David·G·Barnett
It is especially important to take your students' learning styles into account when you are teaching English language learners.
The following gives a brief description of each style and how you can teach to it.
It is always important for teachers to teach to their students? Learning styles but this becomes crucial when teaching English language learners.
Teach to Students' Learning Styles
It is especially important to take your students' learning styles into account when you are teaching English language learners.
The following gives a brief description of each style and how you can teach to it.
It is always important for teachers to teach to their students? Learning styles but this becomes crucial when teaching English language learners.
Ells may be highly literate in their own language but experience difficulties when acquiring English because they are accustomed to learning through a different style. Most Chinese teachers, especially in the middle school, teach to students with an auditory learning style. This can be very difficult for the Ells in your class.
Auditory Learners
Students with this style will be able to recall what they hear and will prefer oral instructions. They learn by listening and speaking. These students enjoy talking and interviewing. They are phonetic readers who enjoy oral reading, group reading, and listening to recorded books. They learn best by doing the following:
• Interviewing, debating
• Participating on a panel
• Giving oral reports
Participating in oral discussions of written material
Visual Learners
Visual learners will be able to recall what they see and will prefer written instructions. These students are sight readers who enjoy reading silently. Better yet, present information to them with a video. They learn by watching and enjoy working with the following:
• Computer graphic
• Maps, graphs, charts
• Cartoons
• Posters
• Diagrams
• Graphic organizers
• Text with a lot of pictures
ps 50, Project English, Look at the pictures and talk about them. This type of format lends itself well to the “visual learner” global, and auditory” leaner.
P.12 Project English. This type of format again lends itself to a number of student types, Visual, auditory,
Tactile Learners
Students with this strength learn best by touching. They understand directions that they write and will learn best through manipulative. Try using the Language Experience Approach (LEA) when teaching these students to read. These students will also benefit from whole language approaches to reading. They'll learn best by:
• Drawing
• Playing board games
• Making dioramas
• Making models
Following instructions to make something
P.69: is useful here as a group reading, in “listen read and say,” you may also note that this also reinforces visual and auditory learners, this project could incorporate setting up a table and paper cups and plates.
pps 2, 3 are suitable stimulus for this learning type.
Look at p.50 “Project English, can you see how this would appeal to the interest of the tactile learner.
Discuss with your partner how you could expand this lesson to meet the interest need of the tactile learner.
I will demonstrate an idea and then select a teacher from the seminar to discuss with the group ideas for helping the tactile type child to take a greater interest in this lesson
It is important to note that not every student has to complete every task, for some students types you may have to consider other ideas for gaining an interest, one pair identified as tactile learners could complete one task, another pair identified as visual learners could be given another task and so on, the main point being that all students must arrive at a minimum of the same success, we must always keep within our planning the need for reaching for excellence and ways to help the student “climb the ladder.
Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic learners also learn by touching or manipulating objects. They need to involve their whole body in learning. Total Physical Response is a good ESL method for them. They remember material best if they act it out. These students learn best by:
• Playing games that involve their whole body
• Movement activities
• Making models
• Following instructions to make something
• Setting up experiments
An excellent way of teaching this is through music and movement, for example:
P.32 Project English
Heads shoulders knees and toes
Knees and toes Knees and toes
Heads shoulders knees and toes
And ears and mouth and eyes and nose
Or
P22. Project English
This type of activity is great for the Kinesthetic type student, discuss with your partner how you could expand this lesson to appeal to the Kinesthetic type student, I will discuss a possibility, one teacher will be selected to discuss with the Seminar how the lesson could be extended to model making.
Global Learners
Global learners are spontaneous and intuitive. They do not like to be bored. Information needs to be presented in an interesting manner using attractive materials. Cooperative learning strategies and holistic reading methods work well with these learners. Global learners learn best through:
• Recorded books
• Story writing
• Computer programs
• Games
• Group games
P.24: Project English (Final project)
In this game each student is given a card with the name of a fellow student on the card, the teachers asks who has “Wang Jun” the student who has the card “Wang Jun” says “I have Wang Yun and reads the details of this student on the card, this student then asks who has his or her card, the student who has that card ,say “ I have…. “And so on this lends itself to a number of activities with food cards, animal cards, and so on.
Analytic Learners
Analytic learners plan and organize their work. They focus on details and are logical. They are phonetic readers and prefer to work individually on activity sheets. They learn best when:
• Information is presented in sequential steps
• Lessons are structured and teacher-directed
• Goals are clear
• Requirements are spelled out
p.41 “what does she look like”
p.32 “Work alone”
p.45 “Work alone”