Integrating Cooperative Learning in EFL Classroom to Alleviate Students’ Speaking (Fluency) Anxiety

Abstract

In the EFL classroom, even though students learn all the skills and are good at some skills, they still feel anxious when they speak in front of the teacher and their friends. The feeling of anxiety can happen because of some factors. One of them is the learning atmosphere. Students feel uncomfortable with a learning atmosphere that is too strict and formal. Cooperative learning can be an alternative way to help alleviate students’ anxiety in speaking English. Since Cooperative learning is related to activities that focus on student learning through group work, it gives a supportive and safe learning vibe to those students who are afraid to speak their foreign language. This research investigates how to integrate cooperative learning in English Foreign Language classrooms to alleviate students speaking anxiety. This research employed a descriptive case study. The participants of this study were the teacher and 36 tenth-grade students in one of the senior high schools in Majalengka. The results showed that the teacher integrated cooperative learning in speaking activities through group investigation. Then, the students’ perceptions toward cooperative learning have advantages in alleviating speaking anxiety in the learning activities. It indicates that students positively perceive cooperative learning as alleviating speaking anxiety.The results showed that most students were anxious because they lacked confidence and practice. In overcoming this problem, the teacher integrated cooperative learning in speaking activities through group investigation. Moreover, the teacher allowed students to communicate with each other by using group work and gave the students practice with fluency while having the discussion and presentation. Then, the students’ perceptions toward cooperative learning have advantages in alleviating speaking anxiety in the learning activities. It indicates that students positively perceive cooperative learning as alleviating speaking anxiety.