To
apply learning styles theory to English learning and teaching, we must
know what learning style is. Learning has taken place when we observe a
change of learner behavior resulting from what has been experienced.
Similarly, we can recognize the learning style of an individual
student only by observing his overt behavior.
Learning style is
a consistent way of functioning that reflects the underlying causes of
learning behavior Learning styles are internally basic characteristics
of individuals for the intake or understanding of new information.
People act differently.
To
understand styles and their implications for education, it is best to
view these categories in conjunction with all the characteristics that
are integrated in the total personality of each human being.
Learning Styles as education resources:
1-Style is concerned with cognition:
People perceive and gain knowledge differently.
2-Style is concerned with conceptualization:
People form ideas and think differently.
3-Style is concerned with affect:
People's emotional responses and values differ.
4-Style is concerned with behavior:
People act differently.To
understand styles and their implications for education, it is best to
view these categories in conjunction with all the characteristics that
are integrated in the total personality of each human being
People act differently.To
understand styles and their implications for education, it is best to
view these categories in conjunction with all the characteristics that
are integrated in the total personality of each human being
Classification of learning styles:
Generally
speaking, the learning-styles can be divided into three major
categories: cognitive learning styles, sensory learning styles, and
personality learning styles.
1-Cognitive
learning styles include field-independent/field-dependent learning
styles, analytic / global l learning styles, reflective/impulsive
learning styles and Kolb experiential learning model.
2-Sensory
learning styles also fall into the following four sub-styles: auditory
learners, visual learners, tactile learners and kinesthetic learners.
3-Temperament learning styles include Myers-Briggs temperament styles,
tolerance of ambiguity styles, right-and left-hemisphere learners.
4-Linguisticlearning style:Learners
learn languages through the 4 main language skills which include:
Listening, Speaking, Reading and writing. Learners listen to
vocabulary, speak what they listened to, read what they listened to and
spoke, then write what they listened to, spoke and read.
Other classification:
1-Visual: You learn well when aided by images, pictures, and spatial organization of elements.
2-Auditory: You learn well when aided by music, sound, rhyme, rhythm, speaking or listening.
3-Reading/Writing: You learn well by reading or writing the material you want to learn.
4-Kinesthetic: You learn well when you can move your
body, and/or use your hands and sense of touch. Writing or drawing
diagrams are physical activities that can fall into this category as
well.
Other classification:
1- Visual (spatial):You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
2- Aural (auditory-musical): You prefer using sound and music.
3- Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.
4- physical (kinesthetic): You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.
5-Logical (mathematical): You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.
6-Social (interpersonal): You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.
7-Solitary (intrapersonal): You prefer to work alone and use self-study.
1-Cognition: How Do I Know?
Perception,
the initial stage of cognition, involves receiving, obtaining, taking
possession of, and discerning information, ideas, and concepts. Some of
us best perceive what is real; others clearly see possibilities with
their imaginations.
Some people see parts of a whole, separating ideas
from their context, while others see the whole, not unlike the
difference between seeing the forest or the tree .
People
get information in different ways. Some people use abstract sources,
reading about things and listening to others' descriptions. Others need
concrete experiences.
The concrete person often will depend directly on
the senses for information: "I see it; now I know what it is."
Some
people have to touch something or see it operate before they accept it
as real, while others can imagine a vivid reality without needing to
experience it.
These different ways of getting information and gaining
knowledge reflect distinct personal styles.
2-Conceptualization:
How Do I Think?
People
also exhibit differences in what they do with the knowledge they gain:
how they process information and how they think. Some people are always
looking for connections and ways to tie things together. Others are more
divergent: One thought, idea, or fact triggers a multitude of new
directions.
Others
organize their thoughts in clusters and random patterns. Some people
think aloud; they verbalize ideas as a way of understanding them.
Others
concentrate on understanding concepts and experiences privately in
their own minds. Some people think quickly, spontaneously, and
impulsively; others are deliberate and reflective..
3-Affect: How Do I Decide
Differences
in motivation, judgments, values, and emotional responses also
characterize individual style. Some people are motivated internally;
others seek external rewards.
Some people actively seek to please
others: children to please their parents and teachers, adults to and spouses. Some people simply are not attuned to others'
expectations, and still others will rebel against any such demands.
Some
people make decisions logically, rationally, objectively, and coolly.
Others decide things subjectively, focusing on their own and others'
perceptions and emotions.
Some people seek frequent feedback on their
ideas and work; some are crushed by slight criticism. Others welcome
analytical comments, and still others would never ask an outsider for a
critique.
4-Behavior: How Do I Act?
We recognize a variety of differences in how people learn
and how these basic styles affect the individual learner's behavior.
Reflective students are slow to respond to questions and need to think
through a response carefully. Impulsive learners respond quickly and
blurt out their thoughts.
The
step-by-step person learns best when each stage is clear and the
transitions are spelled out. Another kind of learner makes intuitive
leaps. After several weeks of struggling with division of fractions,
this student may suddenly announce, "I've got it!"
This same intuitive
learner also will be impatient with sounding out parts of a word and
doing phonetic worksheets when she has already grasped the essence of a
story.
Role of the teacher:
To provide an equal opportunity for all students to be successful in school, educators must firstdevelop
a deep understanding of individual differences in learning.
The
research and theories on culture and learning style adequately document
learning differences among individuals. While these theories are
familiar to many educators, and generally accepted, their application is
relatively shallow.
For example, many teachers know that it is important to provide a "visual"
learner with visual information. But if the visual is words on an
overhead projector mimicking the words spoken orally, this is a
superficial accommodation of the learner's style.
Far more significant
would be an image, symbol, or visual representation of the information
so that the visual learner could learn through his or her strengths.
Role of Experiences:
Many teachers know that the active learner needs hands-on experiences. A
deeper understanding of these learners tells us that the experiences
should come early in the process while the initial understanding of the
concepts and skills are being developed, not just during practice time.
Yet many times these learners are asked to "understand" first, then "do"
later.
Not all learners who share a certain label are alike. A "visual'
learner who is also "concrete sequential" seeks visual order and would
benefit from a linear diagram of material.
