Learning Styles/

Cognitive Styles

Junior N Ferreira
Seminar on Individual Differences
Aprendizagem de lngua estrangeira
Organization
This presentation is organized as follows:

Definitions

Perceptually-based learning style

Distinctions between different Learning Style

Conclusion
Definition

Learning Style is defined as an individuals natural, habitual, and preferred

way(s) of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills
(Reid 1955). Lightbown and Spada 2013

Cognitive Style refers to individuals preferred way of processing: i.e. of

perceiving, conceptualizing, organizing, and recalling information. Saville-Troike
and Barto 2005
Perceptually-based learning style
There are three groups of people with perceptually-based learning styles:

Visual learners - Those who learn best by seeing;

Auditory learners - Those who learn best by listening;

Kinaesthetic learners - Those who need physical actions (touch-oriented),

such as mimics or role-play to learn better (Kinaesthetic). This dimension
may also be aged-related, with younger learners showing more
preference for tactile modalities. (Saville-Troike apud Reid 1987)
Distinctions between different Cognitive Styles
Field independent and Field dependent dimension

Field Independent: people who tend to separate details from the general background.

Field Dependent: people who seek to understand the language in a more holisticaly
way.

It has long been believed that Field Independent individuals have more success in
acquiring second language.

However, other researchers question this belief and suggest further research to verify
this, because there are many questions about how cognitve styles interact with success
in language learning.
Distinctions between different Cognitive Style
Deductive and Inductive processing

Deductive - (or top-down) processing begins with a prediction or rule and

then applies it to interpret particular instances of input,

Inductive - (or bottom-up) processing begins with examining input to

discover some pattern and then formulates a generalization or rule that
accounts for it, and that may then in turn be applied deductively.

An inductive cognitive style appears to contribute to success in L2 Learning.

Conclusion
Both authors consulted, talk about the importance of Learning Style / Cognitive
Style to help understand the factors that make some learners have more success than
others.

On the other hand they also say that it is necessary to be very cautious in fully
believing in these factors, since the experiments that underlie these hypotheses may
not have taken into account other influencing factors and complexities of performance.

It is difficult to determine whether they reflect immutable differences or whether

they develop (and can be changed) through experience.
Conclusion
Other critics point to important factors that these research studies do not
take into account as: differences in cultural background, prior educational
experiences, possibilities of change over time, and stages of language
learning.

Teachers should pay attention to students preferences in their way of

learning a language, but should also encourage them to use all means
available to learn the L2.

Research on learning/cognitive style should make us (teachers) sceptical of

claims that a single teaching method or textbook will suit the needs of all
students.
References
SAVILLE-TROIKE, Muriel. BARTO, Karen. Introducing Second Language Acquisition, 3 Edition
Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2005.

LIGHTBOWN, Patsy M. and SPADA, Nina. How languages are learned, 4 Edition, Oxford, United
Kingdom, 2013.