初中英语课堂中的合作学习_英语论文

Cooperative Learning in Junior Middle School English Classroom

摘要

学习作为人类最重要的社会活动通常是在群体中进行的。较之于个体单独活动，人们在群体中往往能取得更大成就，并在群体活动中享受更多的乐趣。因此，学生们也不例外。他们在十一至十三岁左右进入初中，将主要面临来自心理、认知和情感方面的挑战以及小学到初中过渡期的挑战。尤为重要的是，英语学习的重心已经从强调最基本的听说技能转向更高级的读写技能。与此同时，同伴学习对于初中生能否解决这些挑战有着重大影响。合作学习作为一种流行的教学法旨在构建学习群体，这个学习群体为青少年的自然心理发展提供了良好的环境，有利于学生取得英语学术成就。学会合作是二十一世纪教育四大支柱之一，当下中国正在进行的新一轮课程改革也积极提倡合作学习的教育新理念。合作学习为学生提供了参与到活动中去的机会，使得学生能够理解基本语言知识，掌握各种语言技能，更为重要的是，合作学习还能培养学生良好的情感与态度。

本文共分为五大部分，围绕“初中英语课堂中的合作学习”展开。作为本论文的开头，介绍部分分析了此研究的必要性。接下来的部分列举了几项关于合作学习的权威性定义及作者本人对以上定义的个人理解。然后本文引用了维果茨基的“最近发展区”理论、建构主义理论，以及马斯洛的需要层次理论作为研究的理论基础并解释了三种理论与合作学习之间的联系。第三部分分别论述并举例说明了在初中英语阅读和写作课堂可以使用的合作学习活动。第四部分提出了当前在初中英语课堂中进行合作学习时存在的一些问题。结尾部分则呈现了合作学习的诸多优点，再次强调了合作学习对初中生的重要性，也展望了合作学习的良好前景。

关键词：合作学习 初中 英语课堂

Abstract

As one of the most fundamental social activities, learning is often conducted in communities. People tend to accomplish more than as individuals and also have more fun in the process. Thus, junior middle school students are of no exception. When entering the junior middle school at the age around 11-13, they will face two major challenges, one involving the biological, cognitive, and emotional changes, and another involving the transition from primary to junior middle school. Especially, the focus of English learning has shifted from the most basic listening and speaking skills to more advanced reading and writing skills. At the same time, peer learning has considerable influence on whether they can tackle all these challenges. Cooperative learning is a prevailing instructional method aiming to build the learning community, in which a wonderful environment for natural psychological development of adolescents’ is provided, thus does good to students’ English academic achievement. Learning to be cooperative is one of the four educational pillars in the 21st century, and nowadays cooperative learning is also actively advocated in the new round of curriculum reform in China. Cooperative learning can provide students with the chances to participate in activities, which enable students to understand basic linguistic knowledge, master diverse linguistic skills, and more importantly, form good affect and attitude.

The paper is classified into five parts, focusing on “Cooperative Learning in Junior Middle School English Classroom”. Introduction is the beginning part, analyzing the necessity of this study. Then, it lists several authoritative definitions of Cooperative Learning and my personal understanding about these definitions mentioned above. Next it quotes Vygosky’s “zone of proximal development”, Constructivism and Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” and then explains the connection between these theories and Cooperative Learning as my theoretical bases. The third part deals with application of Cooperative Learning in the teaching of English reading and writing. The fourth part puts forward some problems with cooperative learning in junior middle school English classroom. The last part is conclusion, presenting several merits of cooperative learning, stressing its significance for junior students and looking forward to its promising future.

Key words:  Cooperative Learning Junior Middle School English Classroom

Contents

摘要................................................................................. I

Abstract................................................................................. II

Introduction.......................................................................  1

1 Cooperative Learning.................................................................................2

  1.1 Definitions of Cooperative Learning...........................................................2

1.2 Methods of Cooperative Learning...............................................................2

2 Theoretical Bases of Cooperative Learning..........................................................3

2.1 Zone of Proximal Development..............................................................3

  2.2 Constructivism.............................................................................4

2.3 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.......................................................................4

3 Application of Cooperative Learning in the Teaching of English Reading and Writing ..........................................................................................5

  3.1 Application of Cooperative Learning in the Teaching of English Reading..........5

     3.1.1 Jigsaw Reading .......................................................................5

3.1.2 Activities Based on Cooperative Learning ....................7

           3.1.2.1 Pre-reading.................................................................................7

           3.1.2.2 While-reading...............................................................................7

           3.1.2.3 Post-reading................................................................................. 8

           3.1.2.4 After-class Cooperative Reading................................................ 8

   3.2 Application of Cooperative Learning in the Teaching of English Writing....................................................................9

       3.2.1 Process Writing Approach....................................................................9

3.2.2 A Sample Lesson Based on Cooperative Learning.............................10

4 Problems with Cooperative Learning...........................................................14

  4.1 The Role of Teacher.................................................................................15

  4.3 The Initiative and Participation of Students......................................................15

  4.3 Evaluation Methods.................................................................................16

5 Conclusion.................................................................................17

Bibliography................................................................................18

Acknowledgements...............................................................................20