Advantages and disadvantages of cooperative learning in English teaching

【Abstract】The group cooperative learning is a student-centered learning activities.In the practice of the English teaching reform，cooperative learning is beneficial to reflect the students' main body status，to provide students more chance to exercise，promoting the all-round development of students，and is conducive to the harmonious relationship between teachers and students； at the same time，cooperative learning also has some disadvantages，such as hard to control the student，good students become the authority of the group activities，cooperation too often that ignored the students' independent thinking，etc.

【Key words】Cooperative learning； English teaching Advantages； Disadvantages

I.The advantages of cooperative learning

1.Cooperative learning is beneficial to reflect the students' main body status

Group cooperative learning required the students to ask questions to others，to expound to others their own views.This not only increases the chances of students to practice，enhances their interest in learning，improves their ability to learn，but also allows them to accept different points of view，expands their horizons and promotes the development of thinking.

2.Cooperative learning provides for the students more training opportunities，promotes the all-round development of students

Group cooperative learning creates for students an atmosphere that can fully express yourself in the classroom teaching，provides more opportunities for each student.Especially when we are learning a foreign language，the right amount of satisfy can arouse the students' interest in learning.Everyone has chance and condition to express themselves，communicate with each other in the team，respect each other，and share the joy of success，enable every student to further find himself，know himself and their subject position has been greatly improved，promote the all-round development of students.

3.Cooperative learning is conducive to the harmonious relationship between teachers and students

In the traditional classroom，teacher is often Standing on the platform，after a class，teachers and students' communication is very few，let alone a harmonious relationship between teachers and students.In the group cooperative learning，the teachers and students are all the participants of teaching activities，the teachers can take turns in each group for guidance，can help students to solve the problem，also can control the movements of each team at any time，at the same time teachers and students can exchange opinions，ideas for the answer of each question，communication is much more，naturally formed a harmonious relationship between teachers and students.

II.The disadvantages of cooperative learning

1.In the open class，the teacher is difficult to control the student

In the past，the teachers stand on the platform，the students neatly sat at the desk，distracted，doing little tricks，we can all be clear at a glance，but now the problem is difficult for us to find，harder to control.Especially when discussing the difficult problems，due to the level of students is limited，they can not freely express their ideas in English，sometimes mixed with Chinese，even directly in Chinese，teacher can manage to guide side groups，but is very difficult to control each group.

2.Good students are the authority of the group activities

Group cooperative learning does increase the chance of performance for student，but tend to extremes.Good students possess the initiative to speak，medium or poor students can not accurately express their views in English，their learning enthusiasm will weaken slowly，even lead to students can't get along well with each other.

3.Cooperation too often ignored the students' independent thinking

In some class there is too much cooperation，almost the whole lesson is in cooperative learning.But if there is more cooperation and communication time，there is less time for the student to independent thinking.And some students get into the habit of the discussion，when encounter problems they will want to consult the opinions of others.In the long term，the students' ability of autonomous learning will be weakened.

References：

[1]Ellis，Rod.The Study of Second Language Acquisition[M].Oxford：Oxford University Press，1997.

[2]Richards.J.C and Roder.T.S.Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching （second edition）[M].Cambridge University Press，2001.

[3]楊明.The Application of Cooperative Learning in English Reading Class in Senior High Schools[D].沈阳师范大学，2007

作者简介：温晓慧，（1987），女，汉族，四川南充人，研究生在读，西华师范大学外国语学院，课程与教学论。