Cooperative Learning in English Reading Development

Abstract

Communication is a factor which has been taken into account in ESL classrooms in the last years. Communicative methods have been presented as a means to reach communication in classroom activities. An important methodology to consider  in increasing communication in ESL classes is the one known as Cooperative Learning. In Cooperative Learning students need to cooperate among themselves to fulfill a determined task. Cooperation in the classroom facilitates communciation in all of the different activities students need to develop (Bassano and Christison, 1998). Many different kinds of activities have been proposed to achieve cooperative goals. Group activities constitute an important tool in cooperative learning. Interaction with peers increases acquisition of knowledge in a second language.