Effects of Cooperative Language Learning on Preparatory School Students of EMU: A Case Study

Given the benefits of cooperative learning and its prevalence in social approaches to language learning, the present study was designed to investigate 1) whether language teachers at preparatory school of EMU report using cooperative language learning in their teaching environment; 2) whether students participate in Cooperative Language Learning (CLL) activities; 3) whether language teachers implement cooperative learning activities; and 4) what challenges and benefits CLL activities might have from the students‟ and teachers‟ perspective. To this end, 15 students and 4 teachers at the preparatory school of EMU were selected through availability sampling and participated in the study. The study used a mixed-method research design including both qualitative and quantitative approaches (questionnaire and interviews) to investigate the research questions. The results of the study showed that teachers that are teaching at preparatory school of EMU had more preference for Cooperative learning styles and reported high agreement for participation in collaborative activities. The teachers also reported incorporating collaborative activities in their classes although experiencing some major challenges related to grouping the students and managing the groups. Both teachers and students found CLL as effective in promoting students‟ learning. Keywords: Cooperative Language Learning (CLL), learning and teaching English, Turkish students