Inclusive english classroom with strategies for different learning styles

174 INCLUSIVE ENGLISH CLASSROOM WITH STRATEGIES FOR DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES MA Ngo Thi Thom1 Abstract The World Education Forum 2015 confirms the future education agenda ‘Education 2030 Towards incl[.]

INCLUSIVE ENGLISH CLASSROOM WITH STRATEGIES

FOR DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES

MA Ngo Thi Thom 1

Abstract: The World Education Forum 2015 confirms the future education

agenda -‘Education 2030: Towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all’ All learners are created equally and differently Individual learning styles depend on cognitive, emotional, environmental factors, prior experience Hence, educators should understand the differences

in learners’ styles to implement best practice strategies into activities, curriculum, assessments…This article examines key styles of learning English as the second language, particularly of Vietnamese learners, deals with strategies for inclusive English classroom and the author’s suggestions for teaching and learning activities to achieve every leaners’ objectives are also presented.

Keywords: Learning styles, inclusive English classroom, strategies, teaching

and learning activities.

I Preamble

Everyone has the right to access to education Education is central to sustainable development and constitutes the pathway to a life of dignity for all The World Education Forum 2015 reaffirms and supports the number 4 of Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 on education to: ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’

At least one out of ten people in the world has a disability, according to estimates by the World Health Organization People may be born with a disability (of hearing, vision, language, mobility and learning impairments) or acquire one

1 Nam Dinh University of Technology Education

Email: ngothithomspktnd@gmail.com

Tel: 0978122457

during their life In the past it was assumed that the best place for people with disabilities was in a special school or classroom, separated from their ‘normal’ peers Today, however, international experts and people with disabilities themselves are united in the belief that inclusive education in the person’s local community school, together with their non-disabled peers, offers the best opportunity for social integration and self- sufficiency

A foreign language, especially English as the means of communication and knowledge of the world has a special place in the system of modern education because of its social, cognitive and developmental functions Mastering a new language remarkably supports the purpose of life-long learning for all learners

in general and learners of inclusive education in particular Every learner has the own learning styles depending on cognitive, emotional, environmental factors or prior experience With learners of inclusive education, some may have not only disadvantages or weaknesses in certain aspects but also strengths in others For example, one may have difficulty in physical ability but he is better at intellectual ability than others, or one with vision impairment have special ability in hearing Therefore, this paper, written with the view to sharing and discussing the key matters when teachers implement suitable practice strategies into English teaching and learning activities for inclusive classroom with different learning styles, can hopefully be the foundation for further research on similar problems

II Contents

1 Concepts

1.1 Learning styles

The term “learning styles” speaks to the understanding that every student learns differently Technically, an individual’s learning style refers to the preferential way

in which the student absorbs, processes, comprehends and retains information For example, when learning how to build a clock, some students understand the process by following verbal instructions, while others have to physically manipulate the clock themselves This notion of individualized learning styles has gained widespread recognition in education theory and classroom management strategy Individual learning styles depend on many factors (including cognitive, emotional and environmental ones, as well as prior experience) In other words, everyone’s different It is important for educators to understand the differences in their students’ learning styles, so that strategies are accordingly implemented into daily activities, curriculum and assessments

Learning styles have been studied for decades and there are several models that have been proposed by various researchers While the finer distinctions are still debated, most authorities in the field generally agree upon four basic learning styles: auditory learners, visual learners, kinesthetic learners, and tactile learners However, there is a great deal of overlap between the kinesthetic and tactile learning styles, and they will be treated together here and there are some other learning styles as well

Fig.1 Basic learning styles

1.2 Inclusive English classroom

According to Loreman, Deppeler and Harvey (2005), inclusion implies a total insertion of every person, with abilities and disabilities, in every single school activity This means that inclusion involves much more than the presence of learners with especial educational needs in the classrooms and schools; it is their participation and recognition as individuals who belong to the community and who must have the same rights and opportunities of every single person This is how inclusion will be understood in this study As Allen and Cowdery (2005) point out, what matters about inclusion is not only providing a place or a set of strategies or

a especial curriculum; what is really important when dealing with inclusion is to develop in both special educational needs and regular learners a sense of belonging,

a positive attitude and interest for being valued and to have choices Inclusion

has to do with accepting diversity and schools providing support to learners with special educational needs and their families in order to help them achieve their goals No matter who the individual is, the desire to be a meaningful part of society

is inherent to all of us, making it essential to recognize every individual as an active member of a society which is built day by day

There are important elements to create a successful English classroom which facilitates the language teaching/learning process These elements involve the physical appearance of the classroom, the role of the teacher, the classroom materials, and the classroom environment in general (Haver, 2009) First, posters, pictures, diagrams, charts, etc need to be displayed throughout the classroom space Thus, the classroom needs to be a place with enough space to develop different didactic activities and it requires creating a pleasant environment in order

to focus and motivate all learners Second, the role of the teacher is fundamental;

it is necessary to have mutual respect between teacher and learners, and among learners; they need to feel free to make mistakes without fear of being judged or ridiculed Third, a good English classroom needs to have visual aids to be used

in the teaching practice and a set of didactic materials appropriate to the learners’ ages, such as magazines, pictures, flashcards, puppets, books, and a collection of games, among others Finally, she claims that “a successful English classroom is one where learners are happily immersed in English while participating in activities and projects which will strengthen their language skills.”

Likewise, Greenspan, Simons and Wieder (1998) point out that in order

to have an appropriate classroom environment for inclusion, it is necessary to follow three basic principles Firstly, it is necessary to meet each person at his own level of development, foster that stage, and enable the person to move on to the next level; it is fundamental to know every learner´s situations, abilities and disabilities in order to respect her/his learning process Secondly, it is important

to tailor the environment to each person’s strengths and weaknesses and help all people, with special needs or not, to build greater competency Finally, it is very useful to interact with people in ways that help them to think and problem-solve at their own levels These interactions need to be a part of ongoing, trusting, intimate relationships that people have with the teacher and with each other In an English classroom it is fundamental that students feel free to learn at their own pace and have accommodations and alternative assessment strategies in place to meet their unique needs, if they have any, without being apart or isolated Since learners need to experience success, learning goals need to be clear and attainable but still encompass some challenge to them

2 The existing education policies to support people with disabilities in Vietnam

Education Support Policy for people with disabilities was regulated in the law and under law documents The National Law on Disability 51/2010/QH12 has one chapter regulating education for people with disabilities The Decree

49/2010/ND-CP regulating school fee exemption and reduction for students with disabilities, Decision 23/2006/QĐ-BGD&ĐT regulating inclusive education for people with disabilities, and Correspondence 9890/BGD ĐT-GDTH guiding the contents and approaches for education of students in difficult situation In theory, the existing policies has mentioned and impact on all related objects, many areas, as well as education support system for people with disabilities The significant policies include rights of people with disabilities to education, approaches and education establishments for people with disabilities, preferential policies on school fees, for those who work on education for people with disabilities and guidelines to the contents, approaches, methodologies and assessment of disabled people’s education

3 Teaching and learning strategies for different learning styles in an inclusive English classroom

3.1 Understanding the basic learning styles - VARK

One of the most accepted understandings of learning styles is that learner learning styles fall into three “categories:” Visual Learners, Auditory Learners and Kinesthetic Learners These learning styles are found within educational theorist Neil Fleming External link’s VARK model of Learner Learning VARK

is an acronym that refers to the four types of learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing Preference, and Kinesthetic (The VARK model is also referred

to as the VAK model, eliminating Reading/Writing as a category of preferential learning.) The VARK model acknowledges that learners have different approaches

to how they process information, referred to as “preferred learning modes.”

Learners’ preferred learning modes have significant influence on their behavior and learning

Learners’ preferred learning modes should be matched with appropriate learning Information that is accessed through students’ use of their modality preferences shows an increase in their levels of comprehension, motivation, and metacognition Identifying your learners as visual, auditory, reading/writing or kinesthetic learners, and aligning your overall curriculum with these learning styles, will prove

to be beneficial for your entire classroom Allowing learners to access information

in terms they are comfortable with will increase their academic

By understanding what kind of learner you and/or your learners are, you can now gain a better perspective on how to implement these learning styles into your lesson plans and study

3.2 Seven typical learning styles – An English teaching and learning strategy that works

3.2.1 Visual learners (spatial)

These are those who have special perception ability in terms of vision, especially often with learners having weaknesses on mobility or hearing Pictures, images and spatial understanding are the preferred learning media of visual learners These learners prefer to read silently and make good use of any illustrations that go with the text They will generally prefer you to teach with written instructions and will benefit from you acting out situations, watching a demonstration or presenting scenarios in videos If a learner who seems to retain what they read better than what they hear then that student is a perfect example of someone who prefers visual learning There are many readily available language games that work with this kind

of student, as well as helping non-visual learners make the most of visual cues that can help them with learning and using English

Activities: Visual learners are your detailed note takers They think in pictures and learn best from visual displays, slide shows, posters, clips and other visual tools Sometimes, simple things like writing an outline of your grammar lesson

on the board will also satisfy your visual learners’ desire to take notes and capture everything in their own creative and vivid manners Board game, picture game, reading game are popular for this learning style

3.2.2 Aural learners (auditory-musical)

Auditory learners rely primarily on music and sound for their learning Information is often best acquired through verbal lectures, discussions and mini-presentations

Activities: Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of words through listening to the tone, pitch, speed and other phonological nuances of your speech Because written information may have little meaning to these students, auditory learners enjoy reading text aloud and may even bring a tape recorder

to record your lecture While your auditory learners are perfectly content with you giving a 60-minute lecture, strategically integrating audio books, songs

and movies into your lesson will stimulate their brain and wake up your non-auditory learners Recitation game, listening game, quiz and story building game are considered suitable for this learning style

3.2.3 Verbal learners (linguistic)

These are learners who learn best through words regardless of whether they are communicated in speech or writing When learning something new, learners who belong to this category prefer hearing a detailed explanation over viewing a physical, visual demonstration

Activities: Like the auditory learners, verbal learners thrive in a traditional classroom lecture However, they are also very interpersonal and welcome opportunities to interact with words and sounds through discussions, asking questions and teaching others In general, verbal learners make great teacher’s helpers and thrive in group activities that involve lots of interactions and words 3.2.4 Physical learners (kinesthetic)

Your hyperactive learners may simply be your curious kinesthetic learners who prefer using their body, hands and sense of touch to explore the world These learners tend to have trouble sitting for long periods of time, but with the right strategy you may be able to enthrall these energizer bunnies

Activities: Kinesthetic learners are easily distracted and are often the classroom culprit for distracting others Instead of countering them with commands or harsh words, striking a healthy balance between quiet and hands-on activities will allow these active learners to touch, feel and experience the fullness of their lessons In fact, English games such as pantomime and charades are not only great for giving your kinesthetic learners an opportunity to redirect their energy, but also for re-invigorating your half-awake class

3.2.5 Logical learners (mathematical)

These learners prefer using logic, reasoning and systems You may find them

to have a keen sense for numbers, sequence association and problem solving Activities: As a teacher, you can feed your logical students by including classroom activities that involve multi-step processes, data collection, and mysteries You could break things like gender and verb conjugations into tables and charts When relevant, create worksheets that incorporate geometry and money

so your logical/mathematical students (along with the rest of the class) can have a practical English experience

3.2.6 Social learners (interpersonal)