Definitions of learning styles
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.
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.
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.
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 please bosses 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?
In education, 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 first develop 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. (Back)
