Every one of us has our own distinct way of learning and remembering things we encounter day by day. We are different in many ways: our perception of the world, our approaches to circumstances, and even in language learning.
How do you learn a language? Do you prefer to take down notes while your teacher is having a lecture? Do you make illustrations for easier understanding? Do you just purely listen to the lecture, or do you prefer to listen to music while attending the class?
Our learning depends on what makes us feel comfortable.
You may have experienced attending a class session where the teacher blandly explained the topic, but you never understood anything because you want to see something.
You may not want to write down the most important parts of the lecture because you remember them just by listening.
You may be able to remember everything when you both listen and see an illustration or a writing on the board.
These are just some of the language learning styles that exist but you are unaware. Yes, these preferences are based on language learning styles. Which style fits your preferences?
If you are a student or is an ESL learner wanting to identify which learning style best suits you, this article will give you insights about the language learning styles in English and discuss how you can identify yours by looking into the meaning of each style.
First, what are language learning styles?
Language learning styles refer to individual preferences and approaches when acquiring a new knowledge or learning any other subject. They help determine “how” and “how well” an individual learn a new language. In the academe, students learn best by their individual preferences. They have their unique way of learning, and their method varies differently. One student’s approach might not work in another student’s learning preference, and vice versa. That’s where language learning styles come in. There are various language learning styles in English and it is best to determine the style your preferences suit well. It is important that you know which type of learner you are so you can be comfortable in learning a language and it would be easy for you to process new learning.
In general, there are eight language learning styles in English that are most common among language learners. These are categorized into three major styles: Perceptual Styles, Cognitive Styles, and Personality Styles.
Also referred to as Sensory styles, these language learning styles are more concerned with how learners perceive the language. These styles concern with the involvement of learners’ sense organs such as the eyes and ears to process the learning.
There are four styles that fall into the sensory styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.
Visual learners are those who prefer to see words, read books, look at some teaching tools, and view illustrations. They prefer to look at everything that is discussed on a writing board than to purely listen to the teacher. Thus, they want their teacher to write more than speak.
In presentations, visual learners understand the data better when PowerPoint Presentations are used. Visual aids and other types of visuals are important for visual learners so they can easily process the learning and will not have any difficulty understanding the language.
Auditory learners are more into understanding discussions and lectures when they just listen. They can easily catch up and remember things just by listening. They are also considered verbal learners as they prefer to learn by listening or talking.
They enjoy talking or having a conversation with others rather than writing or reading. They are also good at impromptu speaking, because they can easily and naturally think better.
Learners in this style prefer to read and study more about grammar rules, and write exercises to practise them. They also learn better by writing what they have in mind, and then remembering them after. They are also good at writing, making them excellent writers.
Also called “learning by doing,” this type of language learning style is for those learners who prefer to learn by practical exercises or putting what they have learned into action. Learners in this style always want movement.
Kinesthetic learners are comfortable with physical movement. They don’t normally enjoy staying long hours on their desks, but prefer to move around while they are learning.
These language learning styles are concerning the mind and thinking of a learner. The cognitive styles refer to the information processing habit of a learner. Learners in these styles have good cognition status as they easily process learning by thinking, remembering, perceiving, analyzing, and problem-solving.
The types of learners in this learning style are more analytic and they want to focus on every little detail of the language. They like to break down the whole piece of language information into smaller parts or pieces. They like concentrating on grammar rules and some sentence patterns.
When extracting a text from a passage, they tend to delve deeper into the minute parts to get the meaning. Sometimes, they don’t see the “big picture” because they are more focused on the tiny ones.
Learners in field-independent learning are also called “global learners.” They focus more on the whole rather than breaking down the language into parts.
They don’t want to delve deeper into the smallest parts of the language, as long as they can convey the general meaning and idea rather than concentrating on grammar rules.
The personality of a learner also matters in learning a language. Learning depends on the learner’s personality – how they feel and how they act – based on a situation.
Learners in this language learning style tend to enjoy more thinking about the language, and how they can convey their thoughts about it accurately. They are more conscious in making too many mistakes because they take longer to compose their thoughts, making sure that what they intend to convey should be right.
“Risk-takers” as defined, learners in this style always take risk in learning a language. They want to speak and interact without concerning too much with the grammar as they intend to speak more fluently than accurately.
Because they are risk takers, they always want to try out new things, and when they make mistakes, they learn from them.
With the three major styles and the eight language learning styles mentioned, you must have now an idea on which type of learner you are or which style suits you best. However, you must possess not just one style, but more than that.
There is what we call “Compound Learning Styles” which refer more than one learning style of learners.
It is possible that one learner may be an auditory and impulsive learner. Another learner may be a visual and reflective learner, or one learner may be field-independent, reading/writing, and also reflective.
This learning style is limited, but can be identified when learners are more aware of the right style their learning fits in best.
As a learner, it is important to know your language learning style because it helps you identify your preferences and approaches. It would be easy for you to organize your thoughts and decide on methods and techniques you’d like to have in learning a language.
Additionally, knowing your language learning style is crucial so you can easily communicate with your teacher and inform them of your learning needs. It can also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the areas you need help the most in your language learning journey.
By understanding the language learning styles introduced previously, you must now be familiar with what your style is or which style suits your preferences.
To further determine your learning style, you can take free online quizzes that are readily available for your reference. There you can read the details of your result and check whether you agree or not to it.
You can also take classes in some schools whether online or in-person and talk about your preferences with your teacher, so you will have the options to take life-changing courses and be comfortable in learning English.
The language learning styles of every learner vary from one student to another. Understanding these 8 powerful language learning styles is important so you can be aware of your learning preferences, strengths, and weaknesses.
As a summary, language learning styles are divided into 3 major styles namely Perceptual or Sensory with 4 learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic; Cognitive with 2 learning styles: field-independent and field-dependent; and Personality with 2 learning styles: reflective and impulsive.
What language learning styles do your preferences belong? Share your thoughts with us here.
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