chapter 05

L2 Learning and Language Teaching Styles

Learning Style

Ø refers to the general or preferred orientation toward learning.

1) Perceptual Preferences

1) Personality Preferences

1) Processing Preferences

Common Learner Styles 

audio

visual

kinesthetic

types of perceptual preferences learning style

audio

prefers learning by hearing

visual

prefers learning by seeing

kinesthetic

prefers learning by doing

extroverted

introverted

types of personality preferences learning style

extroverted

Prefers learning by looking outward.

introverted

Prefers learning by looking inward.

global oriented

detail oriented

inductive

deductive

synthetic

analytic

field sensitive

field insensitive

types of processing preferences learning styles

global oriented

a) Prefers focusing on the big picture (top-down); gravitates first toward the main ideas, then the details

detail oriented

a) Prefers focusing on the specifics (bottom-up); gravitates first toward the details, then the main ideas.

inductive

a) Prefers starting with examples so generalizations can be made from the patterns.

deductive

a) Prefers starting with the rules or theories so they can be applied to examples

synthetic

a) Prefers bringing the parts together to construct new ideas.

analytic

a) Prefers breaking information down into components so the relationships can be identified and understood.

field sensitive

a) Prefers getting information in context.

field insensitive

a) Prefers getting information in the abstract rather than in concrete situations

l  Their (teachers) students’ learning styles will better help them devise style-based teaching strategies.

l Another is that they can alternately change their teaching styles to accommodate all types, especially if the class is a mix of auditory, visual and kinesthetic, or introverted and extroverted, or global-oriented, field-oriented, inductive, deductive, synthetic, analytic, field-sensitive and field-insensitive learners.

 

implications of learning styles

Ø directly, individual learning of the L2 as an academic subject

indirectly, ability to use language

academic style: goal

· academically gifted, not young children

academic style: type of student

· grammatical explanation

translation

academic style: teaching techniques

· acquisition of conscious grammatical knowledge and its conversion to use

academic style: learning assumption

formal, teacher-controlled

academic style: classroom assumption

· inadequate use of grammar

inefficient as a means of teaching language use

academic style: w

getting students to ‘behave’ in appropriate situations

audio lingual style: goal

non-analytical, non-academic

audio lingual style: type of student

· dialogues

· structure drills

exploitation activities

audio lingual style: teaching techniques

‘habit-formation’ (behaviorist view)

audio lingual style: learning assumption

teacher-controlled

audio lingual style: classroom assumption

· inadequate form of grammar

· no position on other aspects of language knowledge or use

inefficiency of habit formation as a means of teaching use

audio lingual style: weaknesses

· Use for teaching certain aspects of language only.

· Be aware of the underlying audio-lingual basis of many everyday techniques.

audio lingual style: teaching suggestions

audio lingual

 is used to refer to a teaching style which emphasizes the teaching of the spoken language through dialogs and drills.

academic style

usually consists of a reading text excerpted from a newspaper or a similar source.

communication; 1970s

The basic reason for teaching language is __________ This view propelled the worldwide shift towards communication-focused methods in the ________

communicative style

meant redefining what the students had to learn in terms of communicative competence rather than linguistic competence.

language functions; notions

Ø The communicative behavior of native speakers served as the basis for syllabi which incorporated ______ (such as ‘persuading someone to do something’) and ____ (such as ‘expressing point of time’) which were emphasized over grammar and vocabulary.

the information gap exercise

the guided role play

the tasks

The three main techniques of communicative teaching are:

the information gap exercise

(that makes use of visuals, tapes, or models out of which the teacher can deliberately make into two sets of slightly differing information so that the students had an information gap to bridge);

the guided role play

(in which the students improvise conversations around an issue without the same made-up information gap);

the task

(which the students carry out in the classroom with a definite outcome).

· getting students to interact with other people in the L2, in the classroom and outside

communicative style: goal

· FI rather than FD; extroverts rather than introverts

less academic

communicative style: type of student

· information gap

· role play

tasks

communicative style: teaching technique

· learning by communicating with other students

some use of conscious understanding of grammar

communicative style: learninng assumption

· teacher as organizer, not as source of language knowledge

communicative style: classroom assumption

· lack of views on discourse processes, communication strategies, etc.

lack of role for the first language

communicative style: weaknesses

· Use with appropriate students in appropriate circumstances

· Supplement with other components of language

Avoid trivialization of content and aims

communicative style: teaching suggestions

task

‘an activity which requires learners to use language, with emphasis on meaning, to attain a goal’ (Bygate, 2001).

task based learning

upholds the notion that learning and teaching should be organized around a set of classroom tasks.

the pre-task

the task cycle

language focus

3 main components of task-based learning

the pre-task

a) The teacher sets up the task

task

planning

report

3 subcomponents of the task cycle

task

l The students carry out the task in pairs with the teacher monitoring

planning

l The students decide how to report back to the whole group.

report

The students make their reports.

analysis

l The students discuss how others carried out the task on a recording.

focus

l The teacher practices new language that has cropped up.

analysis

focus

2 types of language focus

fluency, accuracy, complexity

tbl: goal

possibly less academic

tbl: type of student

· meaning-based tasks with definite outcomes

meaning-based tasks with definite outcomes

tbl: teaching techniques

· language assumption takes place through meaning-based tasks with a specific short-term goal

tbl: learning assumption

· teaching depends on organizing tasks based on meaning with specific outcomes

tbl: classroom assumption

· lack of wider engagement with goals, learner groups, etc.

· lack of role for the L1

· reliance on a processing model as opposed to a learning model

tbl: weaknesses

· Use in conjunction with other styles, not as style on its own

tbl: teaching suggestions

mainstream efl style

developed in British-influenced EFL in the 1930s and still widely used at present, combines the techniques of grammatical explanation of the academic style and the techniques of automatic practice of the audio-lingual style.

structural-oral-situation (sos)

in india, mainstream efl style is known as?

grammatical structure, primacy of speech, use of language in situations

orimary features of mainstream efl style?

getting students to know and use language

mainstream efl: goal

any

mainstream efl: type of students

· presentation

· substitution

role play

mainstream efl: teaching techniques

understand, practice and use

mainstream efl: learning assumption

· both teacher-controlled full classes and internal small groups

mainstream efl: classroom assumption

· lack of role for the L1

drawbacks of combination of styles

mainstream efl: weaknesses

· Do not worry about the mixture of different sources.

Remember that even this rich mixture does not cover all aspects relevant to L2 teaching.

mainstream efl: teaching suggestions

1970s

when were the other styles introduced?

Ø ‘alternative methods’, ‘humanistic methods’, ‘self-access’ or ‘self-directed learning’.

other styles have been variably called as:

· Individual

development of potential

other styles: goal

those with personal motivations

other styles: type of student

· Community Language Learning (CLL)

· suggestopedia

self-directed learning

other styles: teaching technique

· diverse

mostly learning by doing, or a processing model

other styles: learning assumption

· learner’s freedom of choice

· usually small groups with cofigurative or prefigurative aims

other styles: classroom assumption

· either no view of learning or idiosyncratic views

little attention to learner variation

other styles: weaknesses

· Be reminded of the importance of the students’ feelings.

Conduct open discussions with students over their needs and preferences.

other styles: teaching suggestions