2.1.2 Classifications of Learning Styles

Just as the various definitions of Learning Styles, there is accordingly no agreement on its classification since most authors clarify Learning Styles from different perspectives. Some of them focus their study on the definitions and distinctions of learning styles while others pay more attention to the types of learners in cognitive psychology, personality and sensory modality. According to Reid(2002), learning style research is pided into three major categories: sensory learning styles, cognitive learning styles and personality/temperament learning styles. 

(1) Sensory Learning Styles

It is considered that sensory learning styles include perceptual learning styles (such as visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic), environmental styles (such as sound, light, temperature, classroom design, food intake time and mobility) and sociological styles (such as group, inpidual, teacher authority, team and pair).

A. Perceptual Learning Style

Generally, there are four basic perceptual learning modalities: 

a. Visual learner, who has good comprehension for text and graphic information. They can easily understand the information teacher wrote on the blackboard.

b. Auditory learner, who enjoys learning by listening and speaking; 

c. Kinesthetic learner (movement--oriented) who requires movement and frequent breaks in activity;

d. Tactile learners (touch--oriented), who learns best through their sense of touch and handle objects.

On the one hand, Reid(2002) described the learning strengths of different perceptual learning style, however, it should be noted that each learner has all of these learning styles and the only difference is that these styles function differently. Those functioning best for a learner are called major learning styles and the others are called minor learning styles; while the least ones, negligible learning styles. Thus being an auditory learner does not mean that he does not have other perceptual learning ability. On the contrary, it means that this learner's major learning style is auditory and the other perceptual learning styles do not function so significantly as compared to auditory learning style in his way of language learning.

B. Environmental and sociological learning style

Generally, these two types come from students’ instructional environmental stimuli and sociological learning preferences.

a. Physical Learners: They learn more effectively when such variables as sound versus silence, bright versus soft lighting, warm versus cool temperatures, formal versus informal seating, time-of-day energy levels, intake(snacking while concentrating),and/or mobility needs are considered.

b. Sociological Learners: They learn best when working with their peers and participating in group activities. 

(2) Cognitive learning styles

The learners of cognitive styles preferred models of mental functioning; types of attitudes and interests that affect what a learner would focus most in a learning situation; tendencies to find situations fitting with his or her own learning types; and tendencies to apply certain learning strategies and avert others (Oxford ).

According to Reid, cognitive learning styles include field-independent/field-dependent (FI/FD) learning styles, analytic/global learning styles, reflect/impulsive learning styles, and Kolb's experiential learning style.

A. Field-Dependent/Field-Independent Learning Styles

a. Field---Independent Learner(FIL): learns more effectively step by step, or sequentially, beginning with analyzing facts and proceeding to ideas(see the “trees” instead of the forest) 初中英语教学风格与学习风格匹配状况的调查研究(4):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_50048.html