Cooperative Learning as a Tool for Teaching English as a FL in a Multilevel High School Group

Abstract

The English language is a global language necessary in work, academic, and entertainment situations, among others. That is why educational institutions give this language importance by integrating it as part of their curriculum. Such is the case of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León when it states in its 2022 Academic Model that the "mastery of a foreign language is a priority in the university training of students and teachers" (UANL, p. 12). Thus, at the high school level, some teachers seek to implement strategies and tools to contribute to mastering English as a foreign language (FL). The problem is that the process of learning English is different for all high school students at UANL due to the variation in their background, performance, and level. In one of these high schools, students are grouped into multilevel groups, in which there is usually a difference between achievement and proficiency in the language, a challenge for teachers in the area. Therefore, to help students improve their learning of English an emancipatory action-research approach was applied, specifically following Kemmis Model which consists of four moments: plan, action, observe and reflect (Latorre, 2005).

The action implemented as part of this study consisted of analysing how collaborative learning improves English learning in high school students. Students were administered a questionnaire, teachers were given a questionnaire and checklist, and students were given pre-tests and post-tests to find out the learning statistics when working with multilevel groups. The action plan consisted of an English learning workshop divided into four activities, one for each language skill, based on the cooperative learning approach. The activities of the workshop allowed most of the students to have an active role, feel motivated and better willing to learn English. In conclusion, there is a need for continuous teacher training to attend multilevel groups through cooperative learning and reduce the gaps found in the level that students have.