Language Learning Styles and Strategies

Objectives by the end of this lecture you will be able to: Distinguish between learning styles and strategies. List the main four domains of learning styles and give an example for each domain. List the main six categories of learning strategies and give an example for each category. Recognize the implications of these learning styles and strategies on L2 teaching.

What is a learning style? What are the four domains of learning styles? Refer to p. 359

What is a learning strategy? Learning strategies can be classified in six main categories. What are they? Refer to p. 359

Why is it important to have harmony between the students’ learning styles and strategies with the teacher’s instructional methodology? Refer to p. 359

Learning Styles What are the Learning Styles ? →The general approaches to learning How many Learning Styles are there? →Four main dimension and many among each

Learning Styles Sensory Preferences Personality Types Desired Degree of Generality Biological Differences

Sensory Preferences What are the four sensory preferences? What does sensory preference means? Can people vary with their sensory preferences based on their cultural background? Refer to p. 360

Sensory Preferences Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Tactile

Visual Preference Visual students like to read and obtain a great deal from visual stimulation. Stimulations such as words, images, motion pictures and live performances Conversation and oral instruction →might be confusing to them

Auditory Preference Comfortable without visual input Excited by the classroom interactions in role plays and similar activities. However!!! →They sometimes have difficulty with writing

Kinesthetic and Tactile Preference Kinesthetic Tactile Like lots of movement and enjoy working with tangible objects, collages and flashcards. Instead of sitting still, they prefer walking around the classroom

Q&A What sensory preference do you prefer?

Personality Types Extroverted vs. Introverted Intuitive-Random vs. Sensing-Sequential Thinking vs. Feeling Closure-oriented/Judging vs. Open/Perceiving

Extroverted vs. Introverted Extroverted →energy from external world. →enjoy interacting with people and making friends Introverted →energy from internal world →seeking solitude What should a teacher do with these two personalities? (refer to p. 360)

Intuitive-Random vs. Sensing-Sequential Intuitive-Random →Think in abstract, futuristic, large-scale, and nonsequential ways →Like to creat theories and prefer to guide their own learning Sensing-Sequential →Like facts rather than theories →Want guidance and specific instruction from teachers What should a teacher do with these two personalities? (refer to p. 360)

How do teachers teach them both? To offer variety and choice Sometimes a highly organized structure for sensing-sequential learners At other times multiple options and enrichment activities for another kind

Thinking vs. Feeling Thinking →Oriented toward the stark truth →Want to be viewed competent and do not give praise easily Feeling →Value other people in personal ways →Show empathy and compassion What should a teacher do with these two personalities?

Closure-oriented/Judging vs. Open/Perceiving Closure-oriented/Judging →Reach judgments or completion quickly →Enjoy being given specific tasks and deadlines →Desire for closure Open/Perceiving →Take learning less seriously, treating it like a game →Dislike deadlines and like to have a long time soaking up information by osmosis. They both provide good balance to each other

Q&A What personality type do you think you are?

Desired Degree of Generality Global or holistic Analytic

Desired Degree of Generality Global or holistic →Like socially interaction, communicating events →Feel free to guess from context →Tend to make grammatical mistakes Analytic →Concentrate on grammatical details →Do not take risks guessing from contexts What should a teacher do with these two personalities?

Biological Differences Biorhythms Sustenance Location

Biorhythms Learners have their best time for studying Some perform well in the morning; some in the evening…

Sustenance The need for food and drink while learning. Quite a number of L2 learners feel very comfortable learning with a candy bar, a cup of coffee or a soda in hand while some tend to be distracted from studying

Location Involves the nature of environment Temperature Lighting Sound And even the firmness of the chairs

Learning Strategies What are learning strategies? →Specific behaviors or thought processes that learners use to enhance their learning How many learning strategies are there? →Six main categories

About strategies A strategy is neither good nor bad A strategy is useful if →a. It relates well to the L2 task at hand →b. It fits the particular student’s learning style →c. The student employs it effectively Enable students to become more independent, autonomous, lifelong learners. What should teachers do with these strategies?

Six Main Categories Cognitive Strategies Metacognitive Strategies Memory-related Strategies Compensatory Strategies Affective Strategies Social Strategies

Cognitive Strategies Enable learners to manipulate the language materials E.g., through reasoning, analysis, notetaking, summarizing, outlining, reorganizing, etc.

Metacognitive Strategies Identifying one’s own learning style preferences and needs Manage the learning process overall. Give examples. P.364

Memory-related Strategies Help learners to link one L2 item or concept to another, but do not always involve deep understanding Enable learners to learn and retrieve information in an orderly string Learners need such strategy much less when they become better Give examples p. 364

Compensatory Strategies Guessing from context in listening and reading Use synonyms and “talk around” the missing word to aid speaking and writing Use gestures or pause words Help learners to make up missing words

Affective Strategies Identify one’s mood and anxiety level Use deep breathing or positive self-talk Students who progress toward proficiency seldom need it

Social Strategies Work with others and understand the target culture as well as the language Intensive interaction with people Give examples p. 365

what are the implications of learning styles and strategies for L2 teaching? Refer to p. 365