LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 15:1 January 2015
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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ESL Instruction Based on Learning Style for the Faculty of Arts
First Year Tamil Medium Undergraduates –
University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

M. Saravanapava Iyer, Ph.D.

Abstract

Among learner factors, one of the most important aspects is age. With this factor there are other factors also which play a significant role in differences in the achievement level of proficiency. For example, language aptitude of a learner, knowledge factors, personality, attitude, motivation, individual cognitive factors, learning style, hemisphere dominance and learner strategies are some of them. However, in this research I do not attempt to maintain that these are the only factors, which have an influence on differences in the achievement level of proficiency of a learner. There are other factors which are also contributing in differences in the achievement level of proficiency in ESL across individuals (for example, genetic factors, gender, etc., are a few to state).

To recognize one part of the solution for learning issues in ESL classrooms relevant to individual variations, this study attempts to examine the role and effectiveness of learning style in the learning process. The increasing attention in recognizing the effectiveness of learning style based instruction in second language is evidenced by the release of a large number of scholarly publications based on empirical classroom researches. These large volumes of studies provide adequate insights into the learning styles preferred by the learners and the effectiveness of learning style preference based ESL instruction in the classroom.

Given the importance of this, the present research was evolved to examine the effectiveness of learning style-based ESL training to 12 Tamil medium undergraduates at the University of Jaffna for 12 weeks (with unlimited hours of informal meetings) in our context. Having employed the qualitative methodology with participant observation, informal interviews and researcher intervention, the present study found out that the ESL learners have adopted their own learning styles to achieve their required language proficiency level.

Key words: Learning style, visual, auditory, kinaesthetic learning preference, tactile way of learning, group/individual learning preference.

1. Introduction

One of the most important mysteries in the area of Second Language Acquisition/Learning is the issue of differences in achievement level of proficiency across learners in the same ESL classroom. After recognizing and acknowledging the above concept, slowly the notions of ‘learner-centredness’, ‘student-centredness’, and ‘personalized’ have entered the field of English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching to shape the model of second language classroom instruction advantageously. This shift towards learner-centred programmes emphasizes the centrality of the learner in the teaching and learning processes of ESL classrooms; every learner in the classroom is unique but they do not adopt the same approach of learning due to the influence of learner factors. Thus the proponents of this view suggest that since learner factors have significant effect on learning, they have to be seriously taken into account for the successful teaching and learning enterprise.

Among learner factors, one of the most important aspects is age. With this factor there are other related factors as well, which play a chief role in differences in the achievement level of proficiency. For example, language aptitude of a learner, knowledge factors/background knowledge, personality, attitude, motivation, individual cognitive factors, learning style, hemisphere dominance and learner strategies are some of them. However, in this research I do not attempt to maintain that these are the only factors, which have an influence on the differences in the achievement level of proficiency of a learner. Certainly there are other factors contributing to the differences in the achievement level of proficiency in ESL across individuals (for example, genetic factors, gender, traits, etc., are a few to state).

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

M Saravanapava Iyer

M. Saravanapava Iyer, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer in ELT, Gr. I
English Language Teaching Centre
Faculty of Arts
University of Jaffna
Jaffna
Sri Lanka
bavaneltc@yahoo.com
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