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چکیده
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The present study aimed at investigating the comparative effects of cooperative and competitive learning on English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ speaking ability and self-confidence. Moreover, EFL learners’ attitudes towards cooperative and competitive learning were explored. To these ends, from among 140 male intermediate EFL learners, 90 homogeneous learners were selected on the basis a sample Preliminary English Test (PET) results. The participants were assigned into three 30-learner groups (i.e., cooperative, competitive and control) and their scores on the speaking section of the PET was used as their speaking pretest. Moreover, the Academic Confidence Scale (Sander & Sanders, 2006) was administered to the three groups to measure their levels of self-confidence before the treatment. As the treatment, the first experimental group received instruction through cooperative learning, the second experimental group received instruction through competitive learning, and the control group received instruction based on teacher-fronted strategies. At the end of the treatment, the speaking section of another sample PET and Academic Confidence Scale were administered as the posttests. Additionally, 10 EFL learners were randomly selected from each experimental group and interviewed. The statistical analyses revealed that while both cooperative and competitive learning procedures had significant within-group effects on the learners' speaking ability, the impact on academic self-confidence was significant for cooperative learning procedure only. Moreover, between-group comparisons verified that the impact of cooperative learning on speaking ability and self-confidence of EFL learners was statistically more significant. In addition, the content analysis of the interview data showed that a great majority of EFL learners believed that cooperative learning helps EFL learners develop their own ideas in greater depth, enhance their participation and creativity in speaking, im
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