Portraying the ways of learning of two successful learners of english viewed from their learning atyles and strategis / Kartika Nuswantara - Repositori Universitas Negeri Malang

Portraying the ways of learning of two successful learners of english viewed from their learning atyles and strategis / Kartika Nuswantara

Nuswantara, Kartika (2009) Portraying the ways of learning of two successful learners of english viewed from their learning atyles and strategis / Kartika Nuswantara. Doctoral thesis, Universitas Negeri Malang.

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Nuswantara Kartika. 2008. Portraying The Ways of Learning of Two Successful Learners of English Viewed from Their Learning Styles and Strategies. Dissertation. The English Language Education Graduate Program State University of Malang. Advisors (I) Prof. E Sadtono Ph. D. (II) Prof. H. Ali Saukah M.A. Ph. D. and (III) Dr. Nur Mukminatien. Key Words learning styles innate nurture learning strategies direct strategies indirect strategies. This study aimed to portray two successful learners of English and viewed their learning process in terms of their selected learning styles and strategies. In order to attain the objective of the study that is to provide a description of how these learners learn the language the study beginning with identifying the learning styles of the learners aimed to see the predisposed characteristic manners of the learners. Then the study was carried out to investigate the strategies these learners employ. The learning styles were seen as consistent capacities triggering success that from this the study attempted to figure out the ways the successful language learners use selected learning strategies in learning English. There have been a great deal of earlier studies on similar issue however amongst those studies only a list of learning strategies has become the main concern of the researchers. Therefore this study becomes more meaningful since it does not only deal with the strategies selected by the learners but also concerns the learning styles that have long been known as an embedded factor that needs to be considered when investigating one s learning strategies. The study is qualitative in nature since it contains mainly a description of the phenomena. This qualitative study focuses on investigating the phenomena of a specific case therefore a case study is selected as the method of the study. The case is based on the temporary findings that reveal unique characteristics of two successful English learners. From the first stage of the study it was found out that both learners were able to recognize their own learning styles and the various types of learning styles used by each learner were also identified. In the next stage the subjects learning strategies were broadly described. From this stage the learning strategies of each learner were identified and deeply investigated by means of three series of interview. From these series of interviews data could be well confirmed and more detailed elaborations could be obtained since each series had a different objective to attain. The first interview established the context of the subjects experience. Thus in this interview the whole language learning experience starting from the past experience of learning the language through the present when the proficiency has been achieved is captured. The second allows the subjects to reconstruct the details of their experience within the context in which they occurred the context in this case was framed within the strategies that have been so far selected and employed by the subjects. Moreover the third encouraged them to reflect on the meaning their experience holds for them. The analysis of data in the study was done not only after the data collection sessions were completed but also during the data collection process without waiting for all the data to have been obtained. The analysis of the data enabled the researcher to sort or reduce the unnecessary data so that they were suitable for the setting or context of the study. The data analysis led to a discussion of the learners learning styles as innate as well as nurtured personal attributes. The analysis focused on the affective and cognitive learning style domains and revealed that in cognitive domains impulsivity and flexibility control indicated the capacities that grew not due to a process of conscious learning or habit forming but they were inborn so that learners themselves could not deny these styles that were attached to them. In addition extroversion and ambiguity tolerance in the affective domains were also confirmed by this study as subconsciously developed personal attributes. On the other hand perceptual modality in cognitive domain perseverance and level of anxiety in affective domain were developed more consciously rather than subconsciously. It is possible that these attributes exist as gifted or inborn capacities however the study revealed that they were established and developed consciously by exposing the learners to the learning situations that had led the learning styles to grow. In order to nurture the capacities so that they can finally become consistent attributes of the learners this study shows that both learners receive continuous and consistent reinforcement so that they can well modify their learning habits into consistent learning styles. Based on the above description the discussion about learners learning strategies is held. Then it is revealed that these two learners have employed direct and indirect strategies that they choose to tackle the learning problems. In direct strategies both learners have selected appropriate strategies that deal with memory cognition and compensation. Meanwhile metacognitive affective and social strategies are employed to tackle the learning problems that deal indirectly with the language problems. Henceforth the description of the strategies they have chosen based on their predisposed learning styles leads to a conclusion that firstly without taking differences in learning styles into account the two successful learners of English employ reviewing strategy to store and lock new knowledge in their memory use guessing game as a mental process for approaching meanings develop high learning perseverance by intensifying preferred learning activities control their learning by keeping themselves focused when a learning task is being done and are willing to labor in a certain amount of time to accomplish a learning task. Then secondly by making a connection between their learning styles and strategies the researcher can figure out that these successful learners of English use their perceptual ability to decide the accessible activities suitable for their learning resources use their reflectivity/impulsivity to choose the way to accomplish every learning task and to help them to decide how learning limitations should be diminished use their constricted/flexible control to choose appropriate learning media and comfortable learning settings use their extroversion/introversion to decide how interactions should be put in learning and use high/low inhibition to control their learning process. In short in order to be successful both learners do not necessarily use the same strategies but they employ different strategies for success. Based on the data analysis the study finally proposes that (1) in order to be successful in language learning students should be free to choose different learning styles and strategies because learning styles and strategies are personal and (2) the more the learning styles and strategies the learners apply in language learning the higher the possibility they will succeed. There are two theories pertaining to learning styles and strategies. The former theory shows the subjective nature of learning styles and strategies so that to succeed learners do not need to use others strategies and if they have to use them as models adaptations and adjustments should be made so that the new strategies become congruent with each learner s learning styles. The later theory confirms the necessity for the learners to try out various strategies so that the possibility for success is more. From the findings the study recommends the five parties -- that is the learners their parents the teachers the institutions and the Government -- to consider the various uses of learning strategies to complement the already existing learning styles so that foreign language learners will be able to succeed more easily. Specifically this study encourages the learners to carry on their language learning by means of recognizing their own learning styles and developing more preferred learning strategies and to the parents this study urges them to shift their expectation of the learners from outcome-oriented to process-oriented so that they no longer insist the learners to instantly achieve good marks in every learning but they should encourage their children to get continuously involved in trial and error process until they find the most appropriate strategies that can be employed in their learning. Then to the teachers as the party who can help learners facilitating their learning they are required to provide learners with various learning tasks to elicit the use of various learning strategies. Another important party that can help learners facilitating their learning is the institution the study proposes the institution should give the learners some credits for learning strategies offered as one of the compulsory subjects. Finally the Government as the policy maker should insert learning strategy training as one of the subjects offered to the learners at all levels.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects: L Education > L Education (General)
Divisions: Fakultas Sastra (FS) > Departemen Sastra Inggris (ING) > S3 Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris
Depositing User: Users 2 not found.
Date Deposited: 28 Jan 2009 04:29
Last Modified: 09 Sep 2009 03:00
URI: http://repository.um.ac.id/id/eprint/64389

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