This paper is based on the cooperative learning theory, combined with some experience of the author。 The author does analytical investigation from the aspects of content, form, necessities and application of cooperative learning to explore how to correctly apply it in English teaching can achieve the best effect。 

2。 Literature Review

2。1 Definition of Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning refers to a kind of teaching strategy system which regards cooperation groups as the basic form, group cooperative activities as the theme and group collective grades as the evaluation。 It does not exclude the class teaching, it is supposed to carry out scientific organizations and group activities, teachers make a number of heterogeneous study groups according to differences in team members’ English level, aptitude, personality, genders and even social background to make it has certain complementarities。

Each group of students has to learn from each other in mutual emulation as well as has a common enhancement。 They must strive towards the group common goal, and to successfully achieve this goal, each member of the team is required effectively independent learning。 English teaching is not only bilateral activities between teachers and students, but it should also be a unity of multilateral interaction among dynamic factors。 English cooperative learning requires all dynamic factors of teaching should maintain a positive interaction, particularly cooperative interaction。 As a result, the psychological atmospheres of the class as well as students’ English scores are able to be improved。 Cooperative learning is a kind of teaching method which can face to all students and comprehensively carry out language practices。

2。2 Overseas and domestic research status of cooperative learning

Cooperative learning started in the United States in 1970s and then made substantial progresses in the world since 1980s。 It treats interpersonal cooperation and interaction teaching as the basic characteristic。 Cooperative Learning, also known as “group learning”, “team learning” or “shared learning”, first advocated and implemented by the famous American educator David Koonts。 It is not only a learning form, but also a teaching strategy, which organizes students to learn based on the form of groups。

Slavin (1980:315-402), one of the main representatives of cooperative learning from Johns Hopkins University regarded that: “Cooperative learning refers to class teaching technology that engage students in group learning activities, and earn rewards or accept according to the results of their entire team。”

For cooperative learning, American Johnson brothers from Cooperative Learning Centre in University of Minnesota said that: “Cooperative learning is to use team teaching to enable students to promote joint activities in order to maximize their own and others’ learning。”

Dr。 Sharan (1976) from Tel Aviv University defined cooperative learning like this: “Cooperative learning is the generic term that describe teachers organize and promote a series of methods in classroom teaching。 Cooperation between students in the learning process is the basic feature of all these methods。 In the classroom, cooperation on the peers realizes through organizing students to cooperate with each other in group activities。 The group usually consists of 3-5 members and acts as a unit of social organization, students carry out learning through interaction and exchange between peers, and also learn through personal research。”

As to our country, experiments have been carried out in some schools in 1990s。 Chinese famous scholar, Wang Tan (2002。6), the author of “Cooperative Learning Theory” said: “Cooperation learning aims to promote students’ learning of mutual cooperation and achieving common learning goals in heterogeneous groups。 It is also a teaching strategy system which sets team score as basis for awards。”文献综述