摘要

合作学习法作为课堂教学中最为有效的教学方式之一，在大学英语教学中扮演着一个关键性的角色。它有助于避开传统教学模式带来的缺陷和弊端，激发学生的学习积极性，并有助于和谐师生关系的构建。如今，合作学习法已广泛运用于各门英语学科当中，如听、说、读、写、译等重要课程。在此篇文章中，作者将从合作学习法的历史背景入手，介绍合作学习法的基本理论基础，5个基本要素，主要运用方式及其重要作用。作者着重为广大师生提出了一些有效实施合作学习法的重要策略。同时，作者还列出了在英语教学过程中运用合作学习法的局限因素。

关键词：合作学习法；理论基础；基本要素；主要方式；策略；局限因素

Abstract

Being one of the most efficient teaching models in classroom teaching, Cooperative Learning Approach (CLA) plays a critical role in college English teaching. It helps avoid the deficiency brought by traditional teaching model and it can stimulate students’ interest in study and helps to build a harmony relationship between teachers and students. Nowadays, CLA has been applied in varieties of important English courses, such as listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation and so on. This paper reviews the history background and introduces the basic theories of CLA, the five fundamental elements and main methods regarding CLA. Based on this, the writer puts forward some effective strategies of CLA for Chinese teachers and students and discusses several constraints on implicating CLA in English classroom.

Key words: CLA; basic theories; fundamental elements; main methods; strategies; constrains

1. Introduction
In this introduction chapter, the author will first present a brief literature regarding the relevant studies and researches previously conducted in the area of cooperative learning approach (CLA). And then based on the literature review, the author discussed the research findings of CLA at the college level and proposed the thesis statement.

1.1 Literature of Cooperative Learning Approach (CLA)
The roots of cooperative learning may be traced to John Dewey who emphasized education as a vehicle for teaching citizens to live cooperatively in a social democracy. A second major figure in the history of cooperative learning is social psychologist Kurt Lewin, who in the 1930s and 1940s emphasized the importance of group dynamics in understanding the behavior of leaders and members of democratic groups.