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[dmb]

[moonraven]

There have been many experiments--your informal one now included--that have demonstrated this breakdown of learning styles.

It also helps for students to be aware of brain hemisphere orientation. Mexico is a dominantly right brain culture--yet all the traditional learning models here have stressed a left brain approach--and the Secretary of Public Education wonders why Mexico's educational results are so dismal....

The point is that as educators we need to teach from a committment to ALL learning styles. Folks who don't usually get their come uppance from kinesthetic learners like myself, who literally will not sit still for an approach without "praxis". (At the junior high level I have seen students grind traditional bla-bla-bla teachers into hamburger.)

[marblez]

That is an excellent point, thank you!

[shmooj]

[ChinaMovieMagic]

"Journal of Imagination in Language Learning" is a GREAT resource...for both Research results and Teachers' experiences.

Volume VII - 2002-03
... Music and Whole Brain Learning
>> James Asher has based his Total Physical Response method on what he calls �brain switching. � He says, �My hypothesis is that no genuine learning can happen until there is a brain switch from the left to the right (Asher 1993). �There must be an image attached to the mental representation of a word in order to retain and use it. Asher presents a strong case with the following bit of research data. �Many language instructions have an illusion that left brain learning strategies are effective. Examples are pronunciation exercises, dialog memorization, pattern drills, and grammar explanations. Only 4%of those who attempt a second language with a left brain 'teaching people to talk approach ' (Behaviorist Approach)continue to fluency � ((Asher 1993). Even if the figure were multiplied by five, the results of the research are startling.<<

>> In terms of cultural diversity and learning styles, it 's clear that some cultures are more right-brain dominant than Americans are. Some ethnic groups think more in picture than in words. ESL students represent that diversity. According to H. D. Brown (1994, p. 54), some of the features of right-brain dominant personalities are preferences for drawing, freedom in expressing emotions, and frequent use of metaphors. Right-brain dominant people respond well to illustrated or symbolic instructions and rely on images in thinking and remembering. Brown describes the left-brain dominant individual as verbally oriented and objective. They rely on language in thinking and remembering and tend to be analytical in their reading. The left-brain learner rarely uses metaphor.

Music with words uses both brain hemispheres...<<

[ChinaMovieMagic]

TPR Storystelling is an approach I'm specializing in...w/out having even known there WAS a TPRS...
It contextualizes the student's Actions and can transform the role (perception) of the Teacher to that of a DIRECTOR...and the learners to that of a team producing a creative process...rather than being judged by a standard of "Native Speaker perfection" by the all-knowing Judge. In TPRS, all levels of learners--whether in terms of lsitening or speaking--can play in ACTIVE Role.

The Internet has many Drama Exercises described.

http://www.blaineraytprs.com/

[merlin]

[juststeven]

My heart goes out to you. This 'thread' has gone 'out of the pail'. It seems to me that your professor is concerned with you learning to produce a research paper based on APA standards. The Brits don't know anything about this; nor do they have do this to receive their three year, one subject degrees. The content of your paper MUST be well researched and documented. Things like justification and format MUST be perfect. The way you credit contributors to your research MUST be done according to APA standards, even down to the commas, semi-colons, and font.
It is an exercise in research and your ability to produce a professional document; thats why the content isn't the prime objective.

[voodikon]

[merlin]

[marblez]

I would love to devote more time and further explore this essay's subject, however as a 4-page essay for a 100-level grammar course, it is hardly my topic priority so I am not going to be so indepth about it. I have other courses to worry about, such as a 60 page upper-level research experiment about online dating (!) and calculating the statistics of the results from the subject pool. It's all due tomorrow, as the semester ends on Monday.

But please don't assume my essay is completely contradictory and quickly thrown together like scrap paper. This thread is not entirely representative of what my paper is about. I intend to go to graduate school, I do work hard on all my assignments. I have also researched numerous sources in the library as well.

Thanks for everyone's help. If you have contributed cited information and would like to read it, I can e-mail it to you next week.

[shmooj]

[guru]

[justcolleen]

I, too, did not realize the American Psychiatric Association's Publication Manual is an inter-cultural much less international reference or tool.

That said, my defense is I just didn't know.

Perhaps I should have put this on the Are American Ignorant thread instead.

Colleen
(One of those Americans)

[Scott in Incheon]

Visual aids might be useful to improve vocabulary. But to improve literacy you have to read. Unless you are using the visual aids along with a story book...I would not think they are a particularly good way to improve literacy...