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Cooperative Language Learning

Cooperative language learning (CLL), as its name indicates, aims at getting students involved in language learning by using cooperative activities while developing communicative competence. This approach is influenced by an interactive perspective of language learning and a theory of cooperative learning. CLL also embraces some principles of communicative language teaching.

A major characteristic of CLL approach is that it can raise students' awareness of language structure, lexical items, and language functions through interactive tasks.

By using such an approach, teachers can increase students' frequency of English language use and variety of English learning practices, because the CLL approach helps develop students' critical thinking skills as they need to collaborate with their peers to design plans for their group, to challenge others' views, and to provide constructive criticism as well as alternative solutions. It fosters opportunities for students to be resources for each other.

Advantages of the CLL approach include enhancing students' self-esteem and promoting students' motivation; however, some students may be unaccustomed to working collaboratively with others on academic tasks. Thus, teachers may need to give extra attention to collaborative skills, such as disagreeing politely and asking for help and explanation. Teachers may also need to be aware of factors such as different cultural expectations, individual learning styles, and personality differences that can affect the successful application of the CLL approach.

In an ESL classroom with the CLL approach, pair and small-group work are emphasized to carry out class activities and learning. Teachers use peer tutoring and peer monitoring to build up cooperation in learning. By facilitating collaboration, teachers devalue competition among students and thus decrease students' stress or fear in language learning. The classroom is student centered; teachers need to ensure that every student in groups participate in activities. Cooperative interaction usually follows a teacher-directed presentation of new material.

  Source: SAGE REFERENCE ONLINE