Teach English in Acheng Zhen - Liaocheng Shi

Everybody is unique in their own way, physically and mentally. No one is identical in the way we look and definitely not in the way we think. Many people acknowledge that different people have their own preferred learning style. One may have a dominant style, while some may have different styles depending on the situation. By understanding these differences, we can discuss various learning techniques that Business English teachers may incorporate into their lesson. This means choosing appropriate words, pictures, prompts, realia, materials and suitable activities to accommodate all learning styles. There are seven different learning styles: visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary. Visual learners use pictures, images, and spatial understanding. They use occipital lobes in the brain to manage visual sense and parietal lobes to manage spatial orientation. This means teachers should use items that students can actually see to help with their learning. For example, using drawings to teach new vocabulary and flash cards to match in communicative activities. Aural learners use sound and music, using temporal lobes, especially the right for music. These students may learn best by listening to the teacher’s explanation, listening to other students in group exercises, and reinforcing ideas through repetition in music. Verbal learners use words in both speech and writing. They use the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain. Teachers can help these learners by using synonyms in teaching vocabulary or new concepts. Planning writing exercises either in groups or alone may also help them associate new ideas with words they already know. It could be free writing, guided writing, or fill in the blanks depending on their level. Physical learners prefer moving the body, using hands and sense of touch. The cerebellum and the motor cortex of the brain are mainly responsible for physical movement. These learners should engage in activities that allow them to get up and move around the classroom. Activities like charades or acting out lyrics of a song may be helpful. Logical learners use reasoning, logic, and systems to facilitate their learning. Parietal lobes, especially the left side is mainly responsible for this type of people. For these learners, giving them time to think through new concepts are important. They should be given a chance to use reasoning and compare it to previously known systems to retain the information. Once they understand why and how it works, they are able to apply it to different situations. Providing examples or the use of a newly acquired vocabulary may help them understand easier. These learners may benefit from task based activities and problem solving worksheets. Social learners prefer to learn in groups using the frontal and temporal lobes. The limbic system is also used in dealing with emotions, moods and aggression. Obviously, classroom setting is an ideal environment for these learners. They can learn from each other through scaffolding and by enjoying the social interaction in group activities. Solitary learners do well by reasoning alone and through self-study. The frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and the limbic system are most active in this style. With these students, teacher should give them time to comprehend what has been taught before moving on too quickly. Checking for understanding, and giving more examples to help them understand the use and reasoning behind the idea. Now that we have an understanding of the different learning styles, we can associate them to learning techniques. There are many techniques but studies have shown that distributed practice, self-testing, interleaved practice, self-explanation, and elaborative interrogation are most effective. Distributed practice is dividing up the material in time intervals. It’s important to space out the information taught and give them time to soak it in. Self-testing is learning by asking questions and answering them. You can do it in your head, by using flash cards, or doing practice test problems. This technique helps the student retain the information and organize their thoughts. Teacher can help the students by asking questions and checking for understanding throughout the lesson. Short quizzes, review questions, and worksheets can be used or a task based activity to ask and answer questions should be helpful. Interleaved practice is studying a topic but blending it with previous topics. This can be effective by using previously learned vocabulary and topics to write dialogues for the students to use in listening and speaking practices. Self-explanation is the process of explaining and recording how one reaches a conclusion. Teacher can use this technique in combination with frame working for problem solving activities. Presenting the results of the activities would be a good way to end a lesson. Finally, elaborative interrogation is a technique similar to self-explanation. One learns through the process of asking why. These students would benefit from time given to think on their own and from problem solving or task based activities. It is a teacher’s job to facilitate the learning by delivering a lesson that is engaging and catering to many different learning styles. There are many different learning techniques and they should be used in combination of different teaching methods to maximize learning. Therefore, it’s important for a teacher to plan a lesson appropriately. Carefully choosing the words for explanation, incorporating pictures and examples. Giving instructions in chunks for students to understand easily, planning interesting activities and providing appropriate feedback. There is no formula for a perfect lesson but careful planning with above mentioned points in mind should help in delivering an effective lesson. References: https://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/ https://examinedexistence.com/top-10-learning-techniques-ranking-from-best-to-worst/