IINDIVIDUAL LEARNING STYLE IN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Most children and adults can master some content - how they master, it is determined by individual learning styles (Dunn et. al., 1989). The learning style can be defined as the way in which an individual prefers to learn or process information (O’Malley and Chamot, 1993).

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Learning styles are the preferred cognitive, physical and affective approaches we employ to processing new information. They are general characteristics, rather than specific behaviors. Individuals have within them the ability to utilize more than a single style of learning, however, we usually have preferred styles.

Learning styles have been described in different ways. Lawrence (1984) indicates, that the term learning style has been used in four ways: (1) cognitive style, preferred or habitual patterns of mental functioning or information processing; (2) attitudes or interests that influence attention in learning; (3) the tendency to seek learning environments that are consistent with one’s cognitive style, attitudes or interests; (4) tendency to use certain tools (learning strategies) and to avoid others.

Distinction between cognitive (CS) style and learning style (LS) Dornyei (2005): “CS can be seen as equivalent of the colors proper, whereas LS as the manifestations of the colors in the real world”

Different people adopt different approaches to learning situations. Here are a number of examples by J. Richards and Ch. Lockhart (1994): · Some people like to work independently, while others prefer working in a group · Some people like to spend a lot of time planning before they undertake a task, while others spend little time planning and sort out problems that arise while they are completing a task.

· Some people can focus on only one task at a time, while others seem to be able to do several different tasks at once. · Some people feel uncomfortable in situations where there is ambiguity and uncertainty, while others are able to handle situations involving conflicting information and opinions.

When solving problems, some people are willing to take risks and make guesses without worrying about the possibility of errors, while others try to avoid such risks. Some people learn best when they use visual cues and write notes to help them remember, while others learn better through auditory learning, without written notes.

Vis-aud

Visual learners have an advantage in learning to read and write a foreign language, but speaking it will bring a bit more difficulty

Tips for visual learners Make and use flashcards, work with them actively: Use visualization, visual metaphors when you try to remember new words and expressions;

Tips for visual learners Use your textbooks to aid in study. Study the pictures in your books and connect them to the foreign words.

Tips for visual learners Use language tapes/CDs Make sure to pick up a program that comes with books, though.

Auditory learners The talent of auditory learners or “ audials ” should be used not only for speech, but also as a bridge to mastering writing and reading. Audiotapes are particularly useful

Tips for audials S tart with listening to a text, then shift to listening to a tape and reading simultaneously, after that stage start to read without tape read out loud after you have just listened to the tape.

Tips for audials Try to tell in the target language what you have learned to your friend or study partner. talk aloud using familiar words and constructions.

Tips for audials Use any opportunity to attend lectures, seminars, to watch TV programs on themes with which you are familiar, which are interesting to you. Ask questions of different people and listen to their answers

Kinesthetic

Communicative or Linguistic?

Learning Styles and Teaching Methods

Matching Hypothesis suggests that success in mastering a second language depends to a large extent on the correspondence of teaching style with the student's individual cognitive and personality characteristics

Thus, if a student’s learning strength lies in his communicative capabilities, speech drills will be an effective method for advancing his achievements, whereas a student who learns best by mastering grammatical principles and syntactic structures, should be taught with more formal, written exercises that bring these strengths into play.

These are learning strategies, the specific techniques one employs to facilitate learning. Learning styles are made concrete (“realized”) by specific learning strategies (Ehrman, 1996).