AN INVESTIGATION INTO ENGLISH LEARNING STYLES OF NON – LANGUAGE MAJOR FRESHMEN AT QUANG BINH UNIVERSITY tran thi giang nga

AN INVESTIGATION INTO ENGLISH LEARNING STYLES OF NON – LANGUAGE MAJOR FRESHMEN AT QUANG BINH UNIVERSITY University of English Language K54 Tóm tắt.. Based on this fact, conducting a re

AN INVESTIGATION INTO ENGLISH LEARNING STYLES OF NON – LANGUAGE MAJOR FRESHMEN AT QUANG BINH UNIVERSITY

University of English Language K54

Tóm tắt Bài viết này tóm tắt một nghiên cứu được thực hiện tại trường đại học

Quảng Bình Nghiên cứu này nhằm điều tra những khó khăn mà những sinh viên năm nhất chuyên ngành ngoại ngữ gặp phải trong quá trình học kỹ năng nghe Mục đích khác của nghiên cứu là để đưa ra các giải pháp thực tế giúp cải thiện tình hình học kỹ năng nghe của các sinh viên Việc phân tích các dữ liệu cho thấy rằng đa số các sinh viên nhận thức được tầm quan trọng của việc học kỹ năng nghe nhưng họ vẫn còn gặp khó khăn do chưa nắm bắt đúng phương pháp, thiếu vốn từ vựng và chưa thực sự tập trung Trong phần cuối của nghiên cứu, một số giải pháp đã được đưa ra nhằm áp dụng đối với sinh viên và giúp họ nâng cao khả năng học kỹ năng nghe

Từ khóa: khó khăn, sinh viên chuyên ngữ, kĩ năng nghe

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Retionale

At Quang Binh University, the English program was taught for non – major is Pre - Intermediate With a view to helping students have with more knowledge for their future careers Students here come together from different backgrounds within a university so that their level is not the same with each others Through the teaching process and based on the students’ marks in the test, the results are often not good Teachers are always in the face of difficulties in teaching because of the difference of individual English level, besides overcrowded students in a class combine with the difference in learning styles For each student, the way they learn and comprehend information is in a different mode Some students want to learn by the way of connecting or associating with their partners, meanwhile the others want to learn by seeing pictures, charts or listening to the tapes, the recordings The reason it is dissimilar because they are different from others, they all have their own learning strategies as well as learning styles As the first and unique university in Quang Binh, QBU is in the process of development and integration world Students speaking English well after graduation is always the main purpose as well as the specific goal that QBU is looking forward to Nevertheless, non – English major students at QBU still can not achieve good result as they desire

Based on this fact, conducting a research entitled “An investigation into English learning styles of non – language major freshmen at Quang Binh University” is really

indispensable Besides, researcher also would like to do this research to give a general view of applying English learning style for these students at Quang Binh University, and come up with some more suitable learning style for them in QBU context

1.2 Research questions

Due to the limitation of time and knowledge, this thesis only focuses on examining the learning style preferences utilized by non – major students in learning English at Quang Binh University

The research aims to answer these following questions:

1 What are propensities for English learning styles of non-language major freshmen at Quang Binh University?

2 What suggestions can be made to improve the effectiveness of their English learning based on those propensities for English learning styles?

1.3 Scope of the study

The study concentrates mainly on investigating learning style of students However, in this thesis, my subject are mainly a group of non – English major students at QBU with the hope to help students find out the suitable learning style based on their strong point or their ability and then give some supplemental for these students

2 ENGLISH LEARNING STYLES OF NON – LANGUAGE MAJOR FRESHMEN AT QBU

2.1 Theoretical background

2.1.1 Definition of learning styles

Learning Style is a term that refers to consistent and rather enduring tendencies or preference within an individual There are hundred of definitions about learning style

in the world Each author or expert also had their own way to define According to Dr Rita Dunn [3], “Learning styles are the way that he or she concentrates on, processes, internalizes and remembers new and difficult information or skills.”

Besides, Keefe [9] emphasizes learning styles as cognitive, affective, and psychological traits that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment

2.1.2 Learning style taxonomy for the L2 classroom

LEARNING STYLE TAXONOMY

Type 1: Cognitive styles Type 2: Sensory Styles Type 3: Personality

Style

Field – dependent

Field – independent

Perceptual:

- Visual

- Auditory

- Tactile

- Kinesthetic

Tolerance of Ambiguity

Analytic

Global

Environmental:

- Physical

- Sociological

Right and Left hemisphere dominance:

- Left brain

- Right brain

Reflective

Impulsive

2.1.3 Multi – Intelligences Theory (MIT) and Learning styles

2.1.4 Ways and advantages of identifying students' learning style

First of all, observing their specific behaviors in the classroom

Next step in identifying students’ learning styles is the use of Questionnaire

Apart from questionnaires, the interview is also a popular manner used Knowledge of learning style provides us ways to learn more and faster with improving our work If

we can learn in a way that suits our style, we will absorb the information faster and retain more of it Knowing the best way to learn to pay dividends when it comes to mine, as we can take advantage of our strength to do things and increase our productivity

2.2 Methodology

2.2.1 Participants

The research was carried out 80 non - majored students enrolled at QBU Most students majored in many disciplines including University of Physic Pedagogy K57 (20 students), University of History Pedagogy K57 (20 students), University of Pre - School K57 (20 students) and University of Biology Pedagogy K57 (20 students)

2.2.2 Data collection method

- Observation

- Questionnaire

2.2.3 Data analysis

This study was conducted in the light of quantitative and qualitative methods When gathering the data, it is carefully observed by the researcher then analyzed using percentages and finally the results were shown in charts, figures or tables

2.3 Students’ foreground propensities in English learning styles

2.3.1 Based on three students’ learning styles

Figure 4: Cognitive styles and learners’ tendency

Figure 5: Sensory styles

Figure 6: Personality styles

2.3.2 Based on Multi – Intelligences

Table 2: Students’ MI classification of University class of Biology Pedagogy K57

PERCENT / AN INTELLIGENCE TYPE

Linguistic Logical Musical Spatial

Bodily Kinesthetic Naturalist

Intra - Personal

Inter - personal

Table 3: Students’ MI classification of University class of History Pedagogy K57

PERCENT / AN INTELLIGENCE TYPE

Linguistic Logical Musical Spatial

Bodily Kinesthetic Naturalist

Intra - Personal

Inter - personal

Table 4: Students’ MI classification of University class of Pre - School K57

PERCENT / AN INTELLIGENCE TYPE

Linguistic Logical Musical Spatial

Bodily Kinesthetic Naturalist

Intra - Personal

Inter - personal

Table 5: Students’ MI classification of University class of Physic Pedagogy K57

PERCENT / AN INTELLIGENCE TYPE

Linguistic Logical Musical Spatial

Bodily Kinesthetic Naturalist

Intra - Personal

Inter - personal

3 CONCLUSION

3.1 Conclusions

This thesis investigates individual differences from personal learning styles preferences The results from the investigation into learning styles demonstrate that most of students learn best when they were given time to consider the data or information Besides they are pictures smart which means they learn better by seeing photos, pictures, paintings They prefer visual aids; the results suggest that students at QBU benefit a lot from visual aids and individual work

The data from the investigate shows close relationship between learning style and Multi – Intelligences

3.2 Suggestions

The following are some techniques employed in some English class:

(1) Provide a balance of concrete information (data, facts, experiments and results) and abstract concepts (principles, theories)

(2) Balance material that emphasizes practical problem-solving methods with material that emphasizes fundamental understanding

(3) Use pictures, graphs and simple sketches liberally, during and after the presentation of verbal material Show films or provide demonstrations, if possible (4) Don’t fill every minute of class time lecturing and writing on the blackboard Set aside intervals—however brief—for students to learn what have been told on their own Raise questions and problems to be worked on by students in a small group,

(5) Talk to students about learning styles, both in advising and in class Students are reassured to find their academic difficulties may not all be due to personal

inadequacies Explaining to students how they learn most efficiently may be an important step in helping them reshape their learning experiences so that they can be successful

(6) Try to design some activities which involve students, senses as many as possible, using all the senses to help improve English learning For example, relatively long passage dictations, and games, which require students to write down what they are told by their classmates, who already have learnt that by heart

(7) Encourage students to learn English online, such as, post writing assignments through e-mail, read materials given online (the students in the experimental class use the new horizon college English book, a web-assisted textbook)

(8) Motivate learning As much as possible, teach new material in the context of situation to which students can relate in terms of their personal experiences, rather than simply as more material to memorize