4.3 Instruments 11

4.4 Experimental Procedure 12

4.5 Data Collection and Analysis 13

4.6 Findings and Limitations 14

5. Conclusion 15

Works Cited 18

1. Introduction 

     For a long time, traditional teaching model has been adopted in most teaching activities. Under traditional teaching model, more emphasis has been paid to improve students’ examination score, and as a result, students’ practical ability, say, cooperative competence, creative competence, etc., has been ignored. The current state of college English learning seems not so optimistic even a lot of changes have been done to the requirements of educational reform. The students just learn, listen, imitate and take in the knowledge passively. In order to help students deal better with the challenges of our rapidly developing society, a new teaching method, cooperative learning, needs to be applied in English teaching. It is an effective way of learning, since it can stimulate students more actively in learning and foster real problem-solving ability. 

     As an efficient teaching method, theoretical and practical basis can be provided to support cooperative learning in college English teaching. There are a lot of research about cooperative learning both home and abroad, but there are also some limitations. In this thesis, the practical investigation is employed and some interrelated tactics concerning the existing questions are put forward to offer some references to the application of cooperative learning in college English class.

 Carrying out the cooperative learning can not only inspire the students to learn English on their own initiative but also can improve their scholastic attainment. Of course, it can cultivate their cooperative spirit and their ability to communicate. In addition, it can improve their cognitive ability as well. It could help the freshmen adapt to the college study and life as soon as possible and help the senior to grasp the lesson adequately so as to improve their own knowledge level. For these reasons, studying the cooperative learning in college English class is beneficial to both teachers and students. The teachers can work better and the students can improve their own English level and performance. 

     This thesis consists of five parts. Chapter one introduces the research background, significance and methods. Chapter two is the literature review of the thesis, and it introduces the definition of cooperative learning, theoretical basis of the research and related studies. Chapter three puts forward the methods of carrying out cooperative learning in college English class. Chapter four presents the study of cooperative learning in college English class. The last chapter is the conclusion. Through the analysis of the cooperative learning, it can arouse students’ interest in learning English, improve students’ self-learning ability and communicative cooperation, thus effectively improving the quality of college English teaching.

2. Literature Review

Cooperative learning is of great significance and necessity in college English teaching, and more teachers and students should have a full understanding of it. In the literature review of the thesis, the following contents will be presented, including the definition of cooperative learning, the theoretical basis of cooperative learning, and related studies of cooperative learning.

2.1 Introduction to Cooperative Learning

     Cooperative learning is a new teaching and learning strategy in teaching practice, which is a learner-centered, task-based approach. It first rose in the 1960s in America, and has made great progress and become a teaching theory and strategy in mid-80s in the western world.