Definitions of Styles and Learning Styles

Definitions of Styles and instruction Styles2.1.1.1 Definitions of Styles and teaching StylesStylesBefore reviewing the literature of schooling panaches, it is necessary to spang the definition of sorts. The archetype of styles was first put forward by cognitive psychologists. Brown (2002 104) defines style as a term that refers to consistent and rather enduring tendencies or privilegeences inwardly an private. Therefore, styles ar those general characteristics of intellectual functioning (and somebodyality type, as well) that especially pertain to sensation as an individual, that contraryiate one from soulfulness else.Learning StylesRegarding studies of cultivation styles, the most serious problem is the confusion of its definitions. In the past two decades, the chance oning styles has been apply in various and some beats confusing ways in the literature. It is very common to hear different opinions on its definitions establish on different findings in this compara tively immature investigate field of teaching styles, for from each one study defines it from particular perspectives. However, thither is not an agree-upon definition of tuition styles. Learning styles can be delineate in the following ways.Keefe (1979, cited in Brown, 200210) defines learning styles as the characteristic cognitive, affectional and physiological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how assimilators perceive, interact with and oppose to the learning environment.Dunn et al. (197811) defines learning styles as the way in which each person absorbs and retains in coiffeion and/or skills regardless of how that process is described, it is dramatically different for each person.Sims Sims (1990, cited in Reid, 2002) put forward that learning styles ar typical ways a person behaves, feels, and processes information in learning situations. Therefore, learning style is demonstrated in that pattern of behavior and performance by which an individua l approaches educational experience.Oxford et al. (1991) briefly defines the learning style as the general approaches students used to learn a new subject or tackle a new problem.Tan Dingliang (1995 12) defines learning styles as the way that a student a lot adopts in the learning process, which includes the learning strategies that have been stabilized within a learner, the preference of some teaching stimuli and learning tendency.Reid (1995) summarizes definitions of learning styles as internally based characteristics of individuals for the intake or understanding of new information. essentially learning styles ar based upon how a person perceives and processes information to assist learning.2.1.2 Categories of Learning StylesConfusion in any case exists in the literature on categories of learning styles for many same or similar factors researched under the same name. Reid (1995) divides learning-style research into three major categories cognitive styles, sensory learning s tyles, and personality learning styles.2.1.2.1 Cognitive Learning StylesCognitive learning styles which include field-independent/field-dependent, analytic/global, wistful/impulsive learning styles, and Kolb experiential learning model, belong to the aspects of psychology. Among them researches on field -independent/field-dependent (FI/FD) attract the most attention of SLA domain (Ellis, 1994). gibe to Reid (1995), field-independent learners learn much(prenominal) in effect step by step, or sequentially, beginning with analyzing facts and proceeding to ideas. They enter the trees instead of the forest whereas field-dependent (field-sensitive) learners learn to a greater extent in effect in contexts, holistically, intuitively, and are especially sensitive to human relationships and fundamental interactions. They see the forest instead of the trees.Chapelle (1995) explains that FI/FD refers to how state perceive and memorize information.Reid (1995) defines that analytic learner s learn to a greater extent effectively separately prefer setting own goals, and respond to a sequential, linear, step-by-step demonstration of materials whereas global (relational) learners learn to a greater extent effectively through concrete experience, and by interactions with others.According to Reid (1995), if learners can learn more effectively given time to consider options before responding, they are reflective learners and they are often more accurate speech learners whereas if learners can learn more effectively cosmos able to respond immediately and to take risks, they are impulsive learners and they are often more fluent language learners.2.1.2.2 Sensory Learning StylesAccording to Reid (1995), sensory learning styles include two dimensions perceptual learning styles and environmental learning styles. Perceptual learning styles contain four types of learning styles which are auditory, visual, tactual and kinesthetic styles. Auditory learners learn more effective ly through the ears visual learners learn more effectively through the eyes (seeing) tactile learners learn more effectively through touch (hands-on) kinesthetic learners learn more effective through concrete complete body experiences (whole-body movement). tangible and sociological styles belong to the environmental learning styles. Physical learners learn more effectively when such variables as temperature, sound, light, food, mobility, time, and classroom/study arrangement are considered. Sociological learners learn more effectively when such variables as chemical group, individual, play off and team work, or levels of teacher authority are considered.2.1.2.3 Affective/ disposition Learning StylesLearning styles of this type are based on affect, personality, valuation reserve of ambiguity and brain hemisphere.Myer and Briggs (1987, cited in Reid, 1995) report that affective and personality factors exploit learners learning styles a great deal. Mayer-Briggs team tested four d ivided styles of functioning in their Mayer and Briggs Temperament Styles (MBTI) which include extraversion-introversion, sensing-perception, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving.According to Reid (1995), extroverted and invaginate styles belong to extraversion-introversion. Extroverted learner learns more effectively through concrete experience, contract with the outside world, and relationships with others whereas introverted learner learns more effectively in individual, independent situations that are more involved with ideas and concepts. comprehend-perception contains sensing and perception styles. Sensing learner learns more effectively from reports of observable facts and happenings prefers physical, sense-based input. Conversely, perception learner learns more effectively from meaningful experiences and from relationships with others. In thinking-feeling styles, thinking learner learns more effectively from impersonal circumstances and logical consequence whereas feel ing learner learns more effectively from personalized circumstances and social values. And in judging-perceiving styles, judging learner learns more effectively by reflection, and analysis, and processes that involve closure conversely, perceiving learner learns more effectively through negotiation, feeling, and inductive processes that postpone closure.Reid (1995) suggests that tolerance of ambiguity styles to a fault belong to the affective/temperament learning styles. Ambiguity-tolerant learner learns more effectively when opportunities for experiment and risk, as well as interaction, are present whereas ambiguity-intolerant learners learns more effectively when in less flexible, less risky, more structured situations.Reid (1995) also claims that whether the learner is left-brained or right-brained will influence learners learning styles. Left-brained learners tend toward visual, analytic, reflective, self-governing learning conversely, right-brained learners tend toward auditory , global/relational, impulsive, interactive learning.2.1.3.1 Sensory Learning Styles optic stylesVisual students enjoy reading and they prefer material in a classroom environment to be presented in a visual format such as books, board work, and handouts.Auditory stylesAuditory students enjoy lectures, conversations and viva directions. They prefer material in a classroom environment that is presented as auditory input such as radio, oral instruction, oral confabulation and audiotape.Hands-on stylesHands-on students like lots of movement and enjoy on the job(p)(a) with collages, flashcards, and tangible objects. They prefer to be physically involved with tasks, tending to prefer activities such as Total physical Response (TPR) and role-play.2.1.3.3 Personality Learning StylesExtroversion/IntroversionThe dimension of styles particularly influences classroom management, especially classify of students. Extroverted students perform most productively in a group environment, enjoying activities that involve other students, such as role-play, conversation and other interaction favoring social goals as opposed to impersonal rewards. Conversely, introverted students are ruttish most by their own inner world of ideas and feelings. They like working alone or else in a pair with someone they know well. They dislike lots of continuous group work in the ESL/EFL classroom. This business is somewhat similar to the categories of group/individual style made by Reid (1987).In conclusion, according to Reid (1995), the role of learning styles in foreign language learning has some fundamentals of learning styles. She claims that learning styles in the ESL/EFL classrooms is based on six hypothesesEvery person, students and teachers alike, has a learning style and learning strengths and weaknessesLearning styles are often described as opposite, but actually they exist on wide continuumLearning styles are value-neutral that is, no one style is better than others (but it is tru e that there are students with some learning styles work better than those with some other learning styles)Students must be encouraged to stretch their learning styles so that they will be more empowered in a variety of learning situationsStudents strategies are often linked to their learning styles (6) Teachers should allow their students to become aware of their learning strengths and weaknesses.