Contribution of cooperative

language learning to ICCintercultural communicative

competence
Ivana Minov

Evropsk sociln fond

Praha & 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 better
realize that and refuse working for the benefit of others
4.ganging up against the task when the whole group decides to sabotage the
task
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 0-521-2726022.
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 80-205-01525.
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:
<http://www.msmt.cz/mezinarodni-vztahy/spolecny-evropsky-referencni-ramec-projazyky>.

 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