Language Learning Styles and Strategies

Aloha! From the reading of the materials given for this week, it is known that in mastering our second language, the learning styles and strategies are among the main factors that help in determining how well a person learn a second language. Mr. Wong also emphasizes this in class and briefly told us that it is first necessary for a student to determine what are their learning styles and strategies. Learning styles are defined as the general approaches while learning strategies are defined as specific action, behaviors and techniques that are used to tackle difficult language task. Basically, students are different in digesting material by sensory types, personality types, biological differences, and desired degree of generality also in what categories of learning strategies they are. So, from this post, I will most likely relate the styles and strategies that had been stated in the article to myself for a better understanding.

I’m an extrovert person in general as I like to talk and mingle around with people that basically had lead me to learn a lot from socializing.  I tend to see things as a whole, which shows that my personality type is intuitive-random instead of sensing–sequential. I’m not a person who is very particular in finding logic behind things however I think in abstract, large-scale, futuristic and non-sequential ways. I can see that I like to create new theories and new possibilities in almost everything. In a way, it also shows that I’m an open person that perceives things without judging and I feel things instead of thinking. Therefore, I hate deadlines and tones of work but I will love to gain respect from people for what I did.  From the view of desired generality, I’m actually a global or holistic person. This is because I like communicative events, which I will be able to emphasize main ideas and avoid analysis of grammatical minutiae. For example when I’m reading English story books, I will guess on the meaning of the words that I don’t really understand and proceed to the next sentence.

My sensory preferences are that I learn through visualizing (visual), and moving around (kinesthetic). I find lectures without visual backup can be very confusing. I’m also very excited if the class that I’m attending involves lots of movements such as role-playing, discussion and debates as for me I can remember things better through this way of learning. In the other hand, the right time for me to study is during the day as compare to midnight study, which I find it as a difficult period of focusing. For sustenance during study, sometime I might need food to get me fresh and feel comfortable and I will definitely choose a calm place near to the nature for my location of study. I will be in a place with less people around together with good lighting source to get my eyes open all the time!

In the article, they are six main categories of learning strategies; cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, memory-related strategies, compensatory strategies, affective strategies, and social strategies. However, among all the strategies explained in the article, the best strategy of learning for me is by memory related strategies that requires me to digest the context of information using acronyms, rhyming, body movement such walking around, and much more. Besides, social strategies are also second best strategies for me as I learn best through asking help for language task, asking question in clarifying also verification of confusing items. I also find that, through communicating with people; a wider view of knowledges can be grabbed.

                             "To have another language is to possess a second soul"

       As a whole, both articles provide a very good understanding of language learning styles and strategies available for students. Thus, I have no strong points of going against the article. However, students cant solely depend on the way they think they are best at. Students should always improve in all aspect of of life including learning and should not restrict themselves of changing their way of learning as other styles and strategies might work better in different condition and time. In conclusion, I will definitely apply the knowledge that I had gain from this article into other subjects so that I am not only limiting it in the scope of learning second language only. 

Last but not least, مع سلامة! :)