Language learning styles are the general approaches students use to learn a new language. These are the same styles they employ in learning many other subjects and solving various problems. ... four central dimensions of language learning styles: the analytic-global aspect, sensory preferences, intuition-sensory/sequential learning, and the orientation toward closure or openness. (Oxford and Scarcella, 1992)

"MSQ Part IIb: Personal Learning Techniques"
Adapted from UNDERSTANDING SECOND LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES Ehrman and Christensen (1994) Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications
You may do various things to help yourself learn. How often do you think you are likely to do the following?
Please use the following scale to rate each item: 1. Almost never 2. Rarely 3. Sometimes 4. Often 5. Most of the time  

1. __ I usually plan out what I will cover and how I will study when I start to study.
2. __ I need to take study breaks.
3. __ I remember better if I have a chance to talk about something.
4. __ I have a number of projects going on, in varying states of completion.
5. __ Mental images help me remember.
6. __ I like to know how the "system" works and what the rules are, then apply what I know.
7. __ I like to work with some background music.
8. __ I try to keep my mistakes and reverses in perspective,
9. __ If I write things down, I can remember them better.
10. __ I like to be able to move around when I work or study.
11. __ I don't mind it when the teacher tells us to close our books for a lesson,
12. __ I can trust my "gut feeling" about the answer to a question.
13. __ I take a lot of notes in class or lectures.
14. __ I find ways to fill in when I can't think of a word or phrase, such as pointing, using my hands,
            or finding a "filler"  word (such as "whatchamacallit" or equivalent in the target language).
15. __ I hear words in my mind when I read.
16. __ I work better when it's quiet.
17. __ I look at the ending when I start a book or story.
18. __ If I use a computer to learn, I like programs with color and movement.
19. __ My mind wanders in class.
20. __ Figuring out the system and the rules for myself contributes a lot to my learning.
21. __ It's useful to talk myself through a task.
22. __ I feel the need to check my answers to questions in my head before giving them.
23. __ I forget things if I don't write them down quickly.
24. __ I consider myself a "horizontal flier" (e.g., my desk has piles of papers and books all over it),
25. __ but I can find what I need quickly. (Answer only if #24 is 3, 4, or 5).
26. __ When I need to remember something from a book, I can imagine how it looks on the page.
27. __ I can do more than one thing at once.
28. __ I prefer to jump right into a task without taking a lot of time for directions.
29. __ I am comfortable using charts, graphs, maps, and the like.
30. __ I try to be realistic about my strengths and weaknesses without dwelling on the  weaknesses.
31. __ I like to complete one task before starting another.
32. __ I prefer to demonstrate what I've learned by doing something "real"  with it rather than
            take a test or write a paper.
33. __ I have trouble remembering conversational exchanges word for word.
34. __ Hearing directions for a task is better for me than reading them.
35. __  I like to be introduced to new material by reading about it.

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Part IIb: Personal Learning Techniques (ANSWER KEY)

1. [plan task]: Metacognitive strategies, reflective.
2. [frequent study breaks]: Extraversion, kinesthetic.
3. [remember better if talk about it]: Auditory, (Kinesthetic?), extra version.
4. [multiple incomplete tasks]: Random, multitasking (doing more than one thing at once).
5. [visualize images]: Visual (objects, actions).
6. [know system, rules, then apply]: Deductive learning.
7. [work with background music]: Multitasking).
8. [keep reverses in perspective]: Affective strategies (affective self-management).
9. [remember better if write it down]: Visual (text), possibly kinesthetic.
10. [study better if can move around]: Kinesthetic, possibly extraversion.
11. [doesn't mind closed book]: Auditory.
12. [trust intuitions]: Intuition, impulsivity, global.
13. [take a lot of notes]: Visual (text), possibly kinesthetic.
14. [fill in for missing word]: filler word may be intuition; use of hands may be kinesthetic; compensation strategies.
15. [when reading, hear in head]: Auditory.
16. [quiet place]: Low on multitasking, distractible.
17. [look at ending in book]: Random; most sequential learners reject this.
18. [color and movement on computer]: Kinesthetic.
19.  [mind wanders in class]: Multitasker, kinesthetic.
20.  [figure out system, rules]: Inductive learning.
21.  [talk self through tasks]: Auditory.
22.  [check answers]: Reflective.
23.  [write down in order not to forget]: Visual (text), distractible.
24.  ["horizontal filer"]: May be a random learner, perceiver.
25.  but knows where things are] (answered if # 24 is 3, 4, or 5): Random perceiver.
26.  [visualize image of text on page]: Visual (text).
27.  [do more than one thing at once]: Multitasking.
28.  [start by doing]: Kinesthetic, impulsive.
29.  [comfortable with charts, graphs]: Visual (schematics), possibly field independent.
30.  [realistic view of strengths and weaknesses]: Affective strategies, affective self-management.
31.  [complete one task before starting another]: Sequential.
32.  [remember verbatim]: Low-auditory.
33.  [demonstrate knowledge by applying it]: Kinesthetic, random, concrete, global - if >4.
34.  [hearing directions]: Auditory, extraversion.
35.  [start by reading about new material]: Visual.





Styles and Strategies Analysis Chart

In order to better understand the components of EFL activities,
we created this chart to help teachers analyze the material we presented.


 

EFL Material Title  and source LEVEL	Israeli Curriculum Domains & Benchmarks	Learner Styles	Learning Strategy


About Us

Laureen Rabbe is the Director of Methodology for EFL Teacher Training at the David Yellin Teachers' College in Jerusalem. She was the Director of the Jerusalem School for Languages at the Open University of Israel.  She has also taught English at Rene Cassin High School and in the Pre-Academic Studies Department at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
 

Gail Shuster-Bouskila is a private educational consultant. She has taught EFL in the Israeli secondary school system. At Edusoft Ltd. she was a CALL Curriculum Specialist. She teaches pre-service and in-service EFL Methodology, CALL and CAI. She was the Academic Coordinator of EFL and CALL Programs for the School for Languages at the Open University of Israel in Tel-Aviv.
 

 

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