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2.8 Rationale of the Present Study 
The present study on the effects of cooperative learning continues the line of 
investigation initiated by the above researchers. Based upon the relevant literature in 
communicative approach and cooperative learning, as well as the local research 
findings on cooperative learning in EFL teaching in Taiwan, this section further 
discusses the rationale for the present study.
2.8.1 Teacher Development 
As mentioned in Chapter One, the aim of this dissertation is to design a 
quasi-experimental study to test the validity and feasibility of cooperative learning in 
a junior high school English course, with a two-year pre-study teacher development in 
cooperative learning. 
The reason for including the teacher development in cooperative learning two 
years before the present study was to validate the implications made by previous 
researchers. As suggested by Cheng (2000) and Yu (1995), a teacher’s familiarity 
with cooperative learning could affect the results of such a teaching method. In 
order to make cooperative learning well implemented in the EFL classroom, Lai 
(2002) also suggested that the teacher needed prior training to obtain professional 
competence of cooperative learning. Although many researchers (Cheng, 2000; Lai, 
2002; Yu, 1995) recognized the importance of teacher development, the inclusion of 
teacher training was hardly documented in the previous studies on cooperative 
learning in EFL teaching in Taiwan. Therefore, based upon the valuable suggestions 
mentioned by previous researchers, this study included a two-year pre-study teacher 
training before investigating the validity and feasibility of implementing cooperative 

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learning in junior high school English courses. 
2.8.2 Communicative Competence 
Furthermore, little attention has been given in the existing studies in Taiwan to 
examine the effects of cooperative learning on the EFL learners’ acquisition of 
communicative competence, especially oral competence. As Chiu (1997) noted, oral 
skills have been considered more and more important in recent years, and yet 
difficulties in testing speaking skills often lead EFL teachers into inadequate oral tests 
or even not testing speaking skills at all. Although Tsai (1998) tested the