Benvenuti, Bienvenue, Croeso and Welcome
Hi, I’m Juliet. Join me on a journey through my language learning process and learn my thoughts on different aspects of language learning with the A Language Learning Tale Podcast. Today I’m talking about…
This is How I like learning. Or, What? We Don’t Have Different Learning Styles?
For a long time it was put forward that people had different styles of learning and then the powers that be told us that we don’t. I’m sorry? What was that again? We all learn in the same way? What?
Yes, that’s what scientists say now. We all learn in the same way. But let’s back up a little. What are, or rather were, these learning styles, anyway?
Warning: Very oversimplified and not terribly technical scientific explanations coming up.
Learning styles were seen as a way to find out the perfect method for each individual student to learn a subject, which was popularised, I believe, in the 1970s. It sounds great, doesn’t it? We all get material presented in the way we prefer for our individual learning styles. Although, I imagine, a nightmare for a teacher, if they had to work out who learnt which way, out of a class of 30.
Of course, there wasn’t just one set of learning styles that was put forward as the model. Oh, no. Various scientists came up with their own theories, using terms such as Accommodating, Converging, Diverging and Assimilating. Okay. Or, Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic. Right, a little easier. But kinesthetic learning meaning you have to actively participate, not just watch or listen? For everything? That sounds undoable.
These are just two of the systems. There were … are others.
As if the terms weren’t unfathomable enough, having a bunch of different sets of potential categorisations kind of muddies the waters. Actually, I’d say it makes them one big black hole of a puddle.
As these were scientifically devised ideas of learning styles, of course, everyone went off to try and prove that their theory worked and … didn’t quite get the results they wanted. Things weren’t conclusive. So, now, they say that styles of learning don’t really exist and that we all learn in the same way. Maybe not the same scientists, but that’s the general opinion.
But what do they actually mean when they say this?
Well, they’re saying that our brains work it all out in the same way, as in how they process the information, which is fair enough. I can see that would be true, to a large extent, even not being a scientist myself. The brain is our own little mechanical buddy that follows certain rules of knowledge acquisition.
Is that the same thing as learning styles, though? That depends on how you define them.
Here’s the thing, I do believe that there are specific ways I like to get that information into my brain and I would call that a style of learning. It’s not just one thing, it’s a combination of things, and might be different for different subjects. But as we’re talking about languages, I’m going to set out here, now, what I believe to be my learning styles. The ways I learn best to get that information into my brain.
Well, first, I like to study on my own, rather than being in a class, because 1) I’m an introvert, 2) I think it’s more efficient, time-wise, and 3) I like to choose what I want to study. Oh, and 4) I have no problem motivating myself to do it.
However, you might find that the class situation helps you to be motivated to study and you like to be told what to study, because that gives you structure.
Those are styles of learning, aren’t they?
Next, I don’t like using textbooks to study. Yes, I have a grammar book for Italian, but that’s only for occasional reference. I find using an app much easier for learning, I think, because I’m only being give one small aspect at a time. With a textbook, you’ll inevitably flick through and think you have a mountain to climb. Truth is, you probably do, but you don’t want to feel that. Well, I don’t, at least.
If you love working through textbooks, then I applaud you. I just don’t want to do it.
Is that a learning style? I’d say so.
Another thing that works for me and I consider to be a learning style, is that I like to mix things up. In other words, I don’t want to just do one learning thing in a day. I might do several, or even all of these in one day, in various languages. Listening to the radio. Using Duolingo. Listening to music. Reading a novel. Listening to podcasts. Watching videos on YouTube. Writing something in the language. Watching a TV show. That’s a lot of different things and I might just do them for a few minutes at a time. But the variety of actions gives my brain lots of things to figure out and store away, in the same way as everyone else. Am I wrong in thinking this is a learning style?
Were the scientists just being too technical and box-oriented about learning styles?
The thing is, when learning a language you simply have to do what works for you, and that may be different depending on the complexities of the particular language. Whether a learning style is what it’s officially called, or not, really doesn’t matter. Your brain doesn’t care. It’s just going to do it’s regular thing of sorting and storing, whatever you do.
That’s all for today’s episode. Don’t forget to join me again next time, for more language learning tips, tricks and tales and in the meantime, check out the A Language Learning Tale YouTube channel for additional, non-podcast content.
Ciao, salut, hwyl and bye for now.