Cooperative Learning

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There have been several studies about the importance of vocabulary size in language learning. For instance, Tschirner (2004) argues that vocabulary size is regarded as one of the most important indicators of second language reading proficiency in particular and of academic language skills in general. In many other studies (Laufer and Nation, 1995; Laufer, 1998; Zimmerman, 2005), the vocabulary size has also been found to be closely associated with second language writing ability. Furthermore, in another study Read (2004) states that second language learners are normally aware of the extent to which restrictions in their vocabulary size hinder their capability of having an effective communication in the target language. Therefore, rich vocabulary…show more content…
Cooperative Learning The notion of cooperative learning is not any longer considered as a new notion in the fields of second or foreign language teaching and learning. As rightly stated by Henson (2003), the notion of cooperative learning may be as ancient as official education itself. In point of fact, the concept of cooperative learning dates back to the period of Socrates. Concerning the initial uses of the cooperative learning methods, Steven (2003) maintained that main applications of cooperative learning certainly happened in schools which had merely one-room, wherein one teacher was required to teach different students with a range of abilities and…show more content…
330). It is believed that cooperative learning supports the Interaction Hypotheses of Vygotsky, since based on Interaction Hypotheses of Vygotsky “interaction not only facilitates language learning but is a causative force in acquisition” (Saville-Troike, 2006, p. 111). Moreover, as said by Richards and Rodgers (2001), there are five core underpinning principles that the cooperative spirit of language generally and language learning in specific take advantage of: (a) “Humans are born to talk and communication is generally considered to be the primary purpose of language.”, (b) “... most talk/speech is organized as conversation.”, (c) “... conversation operates according to a certain agreed upon set of cooperative rules or ‘maxims’.”, (d) “... one learns how these cooperative maxims are realized in one's native language through casual, everyday conversational interaction.”, and finally, (e) “... one learns how the maxims are realized in a second language through participation in cooperatively structured interactional activities” (Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p.

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