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Jesica Marisel Gonzalez

Teacher Noelia Tintilay

Discourse Analysis

Kinds of students

Learning is a process in which a person acquires certain information about a


specific topic or theme. During this learning process people use several learning
strategies in order to acquire the new information. Celcia-Murcia (2001) defines
learning styles as “the general approaches that students use in acquiring a new
language or in learning any other subject. The manner in which a learner
perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment”. According
to this, the category of these styles can be classified into three types, auditory
learning, visual learning and kinesthetic learning. This system was developed
by Fleming who called this model VAK ( Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic) in the
year 2001.

To begin with, there are students who acquire information, data through the
presentation of images, pictures, maps. This type of learning varies according to
different ages. At the ages of 3 to 5, children discover the environment where
they live through senses. For instance, toddlers take several objects and
approach them close to their faces, especially their eyes, in order to observe
them in details. At the age of 9 to 14, the youth’s development visual cortex is
distinct and learning processes are well- underway. That is why, visual material
like graphic animation and videos are interesting aids in order to motivate
students in the process of learning. This is because, according to several
studies, students can improve their learning and better retain information when
this data is accompanied with visual supporters.

Within these types of learners, there are students who retain knowledge through
hearing, this means that they are able to remember information when they hear
it orally, these kinds of students are called auditory learners. These types of
learners are able to retain information in detail by hearing conversations or
lectures, they also tend to repeat aloud in order to memorize numbers and
names. They prefer to have conversations or debates about different subjects
rather than having written activities. Another characteristic of these kinds of
students is that they prefer oral presentations because they can interact with
other people and listen to their tones of voices. Auditory style does not vary in
the age of people; both children and adults can use the same style and develop
the same features.

Apart from the auditory and visual learners, into this classification there are
students who have a particular learning style, kinesthetic learning which is also
known as Tactile style. Students which are called “hands-on learners” or the
doers” concentrate better and learn more efficiently when movement is
involved. The term kinesthetic makes reference to the use of muscular
movement. That is why, learning is acquiring by “doing” and “touching” rather
than listening. For instance, for the doers will be more difficult to have listening
activities because they will feel the necessity of movement.

Finally, we have mentioned that the VAK learning model classifies learners
according to what they see, hear or touch in order to retain knowledge. The
model states that people are able to manipulate the three styles but only one is
more predominant than the others. Nevertheless, there is lack of evidence
about saying which style is more efficiently since each learner has a particular
way to acquire information.

Learning Styles. Tempe, AZ: AEIS, Arizona State U, 1994. Web.

"Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences." Multiple Intelligences. N.p., n.d. Web.


02 May 2015.

"Kinesthetic Learning." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 May


2015.

E, T. H. T H E V A K L E a R N I N G S Y S T E M (n.d.): n. pag. Web.


N.p., n.d. Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.westwood.edu%2F~%2Fmedia%2FFiles%2Ffiles%2Fp
df%2Fhighschool%2Fvak_teaching_tips.ashx>.

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