Student motivation and learning: the impact of collaborative learning in English as foreign language classes

The intention of this research is to study the degree of interaction, cooperation and collaboration as strands of CLT of high school students in Kosovo as well as to measure the impact of interaction, cooperation and collaboration in students’ motivation. These CLT teaching strands are with the same line with ( Dörnyei, 1994 ) group components of motivation relating to dynamics of learning group which are: increase group goal orientation, promoting the incorporation of class norms, assistance in maintaining class norms, minimize the detrimental effect of intrinsic motivation assessment, promoting the development of group cohesion and strengthening ties between students and use of cooperative-collaborative learning techniques.

This research article explores the use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Project Based Language Teaching (PBLT), Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Engage Study Activate (ESA) as English teaching methods by emphasizing the use of communication and students’ interaction (cooperation, collaboration, pear and group work) in achieving the goal of learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Furthermore, we want to see if there is a link between students’ interactivity and ( Dörnyei, 1994 ) group components of motivation relating to dynamics of learning group.

When it comes to dynamics of learning in groups, students have opportunity to take risks, translation opportunities as well as multilevel feedback ( Vosburg, 2017 ). They also have possibility to promote language interaction via collaborative tasks, improve confidence, reduce foreign language anxiety, and have willingness to communicate in a target language ( Vosburg, 2017 ). Kosovo Curriculum Framework for Pre-University Education states some of the elements where students need to communicate through

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foreign languages, they need to solve problems, they also need to find and use learning instruments and methods, they need to lean in teams and exchange their positive experiences, students need to work independently and as part of working teams, they need to proof their self-confidence and they need to have competencies of interpersonal and intercultural relations.

The CLT puts at the center the student. The students are very engaging, their creativity as well as their activity is significant which is directed by the teacher. The work of the students is the center of different tasks, students’ feelings, their understanding and curiosity. Furthermore, Students mostly discuss about their life problems and their interests, and boring topics from the text books ( Urinboyeva, 2020 ).

In order to achieve learning competences, especially in communicating in a foreign language, Kosovo Curriculum emphasizes that students need the interrelationship between conceptual aspects and practical dimensions, such as the implementation practical and everyday life real problems in a class situation.

Constructivist learning involves collaboration through different learning activities such as: exploring, searching, analyzing, planning as well as sharing information ( Yeh, 2019 ).