Implementing Cooperative Learning and Other Strategies to Promote Motivation in French Beginner Classes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the benefits of cooperative learning instruction in student's anxiety and in their language proficiency in French beginner classes. In addition, this study also focuses on teaching strategies to promote motivation. What motivated the researcher to conduct this study was to point out that anxiety and motivation were the most important factors that could account for why students drop out of French language classes after two semesters at Carthage College. This study explores the relationship between cooperative learning activities in French classes and a decrease in anxiety. It also assesses the impact of cooperative learning on social skills, oral proficiency, reading skills, and student engagement. Then it also explores the relationship between teaching strategies and integrative and instrumental motivations. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using a survey and pre and post-test. The results of these tests were used to compare the participants' attitudes towards the effectiveness of cooperative learning instruction in decreasing anxiety. The results were also used to determine if there was a relationship between cooperative learning instruction and student's proficiency and also the effectiveness of teaching strategies in increasing motivation. This study can serve as a model for further research and be used for other teaching strategies to prevent students from dropping out of French classes.