Cooperative Learning

The special task of researching on different learning processes and styles of students as well as various approaches to English language teaching implemented by teachers with the purpose of making the teaching-learning process effective and meaningful has become the daily responsibility of many professionals devoted to the field of foreign language teaching (González & Esteves, 2006). Some of the most relevant theories, positions and tendencies of history have been a major influence on the education field, for instance, a significant change with a new perspective of presenting the language as a dynamic resource for creating meaning developed by the Communicative language teaching approach. Nonetheless, there still exist some implications that

Others support this argument by stating that Cooperative learning can be an effective way to manage the classroom, to contribute to the development of social skills, to acquire a better knowledge of concepts, to improve problem solving skills as well as to increase communicative and linguistic skills. Due to the interactional nature of language, learning a language in a Cooperative environment let the students integrate the language and content if adequate learning conditions are established. (Fathman & Kessler, 1993).

Likewise, Johnson and Johnson (2005) pointed out the use of cooperative learning to promote a culturally plural society within school. One of the topics they discussed was research on the use of cooperative learning and its positive influence on diversity. In this sense, this debate is also appropriate, in any educational context and in the dialogic pedagogical model of UNICOLOMBO and its education program, in order to reflect on what is the roll of Cooperative Learning in Communicative English Language Teaching

• To contrast benefits and drawbacks when implementing Cooperative learning in Communicative situations in the EFL classroom.

• To draw conclusions about Cooperative Learning as a Complement to Communicative Language Teaching.

JUSTIFICATION

Fundación universitaria Colombo internacional, UNICOLOMBO, is a higher education institution which is based on a dialogic pedagogical model aimed at promoting human interactions oriented to transform their own intersubjective constructions of those who are involved in the educational process with a predominance of communicative rationality. In this context, real teaching means to transform each individual who teaches and learns as a result of its multiple solidarity interactions with others where its actions and opinions are valued and has a place in the school (Ferrada & Flecha, 2008). In this sense, the acquisition of language, assumed to be the development of communicative competence, cannot be understood without involving the development of intercultural competence defined as critic and active participation in the communication of a social context filled with diversity which is no longer seen as an obstacle but a powerful resource for learning (Johnson & Johnson, 1994b; Putnam,