Zh. Ryssaldiyev, M.A. Mustafina, B.A. Torekeyev

Taraz State Pedagogical Institute, Kazakhstan

PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF COOPERATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING

One of my first experiments with cooperative learning was to let my students work in groups of their own choosing. Of course, they chose to work with their friends and were not very productive. I used this to my advantage when I later assigned group partners, careful to avoid having close friends in the same group.

The first group work assignment is usually a simple and easy one. This gives students a chance to adjust to their partners and to choose a group name. Students love to choose group names because it is cool and because it gives them decision-making power. Ideally, all groups should choose a name by the end of the class period. One member of each group places the name of the group and the names of its members on an index card.

This is a list of cooperative learning rules.

- Every member of each group is responsible for all work.

- Be constructive.

- Be open to other members' ideas and encourage their participation.

- Make sure no one is left out.

- Every day one member of each group is designated as the facilitator.

The facilitator is not in charge of the group, but simply keeps the group organized on a particular day.

Each day I choose a different group facilitator. For example, if the facilitator is member 1, then the student whose last name is alphabetically first is the facilitator for each group.

The facilitator distributes and collects materials for the group. Instead of dealing with 14 students, I am dealing with 4 group facilitators. This saves a lot of time and energy.

Students sometimes explain things to each other better than a teacher can to an entire class of students. This usually results in better retention of material.

Questions are more likely to be asked and answered in a group setting. This saves a lot of time over a long question-and-answer session with the entire class, which can cause some students to become bored.

Before introducing the aims and purposes of newly established Debate Club of ____ form the following was done:

- introduce the teams

- Conduct activities in an informal and friendly way.

- Prepare the plan in advance.

- Use brainstorming activities.

What is a debate?

Why debate?

How to debate?

What is a debate?

Answers may include:

- a formal argument between people

- a way to prove your ideas

- an activity for only intelligent people

- competition of speaking skills

I stopped on each point asking to prove the statement.

There were posters presented with quotations proving the benefits of debating. Students read and expressed their ideas about them.

“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress” – Mahatmas Gandhi

“Freedom is hammered out on the anvil of discussion, dissent, and debate” –

Hubert H. Humphrey

“Free speech is life itself” – Selman Rushdie

“Debate appears to strengthen students’ ability to persevere, remain focused, and work toward challenging goals”

“No single person possesses the truth”

“You can prove anything if you look long enough”

- Present your own ideas of “why debate”:

While debating students asked questions, listened, explored in tolerant and cooperative environment. They tried collectively find solutions to society’s ills, gained skills in critical thinking, public speaking, oral English, independent research, teamwork, analytical reasoning.

At the initial stage of debates students brainstormed the idea “why should we debate?”he result of collective discussion they draw the conclusion that they can speak freely, to learn how to speak in public, improve the language skills, make friends, to learn critical thinking, improve the language.

Most students were enthusiastic about the answers. But some students remain reluctant to speak. It is due to a process of getting adjusted and they will probably become more active later on.

Students as a group also discussed How to debate?

In the classroom there were resented posters of “4 Keys to delivering a Good Speech” which consisted of 4 points as:

1) Good eye contact

2) Speak loudly, slowly and clearly

3) Good posture

4) Act confident

In order to consolidate the given information, a game “Name that resolution” was conducted. The aim of the game was to promote understanding of the three general types of resolutions and to initiate a discussion on the differences in analysis which would accompany each of the different resolution types as the following:

- The earth is being visited by beings from other planets (F)

- Dogs are better than cats (V);

- People should not eat animals (P);

- The state should provide education only in its official language (P);

- Kazakhstan ought to have open borders (P);

- Pollution is currently causing global warming

The summarizing step of the meeting was to stage mini- debates in order to familiarize students with the idea of making arguments, asking questions, and judging the strength of competing arguments.

Easily debatable topics were listed on the board.

After a coin tossed, the winning student selects the topic (then their opponent selects the side: affirmative or negative). Both debaters receive five minutes to prepare by asking students. What is your opinion about this problem? What is the basis for your opinion? 3. Is it possible to decide whether your opinion is correct? If yes, how? If no, why not?

Then a very quick debate occurred: Affirmative opening speech (90 seconds), cross-examination (60 seconds), negative opening speech (90 seconds), cross-examination (60 seconds), affirmative closing (45 seconds), negative closing (45 seconds). To keep the exercise running quickly, two students were preparing while another two were debating. Following the debates, the class took the opportunity to discuss strong arguments, strategies, and goals to work on for the future.

Bibliography:

1. Long, M. 1991. Focus on form: A design feature in language teaching methodology. Amsterdam.

2. Gass, S. Tasks in a Pedagogical Context: Integrating Theory and Practice. Clevedon.

3. Brown, S. 1994. Integrating grammar instruction and communicative language use through grammar consciousness-raising tasks.

4. Gilles, R.M., & Adrian, F. (2003). Cooperative Learning: The social and intellectual Outcomes of Learning in Groups. London.