Use Cooperative Learning to Teach ESL Students
Create a Student-Centered Classroom With Diverse Teaching Strategies
Dec 5, 2008
Teachers should strive to incorporate student-centered learning strategies in the secondary school language arts classroom. Research shows that three effective teaching strategies accommodate the needs of diverse learners, including ESOL students in the mainstream classroom. The three strategies, which can be integrated simultaneously, are visual aids, hands-on activities, and cooperative learning. The latter will be the focus of this article.
Goals of Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning, also referred to as collaborative learning, has historically been a popular method to share knowledge and has proven beneficial to all of its participants; in fact, it was not until the 20th century, when class size increased, that the lecture format became the norm (Ovando & Collier, 1998). Teachers are revisiting the flexible and easily adaptable method of students working together and assisting each other in groups and are finding that even large classes of students thrive in this environment of interdependence.
Although cooperative learning strategies must be clearly structured and specify tangible goals, they should also be designed to promote critical thinking skills and student creativity as well as offer varying levels of involvement in order to accommodate students with diverse levels of language ability. This strategy also encourages teacher’s creativity and experimentation to supercede the inclination of adhering to worn-out, conventional methods of teacher-centered learning, such as the lecture format.
Cooperative learning is a broad and multifaceted concept which can be applied to a variety of different formats and “generally refers to many varied ways to structure a class in small, heterogeneous student groups (usually of two to six members, with four an ideal size) to accomplish individual or group goals for learning that require cooperation and positive interdependence” (Ovando & Collier, 1998).
Sample Activities for Cooperative Learning
Some examples of different activities which utilize the cooperative learning structure to improve student learning include “Numbered Heads Together,” Jigsaw, Think-Pair-Share, completing Venn diagrams, Group Investigation and Co-op Co-op. In each of these activities, individual competition is eliminated and is replaced with a sense of mutual goals and “expressive, probing, problem solving” which calls for interdependence and an understanding that students are responsible for their own learning and the learning of their classmates (Ovando & Collier, 1998). In this way, cooperative grouping fosters discovery learning and a student-centered environment where students feel actively involved in their own education.
Benefits of Cooperative Learning
There are many benefits to utilizing cooperative learning in the secondary school classroom. In order to feel vested in their education, ESOL students, as well as mainstream students, need to be proactive in the learning process. In Bilingual and ESL Classrooms, a vigorous, inquiry-based learning style is recommended as an effective method for students to become “actively engaged in solving a problem, discovering new ways of perceiving their world, intensely applying learning strategies to the next task, developing family-like community among classmates, sharing the excitement of a special discovery” (Ovando & Collier, 1998). This pro-active, student-centered approach to learning can be easily developed by consistently including cooperative learning strategies.
Cooperative Learning Enhances Student Motivation
In cooperative learning groups, students develop a sense of trust among their peers as they share in the responsibility of their own and each other’s learning. Teachers naturally adopt the role of facilitator and encourage discovery learning. Often, the most intense and exciting learning experiences are spawned by spontaneous discussion initiated by students.
Conversely, in a teacher-centered classroom, a teacher might feel inclined to discourage excited outbursts which may contain brilliant perspectives but do not coordinate with the teacher’s lesson. Because student enthusiasm is key to maintaining a high level of motivation, particularly with ESOL students, teachers must not only learn to adapt to a student-centered format, but also allow for flexibility in the progression of curriculum coverage.
Cooperative learning is beneficial to all students. When a student is developing English language skills, however, this type of learning is particularly useful. For teachers who are looking for a way to more actively integrate their ESOL students into their mainstream classroom, cooperative learning is clearly a top choice.
Source:
Collier, Virginia P. & Ovando, Carlos J. Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998.
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