Cooperative Learning in the Portuguese‐for‐Spanish‐Speakers Classroom

Abstract

Cooperative learning has a fifteen year history of research and application in primary and middle schools throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel. This paper briefly describes that history in terms of research conducted in primary education and in foreign‐ and second‐language education. It also outlines the components that make up cooperative learning. The discussion then describes a specific application of some cooperative learning structures in a post‐secondary foreign language classroom. The paper notes examples of successful structures as well as student reactions to the experiment and an assessment of the results.

Psychological Processes in Cooperative Language Learning: Group Dynamics and Motivation

“…By now a fairly solid body of literature has accumulated, including two edited volumes containing a rich selection of conceptual and research studies (Holt, 1993;Kessler, 1992), a number of journal articles (e.g., Bejarano, 1987;Chang & Smith, 1991;Jacob, Rottenberg, Patrick, & Wheeler, 1996;Milleret, 1992;Szostek, 1994), as well as some practical language teaching materials specifically developed for the purpose of CL (e.g., Coelho, Winer, & Olsen, 1989). In addition, in her well-known book on small group work, Cohen (1994) devotes a whole chapter to discussing the bilingual classroom, which includes foreign language classes.…”

Learning in a Content-Based, Collaboratively Structured Course: The Experience of an Adult ESL Learner

“…Most of the theory and research concerned with collaborative learning has involved young children or adolescents. Furthermore, with few exceptions (e.g., Mulleret, 1992), adult second language learning in collaborative settings has not been studied. For this reason alone, it is of interest to examine a learner's progress through such a course from his or her perspective.…”

Higher Order Thinking Skills: Tools for Bridging the Gap

“…We find that these provide a schematic view of the instructions, a picture of what we are doing. By requiring that students make notes on the grids, we require some measure of accountability for the problems Milleret (1992) has identified. In order to complete the grids they must stay on task, they must work as thoroughly as the grid specifies, and-to the extent that we require interaction-they must all participate to record each other's ideas.…”