Contribution of cooperative

language learning to ICC-

intercultural communicative

competence

Ivana Minov

Evropsk sociln fondPraha & EU: Investujeme do va budoucnosti

Many times a day I realize

how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the

labours of my fellow men,

both living and dead,

and how earnestly I must exert myself

in order to give in return

as much as I have received.

(Albert Einstein)

Definition of Cooperative learning

Cooperative learning is a group learning activity organized so that learning is dependent on the socially

structured exchange of information between learners in

groups and in which each learner is held accountable for

his or her own learning and is motivated to increase the

learning of others. (Kagan, 1992)

Principles of cooperative learning

1. positive interdependence, i.e. when the students perceive that they can achieve their learning goals if all members of their group also attain their goals. (Johnson, 1975:77)

2. face-to-face promotive interaction, i. e. it exists when individuals encourage and facilitate each others efforts to complete tasks in order to reach the groups goals. (1975:82)

3. interpersonal skills, i.e. interactive abilities that allow the group to work succesfully, to communicate with trust, to solve conflicts, etc. (1975:83)

4. individual accountability, i.e. it exits when each member of the group knows exactly which part of the task he/she is responsible for (1975:80)

5. group processing, i.e. the members of the group assess how well they are functioning (1975:85).

(see also Kaskov, 2007:84-5)

Roles of the learner

To be a member of the group.

To cooperate with other learners on the task.

To use team work strategies.

To control own process of learning(choice of topic or task,

speed, order).

To learn how to plan, monitor and evaluate the process of

learning.

To be active.

To manage the time.

To pass information.

To teach others.

To check others.

Role of the teacher

To create structured tasks.

To organize the learning environment.

To set out goals, plan and assess.

To organize learners in groups and distributes the roles.

To prepare teaching materials.

To facilitate learning.

To monitor and evaluate the feedback(group

processing).

To manage the groups and intervene in difficulties and

failures.

How to prevent failures of traditional

group work?

1.rich-get richer effect - the more dominant student finishes the task for the rest of the group, he/she profits from usurping the groups space, while less confident students having little chance to participate, i.e. their chance to use the target language is minimal.

2.free rider effect the weaker students produce very little effort in knowing that somebody else can do it for them

3.sucker effect the weaker work only for their profit (a mark), the betterrealize that and refuse working for the benefit of others

4.ganging up against the task when the whole group decides to sabotage thetask

5.social loafing when the group does not feel the pressure to work at maximum of their efforts.

(Johnson, Johnson, Holubec, 1975:74)

Typical techniques of CLL

Jigsaw.

Any task organized as a group work using the principles of CLL. (Task is divided into indepedent tasks, each member is given a separate task, then all members share information and complete the whole task.)

Contribution of CLL

Cooperative situations contribute to an overall sense of personal success, efficacy, control, esteem, and competence. It increases intrinsic motivation and achievement, coping with failure, controlling anxiety, helping others achieve. Helping enhances students self-esteem and clarifies their identity as a friend or colleague. (Johnson, Johnson, 1989:11) It makes people feel better about themselves.

Literature:

Hughes, A. Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge : CUP, 1989. ISBN 0-521-272602-2.

Johnson, D. W.; Johnson, R. T. Cooperation and Competition. Theory and research. Edina (MN): Interaction Book Company, 1989. ISBN 0-939-603-10-1.

Johnson, D. W.; Johnson, R. T. Learning together and Alone. Edina (MN): Interaction Book Company, 1975. ISBN 0-205-28771-9.

Kagan, S. Cooperative learning. San Clemente (CA): Kagan Cooperative Learning, 1992. ISBN 1879097109.

Kaskov, H. Kooperativn uen a vyuovn. Praha: Karolinum, 2007. ISBN 80-205-0152-5.

McCafferty S. G.; Jacobs G.M.; DaSilva Iddings A.Ch. Cooperative Learning and Second Language Teaching. CUP, 2006. ISBN 978-0-521-60664-6

Minov I.: Pnos kooperativnho uen k vuce cizch jazyk. [CD] Sbornk pspvk z konference konan na Fakult humanitnch studi Univerzity Tome Bati ve Zln 25.z 2008. ISBN 978-80-7318-768-2

Spolen evropsk referenn rmec pro jazyky [online]. 2001 [cit.-8-2008]. Dostupn z: .

All human life is like mountain climbing. Cooperation is the key to our evolution as a species. Humans do not have a choice. We have to cooperate.

(Johnson, Johnson, 1989:2-3)

Thank you for your cooperation