Investigating the Role of Cooperative Learning in EFL Classrooms

Ghodratollah Zare¹ Sadegh Ghafari Farsani²

1) M.A. in TEFL, Department of Foreign languages, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran.
2) M.A. in TEFL, Instructor, Department of Foreign languages, Farsan Center, Payame Noor University, Farsan, Iran.

Publication : International Conference on Science and Engineering(icesconf.com)
Abstract :
Cooperative Learning plays a positive role on increasing harmony in classrooms, learners’ achievement, self-esteem, greater liking for the subject matter and social ability. As teachers decide what learning goals students should achieve, what content should be taught to students, and what prior knowledge students have already acquired; parallel decisions should be made regarding how to operate within the whole teaching/learning process, and what teaching methods and techniques teachers should adopt. Presently, teaching is built on the premise that students are just as responsible as their teachers in the process of education. They are required to search, discuss, ask and answer, and participate in problems’ solving situations; rather than only passively receiving the new assigned academic knowledge. One of the methods in which all the previous criteria are believed to merge and positively affect the process of education is cooperative learning. An Implementation of cooperative Learning in EFL classes seems to be worth trying; for it is admitted that this method of teaching influences both social and academic outcomes of students, in a positive way. The study aims to explore the application of Cooperative Learning in Iranian EFL classrooms. The results showed that cooperative teaching of English as a foreign language had a significant impact on the overall achievement and their pronunciation proficiency of experimental Iranian English learners. The major findings of this study suggested that cooperative learning helped significantly to enhance learners’ oral communicative competence and their motivation toward learning English. .
Keywords : Cooperative learning EFL classrooms Proficiency.