Les moyens d’apprentissage d’une langue étrangère

Language learning styles

Why is learning a new language so easy for some and yet so difficult for others? Learning styles may provide some answers:

Each of us has our own preferred way of learning that is determined by our cultural and educational background, and our personalities. Researchers have categorised the various learning styles in several ways. Some researchers have identified different perceptual styles: visual, tactile, kinaesthetic, and auditory. Others have looked at cognitive styles and distinguished between field-independent and field-dependent learners. Still others have examined the personality styles of reflectivity and impulsiveness.

Visual learners usually enjoy reading and prefer to see the words that they are learning. They also like to learn by looking at pictures and flashcards.
Auditory learners prefer to learn by listening. They enjoy conversations and the chance for interactions with others. They don’t need to see words written down.
Tactile learners learn by touching and manipulating objects – this is known as “hands-on” work.
Kinaesthetic learners like movement and need frequent breaks in desk activities.
Field-independent learners (also called analytic learners) like to concentrate on the details of language, such as grammar rules, and enjoy taking apart words and sentences. They are sometimes unable to see the “big picture” because of their attention to its parts.
Field-dependent learners (also known as global learners) focus on the whole picture and do not care so much about the details. For example, they are more interested in conveying an idea than worrying about whether it is grammatically correct.
Reflective learners like to think about language and how to convey their message accurately. They tend not to make so many mistakes because they take time in formulating what they want to say.
Impulsive learners take risks with the language. They are more concerned with speaking fluently than speaking accurately, and so make more mistakes.

So how does this help facilitate learning a new language?

Awareness of your preferred learning style may help to explain why some aspects of language learning seem to come easier than others or are more enjoyable. If you are an analytic learner, you are unlikely to feel comfortable doing a language activity which involves a lot of unstructured, spontaneous speech without any concern for grammatical correctness.

Learners who are in a position to choose how they acquire a new language can ensure that their preferred style matches the teaching methodology of the particular language course they want to enrol in.

For example, reflective learners may not fare so well in purely conversational classes and auditory learners will probably want to avoid a course with a heavy reading requirement.

Of course many learners have no such choice. In general, however, language teachers are aware of the range of learning styles in their classrooms and try to find activities to suit all learning styles.

This post is also available in: French