Learning styles

This unit explores differences between learners and considers different learning styles.

Learners have different ways in which they prefer to take in information and these often broadly relate to the senses they prefer to use. Knowing about these learning styles will help you plan lessons that take your learners' needs into account.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module you will be able to:

• identify factors affecting the way we learn

• identify the way that you learn and the learning style of your young learners

• examine your own teaching style

• analyse the sensory activation in various classroom activities

• devise and teach multi-sensory activities with your learners.

• This unit will take approximately six hours, including discussion activities.

1.1 How do we learn?

How much do you know about how the brain works? Some scientists believe we only use around 5% of our total brain power.

The main reason it is important to know about theories of learning is to better understand the needs of your students.

How does an understanding of learning theories affect the way we teach young learners?

Start by considering your answers to the following questions:

1. Do the left and the right sides of the brain work differently?

2. Why does the left side appear to be more dominant?

3. Can we use both sides equally?

4. Try to remember your first day with a new class. What do you think the learners were thinking about?

5. Apart from thinking, what else do learners do in the classroom?

6. Why do learners do things we do not want them to do in the classroom?

You will discover the answers to questions 1, 2, 3 and 6 during this unit. But what about questions 4 and 5? What are the learners thinking about? What are they doing?

Teachers at the British Council have said that their learners are probably thinking things like: "I hope s/he is a nice teacher" or "S/he doesn't dress very well" and other personal things. What else do learners do?

Here are some of the things that participants on young learner courses have said:

• talk

• listen to the teacher

• disturb other children in the class

• eat

• throw paper

• answer the teacher's questions

• whisper to each other

• read

• daydream

• write

• walk around the class

• ask irrelevant questions

• draw pictures.

It’s clear from the list above that there are things that learners do in the classroom that, maybe, you don’t want them to do. Some teachers suggest that it is important to keep children under strict control and give them plenty of grammar exercises so that they don’t have an opportunity to be "naughty".

Others say that students are lazy, spoilt, bored, nothing interests them, that it’s their parents' fault, etc. However, such a reaction is ignoring the real problem. Approaching the problem in another way may help you to provide your young learners with appropriate help.

Think about some of the activities you use in your classes.

• What type of materials do you use to help understanding?

• If you have done them, think back to the First steps and Songs and games units - how involved were you in the tasks and activities?

• What were you actually doing?

• How can you get your young learners really involved?

• Which part of our body do you use most when you are learning?

Yes, you guessed it - the brain!