A. Learning
1. Definition of Learning
Muhibbin Syah (2008:94) writes that Learning is the most vital key term in every educational effort, so without learning means no education. Whreas M. Dalyono (2009:49) defines learning as an effort or activity that has a purpose to change someone, from their behaviour, attitude, habit, knowledge, and so on to be better.
There are some terms related to knowledge, learning and studying. When we study something, it means that we just receive a transfer of knowledge, although when we learn something it means that we receive a transfer of knowledge and practice it.
According to Oxford (1990: 4), learning is concious knowledge of language rules, does not typically lead to conversational fluency, and is derived from formal instruction. Another linguist Stephen Krashen states in Harmer (2007: 47) that learning is a conscious process where separate items from the language are studied and practised in turn.
passed by learners. Brown (2008:8) stated that there are seven components in definition of learning, those are:
1. Learning is acquiring or getting.
2. Learning is retention of information or skill.
3. Retention implies storage system, memory, cognitive organization. 4. Learning involves active, conscious focus on and acting upon events
outside and inside the organism.
5. Learning is relatively permanent, but subject to forgetting.
6. Learning involves some forms of practice, perhaps reinforce practice. 7. Learning is a change in behavior.
2. The aims of Learning
Muhibbin Syah, based on the definition, has some conclusions about the aims of learning:
1. Learning is an effort. The acts done seriously, systematically, utilizing all its potential, both physically, mentally and funds, as well as psychological aspects such as inttelligence, talent, motivation, interest, etc.
2. Learning aims to bring about change in oneself such a behaviour that is to be better than before.
4. Learning aims to change attitudes, from negative to positive, hate to love, and so on.
5. Learning can change the skills.
6. Learning aims to develop the various knowledge.
3. Factors Influences Learning
Tim Pengembangan MKDK IKIP (1989:149) mentions factor influencing the success of learning in general are internal and external factor. Internal and external factor. Internal factors come from the learner him/her self and external factors come from outside the learner.
a. Internal Factor
The internal factors comprise physiological condition and physiological codition. Those are explained below:
1) Physiological condition
2) Intellegence
It is very influentinal on the success of failure of one’s efforts in
learning something, for example students with high IQ are usually more successful than the one with lower IQ.
3) Talent
It is undeniable that when students learn a subject which are suitable with their talent. It is possible for them to achieve success. 4) Interest
Interest has a big influence to the learning process because to the learning process because if the lesson learnt is not appropriate with the students’ interest, they will not study well. Lesson material attracting students’ interest will be easier to be learnt and
remembered because interest supports the learning activities. 5) Motivation
It is psychological condition, which result from needs and usually activate behaviour aimed at fulfilling the needs. It implies that every human.
6) Emotion
Unstable emotion like easily depresse will decrease the possibility to achieve success. Casing and freedom will facilitate learning. 7) Cognitive ability
b. External Factors
External Factors come from outside the learners; they are setting and instrmental factors.
1) Setting Factors
There are two setting in external factors; they are natural setting and social setting. Natural setting is a natural condition, which affects the success of learning, for instance weather, temperature, humidity, and also other phenomena. Learning process is usally more effective under fresh air,
Social setting, this factor includes family and other social situation such as traffic, factories. A comfortable social setting usually facilitates learning activities.
2) Enviromental Factors
a) Social context: this refers to the persons with whom the student is working toward the achievement or a given learning objective (for example: independently and alone, independently in small group, in a tutorial with an adult or a peer, etc)
b) Modality – medium – instrumentation (for instance: visual, pictorial, animation, silent film loop)
d) Reward system: this refers to that which a student values and which might serve as motivation for learning
These rewards may be of three types, as follows:
1) People, related reward such as peer praise, public recognition, self esteem, and pleasure taken in interaction with others.
2) Property, related rewards, such as grades, tokens, money, position or job and privileges.
3) Process, related rewards, such as an intrinsic interest in the task or activity, challenge, or need for creative or expressive outlets.
B. English Learning Style
1. Definition of learning style
Students’ style take in and process information in different ways,
Learning styles may be defined in multiple ways, depending upon one’s perspective. Here are a few definitions of learning styles. Brown
(2000) defines learning styles as the manner in which individuals perceive and process information in learning situations. He argues that learning style preference is one aspect of learning style, and refers to the choice of one learning situation or condition over another. Celcia-Murcia (2001) defines learning styles as the general approaches, for example, global or analytic, auditory or visual that students use in acquiring a new language or in learning any other subject. The manner in which alearner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment. Learning style is sometimes defined as the characteristic cognitive, affective, social, and physiological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment”
(MacKeracher, 2004, p. 71).
According to Nunan (1988:40), learning style are characteristics cognitively, affective, and physiological behaviours that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment. “ Learning style is consistent way of functioning,
that reflects the underlying causes of learning.”
spend an extended period on their work for the shorter periods, with some distractions, before completing their work. After finishing task, some like to engage in some unstructured exploratory activity in order a test and display newly learners’ skills, while others prefer to reward themselves
with some playful activity or with new subject matter.
Learning style is the way in which a person sees or perceive things best and then processes or uses what has been seen. Each person’s
individual learning style is a unique as a signature Cook (2004:17). Defines learning styles as the manner in which individuals percieve and process information in learning situations.
There are some factors that make students learn best in learning process. They are teachers’ method in delivering a material, media,
strategies, etc. In developing a good method or media, teachers have to consider the students’ learning styles. Each student has different ways in
learning process.
schematics, other get more from verbal forms, written and spoken explanation. Some prefer to learn actively and interactively, others function more introspectively and individually.
The first step has to be taken by teacher is to be aware that every student has differnt learning style in the way of accepting and processing the information. By knowing the differences of students learning style, teacher should choose the suitable method to suit the students’ activity. De
porter and Hernacki (1999:110) state they are two main categories about how student learn, namely how student accept and take the information easilly (by knowing their modality of learning) and how students process new information easily. Learning style is combination of how students able to absorb, take in, arrange, and process the information.
Based on the ideas above, it can be concluded that learning style is able to develop coping students’ strategies because it is like a brain leader
which commands a direction to catch easily the information then saving it well. Teachers should be aware that every student has different learning style in the way of accepting and processing the information. To know student’s learning style, the teachers should know types of learning style
2. The importance of knowing the learning style
Based on De Porter and Mike Hernacki (Quantum Learning 1999:10), learning style is the key for developing enthusiasm in the work, school and another personal situation.
When the teacher knows the information about style, they will become more sensitive to students. It can help the teacher to recognize the difference of the students in understanding the material. It also can guide the teacher to design the learning process that is suitable with students’
style.
3. Kinds of Learning Styles
Educators Bernice McCarty in Cook (2004:19) identifies four primary learning styles: Imaginative, analytic, common sense and dynamic. None of these four styles will fit a student perfectly:
a. Imaginative Learner
Imaginative learners are feeling people who get involved with others and learn best in settings that allow interpersonal relationship to develop. They learn by sensin, feeling, watching. They can see all sides of the issues presented.
b. Analytic Learner
c. Common Sense Learner
Common sense learners like to play with ideas to see if they are rational and workable. They learn best when learning is combined with doing. They are hands-on people who, using their own ideas, can analyze problems and solve or fix them.
d. Dynamic Learner
Dynamic learners also enjoy action as part of the learning process, but rather than thinking projects through to their rational conclusion, Dynamic learners excel in followin hunches and sensin new directions and posibilities.
According to LdPride,n.d in Gilakjani (2012:105) there are three main learning styles; visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. The definitions of these learning styles are as follow:
a) Visual
Visual learners think in picture and learn best in visual images. They depend on the instructor’s or facilitator’s non-verbal cues
believe themselves to be visual earners, and it’s one of the easier
styles to accommodate on a large scale. When teaching a learner of this style, be sure to have charts, diagrams, color-coding, and videos to reinforce knowledge. Visual learners like outlines, timelines, and other visual representations of data. It’s not just that
they like to read; they like to develop constructs of content beyond words, but visualizing with static images and pictures.
Tips For The Visual Learner a) Use maps, timelines, and pictures b) Outline everything
c) Take notes on reading, videos, etc. d) Use color-coding
e) Highlight/underline words
f) Diagram when possible (venn diagrams, sentence diagramming)
g) Flashcards (color cards and/or markers) h) Use different kinds of charts (pie, bar, line)
There are some characteristic of visual learners. Those are: 1. Needs to see it to know it.
2. Strong sense of colour. 3. May have artistic ability.
5. May be easily distracted by sounds. 6. Trouble following lectures.
7. Misinterpretation of spoken words. b) Auditory
These individuals discover information through listening and interpreting information by the means of pitch, emphasis and speed. These individuals gain knowledge from reading out loud in the classroom and may not have a full understanding of information that is written. The Auditory Learner establishes understanding when they hear the information. They typically follow directions well, concentrate better with music or movement in the background, and repeat things back to themselves to make sure they got it. These learners will ask a lot of questions, usually requesting more explanation or that you explain it in a different way. They will probably read a bit slower and potentially read quietly aloud. They learn better with people they can bounce ideas off of and would do well to use audiobooks along with textbooks. Good assignments include: interviews, oral reports, paraphrasing content. Avoid tests that require a lot of writing, particularly timed tests. These learners are more suited to demonstrating mastery aloud, such as with oral exams or free writing once they’ve heard
There are some characteristic of auditory learners. Those are:
1. Prefers to get information by listening needs to hear it or speak it to know it.
2. Written directions more difficult to follow than spoken directions.
3. Prefers listening to reading and writing.
4. Inability to read body language and facial expressions.
Tips For The Auditory Learner 1. Use word association for facts/ dates 2. Listen to podcasts/recorded lectures 3. Use videos when appropriate 4. Discuss subject matter aloud 5. Listen to audiobooks
6. Read notes aloud and record 7. Repeat things aloud when possible 8. Study in groups with discussion c) Kinaesthetic
Individuals that are kinaesthetic learn best with and active “hands-on” approach. These learners favour interaction with the
effortlessly. The Kinesthetic Learner, also known as the Tactile Learner, learns best by interacting or experiencing things around them. They benefit from hands-on engagement, rather than listening to a lecture or reading from a book. They like to act things out and use their bodies to remember facts, such as “dialing”
a phone number into their hand. These learners will enjoy role playing, building, hands-on experiments, dance or physical activity, and sports. Using these physical inclinations will enable them to remember and process better, rather than sitting at a desk or lengthy study sessions.
There are some characteristic of kinaesthetic. Those are: 1. They prefer hands on learning.
2. They can assemble parts without reading directions. 3. They have difficulty sitting still.
4. They learn better when physical activity is involved. 5. They may be very well coordinate and have athletic ability. Tips For Thekinesthetic Learner
1. Take frequent (brief) breaks
2. Hands-on activities, such as experiments and historical reenactments
3. Build model
6. Involve role-playing and acting 7. Study in groups with frequent breaks 8. Use flash cards for memory
In this research, the researcher will focus on using the three main learning styles only; visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic. Those are the familiar styles that commonly heard, and known.
4. The aims of identfying learning styles
Learning style has an important place in the lives of individuals. When the individual knows their learning style, they will integrate it in the process of learning they will learn more easily and fast and will be successful. Another advantage of the identification of the ownlearning style by the student is that it will help the student to become an effective problem solver.
important signals in learning is to learn to be autonomous, that is, for the individual to take responsibility for students own learning. Because of this, student should know what learning style is. This has to be part of the learning process to enable the individual to obtain knowledge, which constantly shifts and changes, without any help from others. Briefly, confidence in learning will consistently rise when learners know how to learn. Learning to learn and grasping knowledge in a suitable manner will lesson the need for an overbearing control by teachers. At this point, teachers guide the students. The students take responsibility for their learning, they are at the centre of the process and everything is under their control. They search answers to the problems and benefit from their unique performances and preferences in their learning styles. Those people will identify their aims, unlike those whose learning style preferences are not identified. They know what they want to learn and “how.” This awareness will change their
perspectives on learning new things.
Learning styles is crucial things which can used by students in solving their English learning problems. According to Cook (2004:7) each person’s individual learning style is a unique as a signature.
