Wednesday, July 20, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Agenda 1.Thoughts/questions 2.Discussion of reading, “Learning Styles and Strategies: An Overview” 3.Looking at learning styles and strategies 4.Other learner characteristics 5.Language skills
Wednesday, July 20, 10:00 am -1:00 pm
Agenda
1. Thoughts/questions
2. Discussion of reading, “Learning Styles and Strategies: An
Overview”
3. Looking at learning styles and strategies
4. Other learner characteristics
5. Language skills
Discussion:
“Language Learning Styles and Strategies” by Rebecca Oxford
Questions:
What are learning styles?
What are learning strategies?
What is your style? What are your strategies?
Learning styles are general approaches to learning
• global• auditory• visual• analytic• imaginative• common sense• Dynamic
• Do any of these words describe your learning style?
-- BREAK –10 minutes
Activity: Learning Style Survey
• Complete the survey• Find two classmates who have completed the
survey, compare your results, discuss these questions:- What, if anything, surprises you?- Are some styles better than others?- How might your learning style affect your teaching?
Learning strategies are specific actions, behaviors, techniques that help us
• use all mental processes• organize, evaluate learning• remember more effectively• compensate for missing knowledge• manage emotions• work with others
Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL)
Can be useful for:
• identifying students’ strategies• choosing activities and materials• planning lessons• helping students learn new strategies
Activity: SILL
• Complete the inventory• Be sure to draw the graph showing your
strategy preferences
Lunch
Learning strategies, continued
Activity:1. With three classmates, compare your strategies
graphs.2. How are they similar and/or different?3. Are there aspects of your culture, language,
education that might explain the similarities?4. Do you have different learning styles,
personalities that might explain the differences?
Turkish learning strategies – what does the research show?
Preferences are for compensating and for organizing and evaluating learning.
Other strategies used less often
Conclusion: All strategies should be taught
Selma Deneme (2008). Language Learning Strategy Preferences of Turkish Students. http://www.jlls.org/Issues/Volume%204/No.2/s
Questions for reflection
• Why is it important for us to understand something about our own styles and strategies as well as those of our students?
• How much control do we have over our students’ learning?
• Are we responsible for our students’ learning?• What other factors affect learning?
Other learner characteristics
Internal• age/intellectual development• personality• motivation• anxiety• self-esteem• experiences• cognition• native language/culture
External• curriculum• instruction• culture and status• motivation• access to native speakers
Adapted from http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/factors.htm
What do we know about language
skills?
What do we know about language skills?
Activity: Discussion, small groups1. Each group discusses questions related to one skill
area2. Each group reports a summary of its discussion to
the class
Homework
• Respond to at least three of your group members’ reflections.