Cooperative Learning for Learner-Centeredness – A Practical Approach
Dr. George Kolanchery, M.A., LL.B., Ph. D.
English Faculty & Multimedia Language Lab Supervisor
Dhofar University, Sultanate of Oman
ABSTRACT:- Student-centered Teaching represents a fundamental shift from the teacher being the center of attention in the classroom to the student as the center of learning. The success of Cooperative Learning is mainly dependent on the nature and organization of group work. In this process, the key elements are positive interdependence, individual accountability and social skills. This paper delves deep into the elements of cooperative learning, its co-relation with language acquisition , ways to implement learner-centred teaching through Cooperative Learning and its limitations.
Key Words:- Cooperative Learning, Teaching Methodology, Student-Centeredness
1. INTRODUCTION
In second language teaching, Cooperative Language Learning has been welcomed as a way of promoting communicative interaction in the classroom. It is viewed as a learner-centered approach to teaching held to offer advantages over teacher-fronted classroom methods. It provides opportunities for naturalistic second language acquisition through the use of interactive pair and group activities. The word ‘cooperative’ in Cooperative Learning emphasizes another important dimension of Cooperative Language Learning. It helps to develop classrooms that foster cooperation rather than competition in learning. Many educationists and teachers agree with these views but hesitant to adopt this approach in their classrooms saying that the classes sometimes become noisy. The answer to this is: Learners develop communicative competence in a language by conversing in socially structured situations.
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