A Compare and Contrast Strategy

24 individual may have his or her own learning styles and preferences that may affect learning environments. Soo defines a learning style here as “an individual’s natural, habitual, and preferred ways of absorbing, processing and retaining new information and skills” as cited in Egbert Hanson-Smith, 1999, p. 290. Further, Soo also notes t hat “differences learning styles among learners may affect the learning environment by either supporting or inhibiting their intentional cognition and active engagement” p. 289. A study conducted by Ehrman and Oxford 1990 reveals that more than 20 styles have been identified and every individual can have 6-14 strongly preferred styles at the same time. These styles can be categorized into four broad domains which are cognitive, affective, perceptual, and physiological as cited in Egbert Smith-Hanson, 1990, p. 293. Perceptual domain focuses on the different ways that learners take and give out information. According to Fleming 2012, p. 1, there are four sensory modalities that are preferred by students to learn information. Those are visual, aural, read or write, and kinesthetic. Visual learners prefer to learn by using any depiction of information in videos, graphics, pictures, charts, diagrams, posters, and any other visualization. Aural learners prefer to learn any information which is spoken or heard. Read or write learners have strong reverence for words. The last, kinesthetic learners are the ones who have perceptual preferences which are related to the use of experiences and practices. Besides, multi-modal learners can have a preference of two or more styles of learning. They can switch or mix different modes of learning. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 25 Hence, helping students to learn means that we should know what the students’ learning styles are and how to take any advantages of them. If the teacher’s teaching style does not meet the learners’ learning styles and cannot accommodate them, it may result in a clash which can affect the learners’ process of learning and attitudes. Dunn, Griggs, Olson, and Beasley 1995 states that a research on learning styles has highlighted the problem and it reveals that failing learners did significantly better “when they were taught with strategies that complemented their learning- style preferences” as cited in Egbert Hanson- Smith, 1999, p. 289. Hence, here language teachers need to understand and take this fact into account so that they could turn the learners’ differences causing the clash to the learners’ advantage. Teachers should be able to teach learners with various learning styles. Therefore, they need to meet any approach providing the learners various means in learning that can match the learners’ learning experiences to the learners learning styles. Thus, the learners can learn optimally even though they may learn the materials differently. One of the solutions that may be approached is designing learning activities that can address a variety of learning styles. By providing such learning opportunities, there are more chances for the learners to develop styles suited to their needs. Multimedia is one of very good solutions for teachers to address their students’ various learning styles. As cited in Egbert and Hanson-Smith 1999,