A Rainbow of Learning
Styles
Matching our teaching to student needs
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Some teaching examples...
Learning Styles
"Intelligence is the capacity to
process a certain kind of
information” Gardner
4 key elements to intelligences
by Díaz and Heining-Boyton,
1995
1.
2.
3.
4.
Everyone possesses all intelligences, and others may exist,
but this is a manageable list for educators.
Most of us have Some of the intelligences highly developed;
the other intelligences are either moderately developed or
underdeveloped, but we can develop any of them to a
moderate level.
The intelligences usually work in concert and not alone.
There are many ways to demonstrate intelligence within each
category (adapted, Shrum and Glisan, p. 5).
A Learning Style is a general
approach a learner uses to learn
(Scarcella 8; Oxford, 1992,
p. 6l).
What influences that approach when a
student enters the first day?
How about after a week?
How about after 8 weeks?
Scarcella and Oxford (1992)
Five key dimensions of
language learning styles
 Analytic - Global
 Sensory preferences
 Intuitive/random - Sensory/sequential
learning
 Orientation to closure
 Competition-cooperation
Learning Strategies
What is a learning strategy?
"...specific actions, behaviors, steps or
techniques-such as seeking out
conversation partners, or giving oneself
encouragement to tackle a difficult
language task-used by students to enhance
their own learning." (p. 63)
Scarcella, R.C. & Oxford R.L. (1992). The tapestry of
language learning. (cited in Shrum & Glissan, 2010)
What makes a strategy useful?
• relates well to the L2 task at hand
• fits the particular student's learning style
preferences
• is used effectively by the student in
relation to other relevant strategies
Ehrman, Leaver & Oxford (2003)
Strategy Inventory for
Language Learning (SILL)
Rebecca Oxford, U. of
Maryland
Groups of L2 learning
strategies:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cognitive
Metacognitive
Memory-related
Compensatory
Affective
Social
Strategy Instruction in the
Classroom
• Should we as teachers make time to teach
learning strategies in the classroom?
• What does the research say?
Affective Variables
What does affect include?
• “Affect factors include motivation, selfefficacy, tolerance of ambiguity, and
anxiety, among others” (Ehrman, Leaver &
Oxford, 2003)
• What theories or methodologies have we
seen that incorporate affect?
• How do you address affect in your
classroom?
Integrative vs. Instrumental
Motivation
Integrative
•
"...positive attitude toward the foreign culture and a
desire to participate as a member of it..."
Instrumental
•
"...goal of acquiring language in order to use it for a
specific purpose..." (Ehrman, Leaver & Oxford,
2003)
Are your students integratively or
instrumentally motivated?
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
Motivation
Intrinsic
•
"...comes from within the individual and is related to the individual's
identity and sense of well-being. Students are intrinsically motivated
when learning is a goal in itself."
Extrinsic
•
"...comes from outside the individual. Students are extrinsically
motivated when learning is done for the sake of rewards...that are not
inherently associated with the learning itself..." (Ehrman, Leaver &
Oxford, 2003)
How are your students intrinsically or
extrinsically motivated?
Process Model: Dornyei (2001)
•
•
Shift from focus on the individual to the dynamics of the classroom, which
emphasizes the influence of the classroom teacher for motivating students.
(Adapted from Ehrman, Leaver & Oxford, 2003)
Motivation of students:
1. Pre-actional phase- "choice motivation"
2. Actional phase- "executive motivation"
3. Post-actional stage- "motivational retrospection"
(adapted from Shrum and Glisam, 2010)
Synthesis:
• How do you address affect in your
classroom?
• What will you do?
o You are to teach a class on narrating in
the past. In groups of two or three,
describe how you would adjust your
teaching to meet the needs of one of the
following student.
Class: Narrating in the Past
Derek: Overachiever with
few social skills. He plays
the trumpet and brings
you pictures he's drawn
of mountains and trees.
Rachel: Soccer player
that has a lot of
friends. She also texts
whenever she thinks she
can get away with it.
Megan: Shy with low
literacy skills. When she
does speak to you in
private she often has
profound questions to ask
about the Spanish
culture.
Lucas: ADHD. He's
very good at math
and seems to pay
more attention when food
is involved.
Conclusion:
•
•
•
How do Teacher Personality Types affect
student learning?
Should we adjust our teaching style to our
students’ learning styles?
Is is beneficial to teach learning strategies
to students or should we let them explore
on their own?