (TESOL) in 2015. She has more than seven years English language teaching experience to EFL/ESL learners. Her expertise is in the areas of English Language Teaching (ELT), TESOL, language teacher education, Language Learning Strategies (LLS), methodology in language teaching, and language testing

References

References

Al-Mahrooqi, R. & Tabakow,M. (2013). Drama in Oman to improve English proficiency among English-major college students. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 6.4, 303-319.

Baghcheghi, N., Koohestani, H.R., & Rezaei, K. (2011). A comparison of the cooperative learning and traditional learning methods in theory classes on nursing students’ communication skill with patients at clinical settings. Nurse Education Today, 31, 877-882. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2011.01.006.

Brody, C.M., Cohen, E.G., & Mara, S.S. (2004). Teaching cooperative learning: the challenge for teacher education. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Brown, H.D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (2nd ed). New York: Pearson education.

Castillo, C.Y.P. (2007). “Improving Eleventh Graders’ Oral Production in English Class through Cooperative Learning Strategies”. ISSN 1657-0790. Bogota, Colombia.

Christison, M.A. (1994). Cooperative learning in ESL classroom. In Teacher Development: Making the right moves. Ed. T. Kral, 38-49. Washington DC: United States Information Agency.

Davoudi, A.H.M., & Mahinpo, B. (2012). Kagan cooperative learning model: The bridge to foreign language learning in the third millennium. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2.6, 1134-1140. doi: 10.4304/tpls.2.6.1134-1140.

DeVries, D.L., & Edwards, K.J. (1973). Learning games and student teams: Their effects on classroom process. American Educational Research Journal, 10.4, 307-318.

Elder, C; Davies, A. (2006). Assessing English as a lingua franca. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 26, 282–304.

Farzaneh, N., & Nejadansari, D. (2014). Students’ attitudes towards using cooperative learning for teaching reading comprehension. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4.2, 287-292. doi: 10.4304/tpls.4.2.287-292.

Fitzgibbon, L. (2001). Cooperative learning in the EFL context. The English Connection, 5.5, 6-8.

Flowerdew, J. (2007). The non-Anglophone scholar on the periphery of scholarly publication. AILA Review, 20.1, 14–27.

Ghaith, G.M. (2002). The relationship between cooperative learning, perception of social support, and academic achievement. System, Elsevier, 30, 263-273.

Gokkurt, B., Dundar, S., Soylu, Y., & Akgun, L. (2012). The effect of leaning together technique which is based on cooperative learning on students’ achievement in mathematics class. Procedia- Social and Behavioural Sciences, 46, 3431-3434. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06079.

Han, H. (2014). Transforming EFL classes from lecturing to cooperative learning. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5.4, 948-952. doi: 10.4304/jltr.5.4.948-952.

Huang, K.S. (2012). Taiwanese university freshman students’ behaviour and belief factors in using on-line practice exams to improve their English proficiency. The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning, 8.2, 129-138.

Jacobs, G., & Hall, S. (1994). Implementing cooperative learning. English Teaching Forum, 32.4, 2-13.

Jalilifar, A. (2010). The effect of cooperative learning techniques on college students’ reading comprehension. System, Elsevier, 38, 96-108. doi: 10.1016/j.system.2009.12.009.

Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1988). Learning together and alone: Cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning (2nd ed.). EnglewoodCliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1990). Advanced cooperative learning. Edina, MN: Interactive Book Co.

Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, R.T. (1994). Professional development in cooperative learning: Short-term popularity vs. Long-term effectiveness. Cooperative learning, 14.2, 52-54.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., & Holubec, E. (1994b). The new circles of learning: Cooperative in the classroom and school. Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T. & Smith, K.A. (1998). Active learning: Cooperative learning in the college classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., & Stanne, M. (2000). Cooperative learning methods: A meta-analysis. Retrieved from http://www.clcrc.com/pages/cl-methods.html. (access date 20/01/2013).

Kagan, J. (1994). Reflection-impulsivity: the generality and dynamics of conceptual tempo. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 71, 17-24.

Kessler, C. (1992). Cooperative language learning: A teacher’s resource book. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Lin, Z.C. (2013). Comparison of technology-based cooperative learning with technology-based individual learning in enhancing fundamental nursing proficiency. Nurse Education Today, 33, 546-551. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2011.12.006.

Mahmoud, M.M.A. (2014). The effectiveness of using the cooperative language learning approach to enhance EFL writing skills among Saudi University students. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5.3, 616-625. doi: 10.430.4/jltr.5.3.616-625.

McCafferty, S.G., Jacobs, G.M., & Iddings, A.C.D. (2006). Cooperative learning and second language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nair, G.K.S., Setia, R., Ghazali, S.N., Sabapathy, E., & Mohammad, R. (2012). Can literature improve English proficiency: The students’ perspectives? Asian Social Sciences, 8.12, 21-27.

Nunan, D. (1999). Second Language Teaching & learning. Heinle & Heinle Publishers, Boston.

Ning, H. (2013). The impact of cooperative learning on English as a foreign language tertiary learners’ social skills. Social Behaviour and Personality, 41.4, 557-568. Retrieved from http://dxdoi.org/10.2224/sbp.2013.41.4.557. (accessed 22/01/2015).

Richards, J.C., & Rodgers, T.S. (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J.C., & Schmidt, R. (2010). Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. 4th ed. London: Pearson.

Sharan, S., & Sharan, Y. (1992). Expanding cooperative learning through group investigation. New York: Teachers College Press.

Sharifian, F. (Ed.). (2009). English as an international language: Perspectives and pedagogical issues. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Slavin, R. (1995). Cooperative learning: Theory, research, and practice, 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Stahl, R.J. (1994). The essential elements of cooperative learning in the classroom. ERIC Digest. Retrieved from http://www.ericdigests.org/1995-1/elements.htm (accessed 13/10/2014).

Wichadee, S., & Orawiwatnakul, W. (2012). Cooperative language learning: Increasing opportunities for learning in teams. Journal of College Teaching & Learning, 9.2, 93-100.

Yazdanimoghaddam, M., & Faruji, L.F. (2013). Cooperative tasks and lexical development of EFL learners. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, TESL-EJ, 17.2, 1-10.

Zamani, M. (2016). Cooperative learning: Homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping of Iranian EFL learners in a writing context. Cogent education. doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2016.1149959. Retrieved from http://cogentoa.tandfonline.com (accessed 22/02/2016).

Zhang, Y. (2012). A study on CLL method in reading course. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2.8, 1678-1683. doi: 10.4304/tpls.2.8.1678-1683.

Published

2016-04-16

Issue

Section

Articles