This paper attempts to clarify the relationship between cooperative and collaborative learning and shows that cooperative learning could be more effective in the context of Pakistani higher education. It is argued that although both these approaches are forms of group work, cooperative learning is more structured and controlled. Collaborative learning, on the contrary, is not that structured and depends on students to work independently in groups without involving the instructor authority very much. Therefore, the researchers in this research paper tend to justify how the teaching of English as a second language (ESL) in Pakistani higher education is more or less teacher-cantered and exam-based and how a structured approach to group work like cooperative learning might be of a great assistance in teaching English language in Pakistani universities and colleges. Hence, the study, through the critical review of the studies on cooperative and collaborative learning, aims at providing the rationale that cooperative learning might be more effective in teaching ESL classes in the present context. Furthermore, with the help of the previous research, Pakistani teachers and educators are provided with useful methods and suggestions for how to use cooperative learning in their ESL classes effectively. Thus, the aim of the paper is to offer additional understanding on how instructors can efficiently adopt cooperative learning to ESL teaching-learning processes in their classrooms.