Cooperative Learning Theory In The Teaching Of Reading In High School English

English reading, as one of the four skills of language learning, plays an important role in the English learning. The English Syllabus considers promoting the students' reading comprehension as one of the most important goals in English teaching. The traditional English reading teaching is dominated by a teacher-centered, examination-oriented, grammar and vocabulary-based method. Knowledge of English is transmitted through the instructor who acts as an authority, a knowledge-giver and moral example to students, who are simply silent passive knowledge receivers. It is natural to see students cannot read smoothly even after having learning English for several years.There is a great need to reflect on the teaching methods in the English reading class and make some changes. Among various teaching approaches Cooperative Learning is quite practical. Cooperative Learning (CL), as one of teaching strategies for classroom instruction and classroom management, is used in a wide variety of teaching contexts. The author of this thesis tends to apply CL to teach reading in high school by firstly presenting the basic theories, ideas and study of CL. After analyzing the present situation of the teaching of reading in high schools, the author cultivates the students' cooperative consciousness and skills, arouses the students'interest in English reading, and improves their reading level by means of observation, experiments and talk. In the end,the author wants to find an effective way to the teaching of English reading.