What are the four learning styles?
It is a well-established fact that no two students in a classroom learn at the same pace or in the same way. It is tempting to attend to the majority, but what if there was a way to cater to all students and the way they learn best? Well, Nualang can help.
The History of Learning styles:
The idea of specific and differentiating learning styles was first introduced as long ago as 334bc by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who proclaimed that every child possesses specific talents and skills, and these should be used to the child’s advantage to encourage educational success. This ideology has been built upon for many years, and different views and classifications have emerged ever since. Other learning theorists have taken different perspectives. Neil Fleming developed one of the most renowned perspectives on learning styles by developing the VARK model. ARK is an acronym for the four main learning styles that Fleming believes we can possess.
The four types of learners and how to spot them in the classroom:
Visual Learners:
These learners are said to prefer means of learning that include figures, graphs and videos. A lot of the time, you will be able to identify these students in the classroom by the way they transform given information using visual assets like arrows, mind maps and flowcharts.
Aural Learners:
Students who possess this learning style can be easily spotted by a teacher, usually due to the vigorous attention they pay to the teacher speaking and also by a consistent reluctance to take physical notes of instructions. They learn best through listening. Whether this is through listening to recorded materials or reading aloud, aural learners are creative in the ways they adapt materials to cater to their preferred style.
Reading/Writing Learners:
These learners intake information best from written sources like written notes and textbooks. This is one of the most catered to learning styles in the modern classroom. However, you can see from the additional styles above that this cannot and will not work for all students.
Kinesthetic Learners:
Students with this learning preference enjoy a very interactive experience. These hands-on learners intake information best when they are active and engaged throughout the learning experience. This is one of the most difficult learning styles to cater to in the classroom, as many activities that may suit these learners act as a distraction to those with other modal preferences.
How do I know what my learning style is?
In developing the VARK model Neil Fleming, too, considered the question, what is the use of learning styles if there is no way to identify them? In 1987 Fleming provided a solution by developing a universal inventory that can dentify you preferred modality by completing a questionnaire.. This questionnaire presents you with a series of learning situation probes in which participants are asked to select their preferred strategy to undertake this learning activity. Today the questionnaire is still widely used and provides helpful strategy suggestions for completion.
How Nualang can help
Nualang prides itself on its innovative integration of software designed to help students develop every aspect of new language acquisition, including pronunciation, listening, speaking, reading and comprehension. Students can all be practicing the same topic, but in a style that will harness their full potential. This makes Nualang the perfect platform for classrooms with various learning styles.
Nualang for Visual Learners
Our picture quizzes are the perfect resource for students who learn best visually. Enable these students to learn new key terms and test their comprehension knowledge using visual assets. Pictures and diagrams can be used to depict key vocab and can be used in a quiz or translation style exercise.
Nualang for Aural Learners
For students who respond best to auditory input in the classroom, Nualang’s engaging chatbot and roleplay exercises have integrated speech features by which students can have sections of the exercise read aloud. Students can choose from accents or dialects from different regions; this offers students an authentic and in-depth experience of the target language, but it also caters to those who learn best through listening.
Nualang for Reading and Writing learners
Other students learn best through reading and writing. Nualangs’s roleplay exercises are perfect for these students. While students with this particular modal preference may intake knowledge best from reading and writing, such exercises have a reputation for being mundane and unenjoyable for the student. To keep these students engaged in the classroom, students can practise reading a given roleplay script and then utilise the art of conversation to write back to one of our Nualas. Using key terms and subject matters both prepares students to use their target language in the outside world and allows them to master this skill in a style suited to their learning style.
Nualang for Kinesthetic learners
Kinesthetic learners will thrive using Nualang. It is difficult for teachers to ensure these learners stay engaged in the classroom. They value an immersive and proactive learning experience, which Nualang sets out to offer. With several interactive activities available to them, Kinesthetic learners can use Nualang to practise vocab and subject matter hands-on. This empowers these learners and provides them with the individualised learning experience they need in a busy classroom.
Why does it matter?
Understanding your learners and how they process information optimally can significantly benefit your classroom. In an ideal world, no student's progress would be hindered by using a singular means of engagement in the classroom. We all understand that the primary constraint that inhibits educators from accommodating each individual learner and their preferred modality is, of course, time.
Once your students are comfortable using Nualang, educators can not only save time but also provide students with a tailored, individualised learning experience that caters to them and how they learn best.
